Monday, September 30, 2019

Discrimination In Employment

Discrimination of human beings has always existed throughout society, and most probably will always continue in this fashion. For centuries people have been discriminating others and have been discriminated against for factors that they are powerless to prevent, such as their skin colour, sexuality or gender.However, with a new multi-cultural society being created, race has now become the principal form of discrimination throughout the world. Making it the primary source of discrimination within multi-cultural companies and thus the employment sector, due to the high number of different races being present. To tackle this situation numerous steps have been taken within the political setting to stamp out discrimination within employment.The main federal laws in place prohibiting employment discrimination, more noticeably recognised as the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Laws, are; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits employment discriminati on based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin; the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), which protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older; Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibit employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the private sector, and in state and local governments; Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities who work in the federal government; and the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which, among other things, provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination (EEO). DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT Page#2 The U. S.Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces these laws and is op en for interaction with any citizen residing within the United States of America. Meaning that any individual is able to legally file a complaint or lawsuit against a company, if they believe that a company has broken one of these laws against them. Title VII prohibits not only intentional discrimination, but also practices that have the effect of discriminating against individuals because of their race, colour, national origin, religion, or sex; and therefore it is illegal to discriminate against an individual because of birthplace, ancestry, culture, or linguistic characteristics common to a specific ethnic group.This is the premier law that racial discrimination lawsuits base their foundation upon, as the actions of the employer to the employee illegally contradict the law’s principals. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that it is unlawful to discriminate against any employee or applicant because of their race, and that it is unlawful in regard to hiring, termination, co mpensation, assignment, or classification of employees; transfer, promotion, layoff, or recall; job advertisements; recruitment; testing; use of company facilities; training and apprenticeship programs; fringe benefits; pay, retirement plans, and disability leave; or any other condition within the realm of employment (VII).This therefore requires employers to provide equal employment opportunities to individuals, no matter what their race, colour or creed. However, if a promotion request of a Caucasian male within a company is accepted, whilst the request of an Asian male is rejected, the reasoning for this could easily be seen as racial discrimination against the Asian male. Allowing him to legally attempt to prosecute the company on grounds of unlawful practise, despite if the intentions of the employer were actually innocent. This situation was the case for small Solicitors firm where an Asian male successfully sued the company for over $3,000, as he believed he was rejected for promotion upon racial grounds.The firm was a dominant Caucasian enterprise within an area known for racial tension, between the Asian and DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT Page#3 Caucasian communities. The employer stated that he believed the Caucasian male was more suited to the position, despite the Asian male having greater experience and more relevant qualifications. In October of 2005, Judge Sir Peter Irwin Casewell, ruled in favour of the Asian male, as he believed that racial discrimination had occurred and that employment laws had been breached. He ordered that the manager of the company, Mr. Edward K. Turrent, was to pay a sum of $3,200 in compensational damages to Mr.Aafiya Mumbtaz, for racial discrimination against the employee, hindering the progress of the individual’s career prospects, and disrespecting the employment laws set in place by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII (2&3). Due to the company being located within a racially charged area. I can fully unders tand the reasoning why the Asian male may feel repressed, and that the effecting variables were due to racial discrimination. Therefore I can understand why the company was suspected of breaking the civil rights act, as they refused promotion of a man of a different race, yet accepted a man of a their own creed, a breach of employment regulation.However, I do not believe that this incident was sufficient enough to award the â€Å"victim† over $3,000, as there is also the highly likely possibility that the company was acting accordingly. With the event occurring within a racially charged area, there is even the possibility that the Asian male was acting out of racial discrimination himself. Enforcing his revenge upon the Caucasian dominated firm, as he may be a racist individual, attempting to affect the business controlled by an opposite race. An additional reason why I would not have taken such drastic action is due to the fact that the Solicitors firm, whose workforce was a mere 12, employed the Asian male knowing that he was of a different race.If the company had practised racial discrimination, surely they would have rejected Mr. Mumbtaz upon application of the position, rather than reject his request for a promotion. DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT Page#4 This to me shows evidence that a racist management did not control the firm, and therefore no racial discrimination within the business took place. Upon a more global scale, Apple Computers have recently been charged with a $40 million racial discrimination lawsuit, charging the company of unfair dismissal an African-American employee. Described by the plaintiff's attorney as â€Å"one the largest racial discrimination cases in U. S.history,† the suit alleges that the former employee was denied promotions and standard perks, isolated from co-workers; and then fired for a trivial offence. The suit was filed on October 30th in Santa Clara County Superior Court. The plaintiff, who did not reveal his name because he is currently looking for work, was an Apple employee from 1998 until he was fired in July 2005, working as a product design engineer. The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff was fired after he brought a friend to work in April 2005, to encourage him to pursue a college education. Waukeen Q. McCoy, the plaintiff's attorney, stated that he believes his client has an exceptionally strong case for discrimination and wrongful termination.â€Å"His white counterparts have not been disciplined or terminated for bringing a friend or family member to campus, and it is a way for them to get him out of the company,† McCoy stated. He also believed that the plaintiff was receiving less pay than his white counterparts, an act that would be breaking employment laws. After bringing the friend to Apple's campus, the plaintiff was suspended, leading the company to launch an investigation before terminating the employee; who is now still without employment, currently looking for work in Silicon Valley. McCoy said that the employee had no prior problems and had an â€Å"above average† work record. When new management took control of the plaintiff's department within the company, he was immediately moved into a separate cubicle away from the rest of his groupDISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT Page#5 for no apparent reason. This formed the foundations of the lawsuit as it provided a suspect indication of racial discrimination towards the employee. The attorney for this case, Waukeen Q. McCoy, has a track record for successfully prosecuting racial discrimination lawsuits. He was the lead plaintiff's attorney in the largest racial discrimination suit in U. S. history, the infamous â€Å"Carroll v. Interstate Brands Corporation† case. Interstate Brands, makers of Wonder Bread and other consumer foods, was sued by 15 African-American employees for refusing to hire and promote African-American employees.In August 2000, a jury awarded the plaintiffs $135 million, leading the case to be voted â€Å"Verdict of the Year† by Verdicts & Settlements Magazine. Waukeen Q. McCoy stated that he would be willing to settle the case if Apple made a reasonable offer. However this request has fallen upon deaf ears, as Apple have so far failed to respond to the letters that McCoy has sent. Waukeen Q. McCoy said to reporters â€Å"I think this is certainly something that corporate America should look at and think twice about doing to someone, singling them out like this,† whereas a spokesperson for Apple declined to comment on the case, citing a company policy of not discussing pending litigation (Apple).Unlike the previous case of the solicitors firm where I believe the employee was at fault, and discrimination was free from the employment sector, it is most likely that racial discrimination did indeed occur within the Apple firm. The United States of America has a tradition of African-American slavery; and due to this, racial discri mination is the main assumption as to why an African-American person should be sacked by a Caucasian company. However, with this conjecture comes the fact that it is also easy for an Africa-American male to claim that he was the victim of racial discrimination, as he knows the topic will receive a great deal of coverage, and put the company who he believes has offended him under significant pressure. The reasoning for this may be money driven, as they know DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT Page#6that the company may agree upon an out of court settlement, protecting the company’s image and reputable status. Despite this, my opinion that racial discrimination was present is made almost certain by the accounts of the African-American being moved into a separate cubical for no apparent reason, and the fact that the African-American man was prosecuted for actions that his Caucasian counterparts were not. In doing this, I believe that the Apple firm has neglected the laws of the civil r ights movement by not cohering to the laws of pay, fringe benefits, and the usage of the company facilities; therefore using racial discrimination against there employee, and should consequently receive punishment for their actions.Unlike the previous lawsuit, the Apple Company has a large workforce and employment system. As a result, this means that they obviously employ a great deal more employees due to the high number of jobs available. This presents the possibility of employing African-American individuals out of necessity rather than out of preference. Holding prejudice and racial discrimination against the employee from his arrival to the organisation. Lawsuits such as this cannot so easily be assessed due to the nature of the event, as there is no actual evidence that whatever occurred originated from racially driven motives; consequently meaning that the case is therefore based upon opinions and beliefs.My personal outlook upon the term racism itself, the main factor of rac ial discrimination, is that it refers to beliefs or practices that differences exist between the genetics of various groups of human beings; and that these differences can be measured upon a scale of superior to inferior. This therefore presents the theory that one race is greater than the other, which is the outlook upon life I believe a racist person preaches. If a person believes that their race if superior to others, I do not think that they themselves should be judged against the law, due to the fact that it is there belief, only there actions. Thus the outcome of the Apple Computer court case and the majority of Discrimination withinDISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT Page#7 Employment lawsuits, mainly Racial Discrimination, are forced upon becoming based upon the issues of morals and ethics. Morality is a complex set of principles based on cultural, religious, and philosophical concepts and beliefs, by which an individual determines whether his or her actions are right or wrong. The se concepts and beliefs are often generalized and codified by a culture or group, and thus serve to regulate the behaviour of its members. Conformity to such codification may also be called morality, and the group may depend on widespread conformity to such codes for its continued existence.A moral may refer to a particular principle, usually as informal and a general summary with respect to a moral principle, as it is applied in a given human situation (Morals). I believe that this statement shows that racial discrimination is indeed a moral topic, due to each race having their own morals, and most probably there racial actions originating from their form of morality. However despite this racial discrimination lawsuits cannot be assessed using this theory of philosophy, as morals do not determine what is right or wrong in the aspects of society, only for the particular individual in question. Ethics however refer to standards of conduct that indicate how one should behave, based up on moral duties and virtues; which themselves are derived from the principles of right and wrong.In order to apply this definition to practical decision-making it is necessary to specify the nature of the moral obligations considered intrinsic to ethical behaviour. There are two aspects to ethics: the first involves the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil, and propriety from impropriety; whilst the second involves the commitment to do what is right, good and proper (Ethics). Due to this, I believe that this statement can easily be applied to the events that occur within the cases of racial discrimination within employment; as what employers have done to employees may not break the employment laws directly, however they impede the ethical laws within human society. DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT Page#8If the situation of the Asian male lawsuit involved members of the same race, with the outcome being the same, it is most likely that no action would have been taken. Howe ver, if the situation within Apple Computers had involved a Caucasian male instead of an African American male, and the case was still taken to court. The lawsuit would then have to be resolved via the means of morals, as none of the employment laws would have been breached. This therefore leads to the conclusion that discrimination within employment is that of an ethical matter rather than being based upon moral principles. From what has been presented it is evident that discrimination occurs within the employment sector, no matter where the company is located, its size or the recognition that it withholds.It is not something that can easily be seen or addressed, such as the punctuality of an employee, and even if it is noticed it is then even more complicated to have any action taken. Throughout the world there is employment; employees looking for work, and employers looking for employees. Due to this there will always be racially mixed companies and, as long as there are racial b oundaries, racial discrimination within employment. Despite fair employment practises being in place to prevent discrimination within employment, the outcome is usually blinded by the nature of the event. Human society itself should be able to prevent this discrimination, without the need of imposed laws or regulations within the workplace.

Global Warming †Myth or Fact? Essay

Climatic conditions have dramatically changed. There are long periods of extremely hot weather and severe cases of drought. Arctic ice is melting and both poles are warming. Oceans are heating up and sea levels are rising. There are worst and widespread floodings. Strong hurricanes, heavy snowfalls, heat waves and mosquito-borne diseases are observed to have been frequent and unusual occurrences. All these are signs pointing to the undisputable fact that there is indeed global warming. Scientific, investigative studies find that carbon emissions trap the heat from the sun and cause the earth to warm up by more than â€Å"1 deg Fahrenheit since 1900† (The New York. Com, 2008). The effects of global warming are serious and pose great threats to life in this planet. Indications are frightening. Actions to combat and control the causes are rather slow in coming and do not have significant support. The figures are grim. For instance, scientists warn of a triple increase in temperature towards the end of this century. If emissions continue, we are to expect a worst scenario in our children’s children world. It is not enough that we know the facts as they are and express helplessness. No matter how dreadful the future of this warming planet seems, there is much that can be done to reverse the direction of things. It will take humanity’s collective will and concerted efforts. Nations must band together and revisit their destructive practices resulting in the onslaught of our natural resources and degradation of the environment. We must all mend our ways before everything gets done a second too late. The United States happens to be the highest carbon monoxide pollutant in the world, contributing one-fourth of the entire planet’s emissions. The US has been conducting studies and researches on global warming. The world benefited from these in that they were furnished the information and knowledge on global warming and more importantly on the catastrophic effect it has on our world and its inhabitants. With equal enthusiasm, the United States must likewise lead the world in arresting our worsening state leading to global warming. The US has the resources to employ to reverse the situation. Unfortunately, the American leaders and its big businesses do not fully support measures that would make the country switch from fossil fuels to biofuels and other alternative renewable energy sources. True, Al Gore received the Nobel for his campaign. He has been going around the world to urge nations to do something about global warming. Great! But first he must ensure his own country and countrymen are doing that. President Bush’s Energy Program is not comprehensive enough and has been carried out in trickles. A Clinton initiative on strict energy efficiency requirements for air conditioning and heating units for homes is an excellent first step. The forecasted reduction in emissions is significant and very encouraging to replicate. â€Å"51 million metric tons of carbon equivalent to 34 million cars off the road for a year† can be realized. (NRDC, 2007). It is incumbent upon governments to enact laws that would regulate the operation of coal-fired power plants, require the use of biofuels and alternative renewable energy sources, give car makers tax incentives for manufacturing fuel efficient vehicles, and fund research and development for alternative environment-friendly energy sources. People must opt for energy-efficient appliances and conserve energy at all times. Halting global warming is a shared responsibility, commitment and drive of both the government and the people. Global warming has come upon us like a war which must be won at all costs. Nations rallied for the cause of freedom in Vietnam and Iraq, why can they not once again come together as a new coalition of the willing for the greatest cause of all time – saving Planet Earth so that mankind will survive. Reference climatehotmap. org. (1999). Global Warming: Early Warning Signs. Retrieved April 19, 2008, from http://www. climatehotmap. org nytimes. com (2008). Global Warming. Retrieved April 19, 2008, from http://topics. nytimes. com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming nrdc. org (2007). Issues: Global Warming. Retrieved April 19, 2008, from http://nrdc. org/globalWarming/f101. asp nrdc. org (2007). Issues: Oil and Energy. Retrieved April 19, 2008 from

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Co-Occurring Disorders and Addiction Essay

Treatment of drug and alcohol addiction is seldom as simple as merely addressing the particular chemicals addict is taking into his body. More often than not, addicts suffer from other disorders in conjunction with their chemical dependency. The clinical reference to such a condition is called co-occurring disorders (Doweiko, 2012). According to Arias and Kranzler (2008) an estimated 1. 1 percent of the U. S. population has an alcohol use disorder with a co-occurring use disorder (DUD). This type of co-morbidity is sometimes referred to as homotypic co ­morbidity or dual dependence. According to Doweiko (2012), dual diagnosis clients refer to patients that suffer from a concurrent form of mental illness and an SUD. Co-occurring substance disorders include but are not limited to anorexia, bulimia, gambling, abuse (spousal), compulsive shopping, AIDS, and compulsive sexual behaviors (Doweiko, 2012). People who are active substance abusers or withdrawal from many drugs of abuse can magnify or simulate symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Addiction is common in people with mental health problems. Although substance abuse and mental health disorders like depression and anxiety are closely linked, one does not directly cause the other (Doweiko, 2012). In a dual diagnosis, both the mental health issue and the drug or alcohol addiction have their own unique symptoms that may get in the way of your ability to function, handle life’s difficulties, and relate to others (Stinson, et al. , 2005). To make the situation more complicated, the co-occurring disorders also affect each other and interact. According to Stinson et al (2005) when a mental health problem goes untreated, the substance abuse problem usually worsens and when alcohol or drug abuse increases, mental health problems will likely increase as well. An essential step to gaining freedom from addiction involves understanding the dynamics of addiction. The addiction cycle describes the reoccurring process that takes place as person struggles with their addiction(s). Co-occurring disorders and addiction relation to the addiction cycle is that addictive behaviors offer a fake sense of escape, pleasure, and involve psychological or physiological dependence. According to Scalise (2012) the increased symptoms and challenging treatment process add to difficulties of breaking the addiction cycle. The addiction cycle begins with pain which leads individuals to reach their absolute lowest, which many calle â€Å"hitting bottom† and then seek relief (i. . treatment). The addiction cycle continues with the addictive behaviors leading the individual to feel good just before crashing and experiencing pain again, thus restarting the cycle (Scalise, 2012). Understanding co-occurring disorders is vital to the proper treatment of chemical dependency clients. If all co-occurring disorders are effectively dealt with, there’s no reason why the addict should not regain their life as a drug-free member of society.

Monopoly and Oligopoly Essay

Monopoly and Oligopoly Essay The Main characteristics of an oligopoly are that the supply of a product or products is concentrated in the hands of a few large suppliers, there could be thousands of small suppliers but the market is mainly dominated by around 4 or 5 large firms. For example firms Tesco, Asda, Sainburys and Morrisons, these are the 4 main supermarkets in the UK but there are thousands of small corner shops who provide some of the same goods the supermarkets do. Another characteristics of an oligopoly is interdependence, this is when the actions of one large firm will directly affect another large firm of the same market. For example during the Christmas period Tesco lowered the price on certain alcoholic drinks to pull customer in to the stores to buy their Christmas food shopping, Asda then followed suit and did the exact same thing with the same products. On the other hand if firms raised their prices the other firm are very unlikely to copy, the other firm are more likely to advertise the fact they are now cheaper in the hope of gaining a bigger share of the market. However there is a tendency for firms to collude and agree to raise prices together, this maintains their abnormal profits and ensure no one loses. This behaviour is illegal in the UK and the EU and firm’s caught doing this will be heavily fined. {draw:frame} Oligopoly’s are a few firm dominating a market,a monopoly is a single firm dominating a market or being a sole supplier of a market, this is called a pure monopoly. An example of a pure monopoly would be Scottish water; they are the sole provider to every household in Scotland of running water. {draw:frame} {draw:frame} For any firm profit is a must for a business to survive, firms will look in to other parts of a market to gain potential profits. For a firm to move into a particular sector of a market there would have to be good roles of profit. A firm would have to get a good return on their investment, the higher the risk and longer a firmhas to wait to earn a potential return on their capital, the greater the minimum required return on their investment they will demand. For a firm to move in to a particular sector,firms would also have to consider if this would attract new investors. If the firm was going to make a quick return on its investment this would attract more investors as they would gain higher amount of dividends on their investment.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Annals of the American Academy

When out of work the average member of the working class loses his chief means of support. It is, therefore, a matter of life and death to him. The most immediate and vital effect of unemployment on the worker is a very serious reduction of the wage scale. Enough has been said to show how greatly unemployment reduces the pay received. In debasement of any general information for Philadelphia industries, an investigation made in New Jersey will best serve to indicate, in a general way, the extent to which the wage scale is depressed by unemployment.Figures collected by the New Jersey State Department of Labor from firms employing over 21 ,OHO workers in the machine industry and from firms employing nearly 16,000 persons in the silk industry show that each of these industries worked during the normal industrial year of 1912 at approximately 70 per cent of total capacity. The actual average wage received during the year for the machine industry was $684; for the silk industry, $509. If full time had been made, it follows that an increase of over 40 per cent would have resulted. This would have meant an average annual wage for the machine industry of $977; for the silk industry of $726.If this 27 per cent of time had not been lost, the average annual wage would have been $566. The average annual loss of wage per employee through unemployment was at least $1 53, and was probably much more, if time lost waiting in the mill, and time lost by hose laid off, were included. Stated for individual departments, the actual average annual wage and the lost wage per employee would be as follows: Actual average annual wage Winders -? Threads Setters†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Weavers -? Pickers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Average annual wage lost through lost time spent outside of mill $334 237 452 $124 173 168 164 These results are shown graphically in fig. 19. In short, the worker loses the opportunity of earning 100 per cent of what his energies and abilities warrant. Permanent or chronic unemployment means a permanent loss of wage. In essence it means that the family of a man with a $1,000 or $1,200 earning ability cannot profit by or live according to the standard of such means, because the man is actually earning only from $500 to $1,000 a year.Not merely does unemployment seriously reduce the income of the worker; it makes his income decidedly irregular. Regular income is interrupted by periods of total or partial stoppage of income. In times characterized by such unusual industrial depression as of the past winter, the loss of income is complete on the part of thousands. To a large degree, the worker is entirely ignorant when such misfortune will befall him. Such a situation almost forces the worker to lead a hand-to-mouth existence.He hesitates to plan ahead, because he never knows whether he will be able to carry through his plans or not, for fear of an interruption of income. A premium is, therefore, placed on the lack of thrift . When the normal income returns after a famine period, it not unnaturally leads a family to spend extravagantly after the strain of pinching through a hard time, Just as human nature always has, from the days we were savages, led us to indulge in an orgy of feasting after a long fasting. Unemployment and irregular employment are the arch enemies of thrift.The Annals of the American Academy Perhaps the most serious industrial result of unemployment is its effect on the quality of the working people. It makes good workers bad. It turns workers who were capable and willing into men who are neither capable nor willing to hold a steady Job if they could get one. As one man with whom I talked when he was out in front of a hosiery mill at the noon hour, said, † For six months before this month, we have been working from 8 to 3. When we came to go back to the old hours (7 to 5. 0) it seemed at first as if we Just couldn't make ourselves get up an hour earlier and work two hours later . † The utter inability of the workers to understand or to change the situation breeds a fatalistic lack of hope that soon manifests itself in a lack of ambition and effort. The secretary of the National Lace Weavers' Union says, â€Å"The lace industry has made more bums than any industry I know of. I have seen men go into the mills only to work an hour this morning or an hour this afternoon, so long, that they are incapable of sustained effort.They lose their personal ‘punch' and often eventually lose their ability to discuss anything except how things are this week in this or that plant. One of the usual ways by which such a depression leads to a debasing of the worker is by causing the skilled man to drift into an unskilled trade. When a man is out of work, he is very apt to â€Å"take anything† that offers, whether it is a job in which he can utilize his skill or not. The very common result is that he is never able to â€Å"come back† to his own trade .His ability in his particular trade is sacrificed and he drifts into the already tremendously overcrowded class of unskilled men. Not only the worker but the entire Philadelphia community as well, is the loser by this lowering of the skill of abort. The injury to the worker by unemployment extends beyond his mere industrial efficiency, and dangerously affects the social standing, the family relations, the health, the intelligence and the public orderliness of the working classes of the community.A series of interviews with Kensington textile workers (chiefly Anglicans) is one steady story of used up savings, of increased debts, and of â€Å"half time† for four, six or nine months during the past winter. Even the few whose greater savings or â€Å"steadier time† would normally have led them to avoid the â€Å"pinch† f the past winter, have felt obliged to lend to the less fortunate to an extent 41 Steadying Employment which, in many cases, has meant a severe dra in on their own resources. The lowered income during such a winter as the past. 1914-1 5) very frequently means the curtailment of the necessities of food, fuel and clothing, to the point where the health is seriously impaired. It is almost impossible to measure this injury. Mr.. R. R. P. Bradford, who is in charge of the â€Å"Lighthouse† and was quoted previously (page 6), said during the spring of 1915, â€Å"l should not be at all surprised if, as a result of the erring of physical vitality among the Kensington workers, because of insufficient nourishment and protection, there should come about an epidemic of disease that will cost us dear.Whether it does or does not happen, we have a permanent injury as a result of this year's unemployment in the lessened vitality of the people. † Every severe depression is a great destroyer of family life. Almost every family with whom I conversed knew of two or three families that were forced to â€Å"break up† because of the unemployment during the past winter. One of the usual results of unemployment s a considerable increase in the number of thefts, burglaries and suicides.

Are organizations rational Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Are organizations rational - Essay Example 490). Efficiency itself is a fundamental necessity of an organization both for the top management and the organizational workers. The theory of administration is â€Å"concerned with how an organization should be constructed to accomplish its work efficiently† (Davis, 1996). There are two important elements in a rational organization i.e. goals’ specificity, and formalization. Specificity of goals establishes allocation of resources by laying out rules and regulations for specific activities so that they can be accomplished in a regulated manner. Formalization, on the other hand, is a strategy of standardizing behavior of the organizational personnel. If these two elements are present in an organization, top management can form stable expectations from the organizational personnel and a rational organizational system comes into being. Dr. Frederick Winslow Taylor tried to rationalize organizational personnel by analyzing the ways in which the amount of output can be maximized with the minimal use of resources (Montemurro, n.d., p. 2). Some ways in which this can be achieved include distribution of work responsibilities between workers and managers, establishment of incentive system on the basis of performance, scientific training of workers, deve lopment of science for the responsibilities of each worker, and timely achievement of goals on the part of all workers. Taylor thinks that if the efficiency of the organizational personnel is increased in the scientific manger, this would not just increase opportunities for them to get more work, but would also play a role in improving the quality of life. Some problems that surface out of scientific management include workers’ tendency to rebel against the mundaneness in a standardized system, and workers’ tendency to reject the incentive system because of the need to show optimal productivity

Friday, September 27, 2019

Research project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project - Research Paper Example Do appropriate candidature policies determine the votes a candidate gets? The response to this quiz is necessary for system modelling for a national election candidate’s success in the United Kingdom. If the political candidate’s policies primarily affects the manner in which voters will vote, other political forces such as party euphoria and candidate’s charisma would be irrelevant. It would then be imperative to understand how a nominee’s policies will affect the national legal, political structure in all aspects. On the other hand if policies don’t change the voting patterns, political candidates tend to focus on other significant elements. For instance, political candidate’s previous history and leadership qualities among others. Previous studies indicate that candidates with good policies command higher votes as compared to others. The clearest way of deciding if voting patterns are affected or prefer policy choices is by comparing voter s’ preferred policies and others (Kellstedt and Whitten, 2013). My research question will be: Does appropriate Party policies determine the number of votes a candidate is most likely to get? The research question tries to establish a link between setting down party policies with reference to voter turnout and how this shapes up. In this study, we identify the significance of party systems and its relationship to the number of votes a party’s nominee gets. Political party nominee’s get more votes as a result of appropriate party policies. In this case, the dependent variable is proposed, and the independent variable is party politics. As a result of proper party politics that citizens find appealing tends to attract more votes towards a party for its candidate while non-appealing policies tend to push away votes for a party’s nominee. In the hypothesis framework showing the

Business decision making - reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business decision making - reflection - Essay Example For example, we also kept in mind the availability of housing for hospital staff. Even if site A would seem less costly to develop; still, we cannot decide simply based on costs. Quality must always be part of the decision process because a hospital is not just about medical equipment, it is more on providing services to the patients as well as to the employees. We have to choose from the best possible alternative that can reward us with the greatest pay-off coupled with minimal issues. For this reason, we arrived at Site B because even the insects would receive some benefits that we have planned. The first stage that we went through is identifying the problems and problem definition. Using the rational model, we need to properly determine what are the potential causes of problems for each site that we have to consider. In a rational decision model, we have to look into all possible alternatives so every bit of information that we can get hold would prove useful. When we were identif ying the problems, we decided to set out the criteria which were required. Each site would have to meet these criteria in order to be chosen as the optimum site. The basic criteria were: †¢ Good access points to and from the hospital. †¢ Produce a 15 – 20% return on shareholders’ investments. †¢ Easy to obtain staff, particularly of the high-skilled variety. †¢ Aesthetically pleasing. †¢ Gaining political support. †¢ Replacing the older hospitals in the region For example, we really needed to verify if Site A was a hazardous dump because there were hear says about the site. The only way to confirm such beliefs was to objectively make an investigation of the facts, so there is no room for mistakes. Although the group members were keen about the information gathering process, we observed that each member became very analytical. Everyone wanted to provide the best possible solution to the point that we became obsessive-compulsive. In fact, we also became directive in approaching one another especially when expressing our viewpoints verbally, at times, quite harshly. Our personal commitments were subdued in the interest of choosing the best decision. This rather slowed-down the decision making process because we often argued at the claims we are presenting during group meetings. The good thing is that we have some members who act as facilitators and reminded us about the value of team-work. When we have to sit down and look at the widest range of alternatives, we need to start considering not only the technical or financial elements involved but other important factors as well. We have to consider the political element, since we don’t want any protests that would involve bad publicity. However, aside from looking at possible moral issues, each of us has to change our attitude and look within ourselves. The team leader involved everyone in participative decision-making and allowed us to present solutions that are c reative – like relocating the animals to another place like what Saintburys Supermarket accomplished. We knew that if all of us helped one another in choosing the best alternative, the whole group would benefit from such a decision. We wanted a win-win outcome that would have the least possible disadvantage to all stakeholders. For one, we considered the political factor by knowing if our decision would have any effect on the campaign of MP Thompson. Furthermore, we liked the idea that it would not

Thursday, September 26, 2019

How might a constructionist approach to gay, lesbian, bisexual or Essay

How might a constructionist approach to gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans persons differ from both a biological essentialist and a - Essay Example This paper analyses three approaches used understand these sexual orientations, namely constructionist approach, biological essentialist and a religious essentialist. Sexuality is an instinct or a natural drive that becomes inevitable a person’s biological make-up and seeks fulfillment through sexual activity. All essentialist approaches take the view that all genders, both male and female, have an essential nature as opposed to differing by various contingent or accidental features that result from social forces. These include biological essentialist and a religious essentialist approaches. From the perspective of the essential nature of a person, it is taken that the sexual preference of a person is natural and important/essential to the personality of the person. The essential nature entails caring and nurturing. This means that being a gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans person is a sign of aggression and selfishness (Clare 28). Biological essentialists take sex as a natural i nstinct required for reproduction purposes. This means that there is a relationship between the biological sex/gender and the sexuality of a person. This approach therefore considers being heterosexual as normal but considers gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans persons as unnatural and deviant.

Module 1 Case MGT401 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Module 1 Case MGT401 - Essay Example This is so especially if he trust no one to take the position and lead it effectively. It is for reason that it was no surprise when he fired the CEO of Fiat and appointed himself the CEO. The CEO’s level of emotional stability is simply amazing. It is this emotional stability that has made him the great leader he is today as he does not let his emotions over the employee’s future if he fires them stand in his way and affect his decision making ability. Machionne is one highly intelligent man based on the fact that he was able to turn the company’s profitability around which was on the verge of collapse and did so within two years (2011 All-Stars: Sergio Marchionne, 2011). This is simply an impossible job for a simple-minded and unintelligent individual. The fact that he upholds integrity high is not only commendable but has protected his name and made it remains clear from any scandals involving integrity issues. It is his personality and high standards that make him uphold his integrity and abide by the rules at all times. Machionne is an analyst using logic to make his decisions. His abilities to strategize as well as be inventive and imaginative make him the perfect leader he is. He may not have an approachable personality but he still makes friends and is an excellent communicator. A task-oriented leader is one who focuses solely on the tasks that need to be performed and is in no way concerned about the people performing the tasks such as ensuring they are motivated or satisfied. This is the kind of behavioral approach that Machionne has adopted as he does not bother with his team and their general well-being but simply whether they have performed the tasks he assigns to them or not. This explains his lack of small talk with his employees and especially the executives and the occupation even over the weekend simply with work and no fun at all for the employees (Wernle, 2010). The greatest

IT Systems Strategy Of A Company Research Paper

IT Systems Strategy Of A Company - Research Paper Example In the context of current market trends, the increase of a firm’s profitability cannot be achieved without a radical change in the methods used for managing information across the particular organization. The development of information as an element of competitive advantage is, primarily, the result of the continuous improvement of technology involved in various organizational activities. Under these terms, the firms, which are interested in achieving a long-term growth, need to ensure that they are able to capture, process and transmit information across all their departments. The above issue is set under examination in this paper. Reference is made to a particular firm, Microsoft UK. The information management practices of the above firm are evaluated emphasizing on the following issues: a) the effects of a potential information audit, b) the relationship between the organizational structure/ culture and the information management policies used by the organization and c) the value of competitive intelligence for the development of organizational performance. It is concluded that the development of the firm’s existing information management policies would help the firm to increase its competitiveness within the global market; moreover, the incorporation of effective competitive intelligence methods would also support the achievement of the above target. However, the firm’s existing structure and culture would need to be reviewed and updated supporting more effectively the relevant efforts of the organization. 2. Key issues that would be likely to emerge if an information audit were to be conducted for Microsoft UK In order to identify the effects of a potential information audit in Microsoft it would be necessary to refer primarily to the common needs and benefits of the particular process as developed in firms internationally. In accordance with Dube et al. (2005) information audit results to a series of benefits for the organization invo lved: the most important benefit of information audit is the improvement of a firm’s existing control systems (Dube et al 2005, p.12); moreover, information audit helps to identify the problems of a firm’s information management policies and to suggest information management processes which are more appropriate for the particular organization (Dube et al. 2005, p.12). However, despite its value for the organizational performance, information audit is a rather costly process (Lipman et al 2006, p.66). In this context, the ability of a firm to cover the relevant expenses cannot be guaranteed. In the case of Microsoft, no such problem is expected; the firm’s financial status allows for such initiatives; however, another issue would occur: is the information audit process attempted in Microsoft well planned? If the relevant plan is not carefully developed, the risk of a failure would be extremely high. From a different point of view, the success of information audit has been related to the IS skills of the employees engaged in the specific process; this is an issue highlighted in the study of Coderre (2009). For Microsoft, the above issue is not important; the firm’s employees are

Aging population in Japan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aging population in Japan - Research Paper Example Despite the challenges, the aging population seems to create new opportunities because people will have longer healthier lives hence extended working years besides different capacities and needs (Lutz 34). The key to survival depends on adaptation on individual, organisational and societal levels. Japan is facing the population-aging crisis now. It is a resource-poor island hence changes in population size and structure tends to present a serious problem. Japan faced a problem of a large not-working population until the 1950s. From 1600-1868, the Edo period, Japan opted to hold down its population through extremely desperate means such as infanticide as well as negligence of the old people (Coulmas 5). Towards late 19 century, the population rose and it was unlikely that japan would ever face a shortage of births. However, that is what Japan is experiencing and has experienced over a couple of past decades. Over the last half century, death rates have reduced and the life span has increased by about 30 years. For women, life expectancy is currently at 82 whereas for men it is 76 (Uhlenberg 134). The number of those aged 65 and above was 14% of the population in 1994 and by the 2010; Japan was among the leading in the world in this measure. In Japan, people in their seventies and eighties are prevalent and even centenarians have increased in number. The difference in population structure is due to factors such as fertility and mortality(Coulmas 25).Women in Japan are no longer in a hurry to get married like in previous generations and when they marry, they sire fewer children. In Japan, unmarried women rarely have babies hence the slow rate of marriages contributes to the decreased young population. Women in japan have also opted on continuing with their education to get better job opportunities compared to those of earlier years. In addition, unmarried men are more than unmarried women hence

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Potasium Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Potasium - Essay Example Potassium is a chemical element represented by the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a silvery-white metal, oxidizes quickly in the air, and reacts with water (Shaposhnik, 2007). During reaction with water, hydrogen is emitted and the heat generated is sufficient to ignite the hydrogen and burns with a lilac flame (Woodford, 2002). Potassium and Lithium are the least dense known metals. Interestingly the composition of the element makes up about 1.5% the earth crust’s weight. It is one of the most common mineral elements though it is rarely found naturally. It is found in crystalline form as feldspars or micas (Woodford, 2002). Roza (2007) ascribed that people used plant ash to make soap. Later on scientists discovered that plant ash is composed of potassium (Roza, 2007). The main applications of potash were the production of glass, soap, bleach, and gunpowder as potassium nitrate. The discovery of potassium chloride mineral deposits in Germany led to the mass production of potassium-containing fertilizers. The humans require this element for proper functioning of the system. There are events that leads to abnormal functioning that relates to deficiency of the element for instance consumption of coffee, alcohol, severe stressing of the body, excess strenuous physical and using potassium-wasting diuretics deprives the system of this element leading to hypokalemia (Roza, 2007; Woodford, 2002). Potassium deficiency leads to muscle weakness, severe fatigue, cardiac arrest, nervous disorders and poor reflexes can occur. Other conditions that influence the risk of hypokalemia include severe vomiting or diarrhea, abuse of laxatives, anorexia or bulimia, Magnesium deficiency and congestive heart failure. Excess potassium in the body could lead to dehydration. The kidneys regulate the concentration of potassium in the body (Roza, 2007; Woodford,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Oil Taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Oil Taxes - Essay Example Crude oil, as the raw material in the world market has effected changes that have affected the economic stability of countries. While price changes has its usual negative implications, adverse supply shocks unexpectedly has created a critical scenario in the reduced aggregate supply in the world oil market thereby increasing its prices. In the early 70's, OPEC's control and reduction of oil prices according to Mankiw(1998)1 has aroused the world oil price instantly that has resulted to double-digit inflation and high unemployment rates. The changing prices of crude oil have its usual implications on the economy that often results to a world oil crisis. At the moment, the world is witnessing a major oil crisis with the current war in Iraq and the ensuing conflict with the other large oil producing countries in the Middle East. It is startling to note that material changes in the price of oil can rapidly cascade to the whole economy thereby affecting the price structures of consumer go ods and services. The United States, as the highest consumer of the world's oil stands at the loosing end thereby carefully fielding studies to convince the Gulf and Europe to limit their cuts. Former US Energy Secretary Richardson2(2000)has suggested in a new measure to limit the drastic impact on world economic slowdown by discussing the relationship between the world oil price market and the heavy taxation imposed by the government of oil-producing countries on oil production. According to OPEC, the barrel of refined oil has been split in to three; crude oil price, industry margin and taxes. Governments who share the bulk of the profit are thereby enjoined to seriously observe their tax policies and exact measures to alleviate the prices of this main commodity. Mineral Taxation around the World The current moves to effective globalization aims to de-emphasize high tax rate, tie tax rate to additional profit or impose low but flat tax on all activities. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Tunisia and Venezuela that have similar high tax rate do not share in production, while Qatar, Egypt, Yemen and Argentina that share in production have tax rate ranging from 0-40%.73 Most of these countries have done away with royalty while others have rates ranging from 1-12%, which is based on the sliding scale tied to production. Let us look into the different taxation measures imposed by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, two minor oil producers who have every potential for economic gains and their implementation of tax reforms. As international capital flows are guided by the prevailing fiscal regimes, there is a need for achieving some degree of harmonization. In this context, it is important to know what types of taxes can be expected on the oil sector industry. The dual nature further imposed on oil and gas as a special character of the mineral sector on other countries has equated the dual role of the government leading to the dilemma of whether taxation should be different in the mining sector and general system in terms of rate structure and administration. Taxes of general application may not always be suitable for mineral companies involving higher capital intensity and long-gestation lags. Further, it is difficult to prejudge whether the exemption of the mineral companies from

Unit 4 assesment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unit 4 assesment - Coursework Example Proper resource allocation enhances the performance of a project. Allocating resources for wrong ideas leads to project failure and is considered wastage of resources. In addition, Project managers should assign resources within the project in the right manner. This helps to avoid incurring losses and large operation cost. Currently, the economy is collapsing due to poor management in various financial sectors. This has led to tough competition, especially, in relation to financial resources. Most of the businesses experience increased operation cost. Therefore, there is a need for companies to limit budget for their projects. They can only do that if project manager avoid wasting or misusing any material through proper resource allocation (Gilbert & Bower, 2007). Time is one of the important natural resource for a project. Approximately, 80 percent of total projects in a company offer project managers a minimum timeline for their completion (Gilbert & Bower, 2007). The project manager should, therefore, divide all project activities on a daily basis to meet the time deadline of the project. In addition, the project manager can use critical path methods to determine the right time to allocate every project activity and ensure that they are completed in time. The project manager should not waste time. Proper time allocation, help the project manager to set a duration that each project activity will take and meet the deadline of the project even when any problem arise in the process of implementing the project. There is a need to allocate the right human resources within a multiple project environment. This assists in proper distribution of specific knowledge and skills within the project, hence improving its performance. In addition, proper allocation of human resources makes it is easier for a project manager to come up with a flexible daily plan for the project (Gilbert & Bower, 2007). Project

Monday, September 23, 2019

Literature's Power To Tell History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Literature's Power To Tell History - Essay Example Written works that can be preserved through the ages and as such are able to be placed in the hands of countless people, all the while giving each and everyone an image(s) that will, in one way or another, cement for them in their mind an idea(s) that would have seemed to be improbable to them had they not have read what it was they read at the time that they had done so. As journalists, this task remains in the forefront of importance when it comes to the production of articles on issues pertaining to human interest and relevance. From a journalistic standpoint, the work of John Hersey remained true to the central role of that which a journalist is intended to do. Another figure to consider is that of Tom Wolfe, who also was a journalist during his career. In regards to his views on the idea of 'new journalism', Wolfe's personal definition would be as such, "Wolfe described his version of the New Journalism as an appropriation of the techniques of realistic fiction writers, building a nonfiction account of a person or group after an intense period of observation and interviews, mixing exposition with reconstructed dramatic "scenes" that rely upon dialogue and access to the interior experience of the subjects," Adding that, "Wolfe experimented with a flamboyant style, switching freely between the point of view of the narrator and his subjects, employ ing an energetic vocabulary that mixed the subject's colloquialisms with his own vivid and esoteric diction, and constructing a detailed awareness of the subject's social status. At its best, the New Journalism opened a new world to nonfiction writing, both enriching the reader's sense of the lived experience of the subject and expanding the range of interpretation open to the writer, whose voice had an entirely new range," ("Tom Wolfe", p.1). Such a practice would bode well for literary understanding of times and events that have occurred in the past or the present. By nature, human beings often gravitate towards that which they themselves have felt or experienced before in their own lives. Utilizing scenes of human intrigue and condition, rather than primarily a resuscitation of historical fact, give way to a stronger reliance upon the ability to empathize with that which can be identified with through personal circumstance. The usage of first-person narrative serves to guide the reader through the events that occurred in such a way that they themselves can feel as if they are experiencing the events firsthand with their own eyes. Such an experience that remains true to the purpose of the journalistic endeavor. To have the reader, while reading the written compilation of the author, be able to observe the events of history through means of first person narrative and the consumption of details having to do with the daily behavior patterns, falls squarely within the clearly defined definition of journalism, or in this case "new journalism". As for New Journalism, "In Wolfe's hands, the New Journalism was a celebration for life as lived, and at the same time an instrument for the disparagement of pretension and self-destructiveness. In his story on Junior Johnson, a race driver schooled in back-country whiskey running, Wolfe described an escape for revenue agents: "They had the barricades up and they

The Economics of Women Men and Work Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Economics of Women Men and Work - Assignment Example Men labored in the fields, traded, or worked at other jobs in order to bring his earnings home to his wife. The wife then made what was given last. Whether it was gold, bread, or other goods, the wife had to manage it. The wife also made clothes, soap, and other daily essentials. Children were expected to do chores. Cows produced milk, eggs were laid by hens, and other essentials chores were expected from the children. Everyone contributed to the economics of this household. Feminism and Marxism revolutionized the economics of the family. Whereas in the neoclassical family the man held all the power, women started gaining power in the 21st century. Today two working parents are common. What has become even more commonplace is a single family home. Mothers that get child support, or most of the time do not receive child support, are raising children. Divorce has given women a bargaining chip but has created a hardship on the single mothers. Domestic violence has decreased due to divorce, but the divorce rate has risen to nearly a 50/50 percent ratio. Another economic concern is childcare and housework. When women work out, or both parents work out, childcare must be considered. School-aged children must have a care before and after school if a parent has a 9 to 5 job. A nanny might be required for parents working unusual hours like the graveyard shift. Parents might choose to work opposite shifts in order to watch the children. Housework might have to be paid for as well. If two parents, or a single parent, is working too many hours a housekeeper might be necessary. It all plays into the economics of the family. Chapter Four discusses the balance between home and the labor force. The number of hours to work in order to make a living to the women’s attachment to the workforce was looked at. Economically the labor force must balance both work and home.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Environmental Law Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Environmental Law Research Paper - Essay Example The issues to be considered are the chances of successfully bringing about a review of the SSEP on the basis of the critical nature of environmental issues raised and options available for litigation and arbitration, should the need arise. The major legal aspects that arise in this connection are the standing provisions available to members of the public, EIA provisions and the status of the Great Barrier Reefs as a Heritage area. Oil shale is a sedimentary rock which contains the hydrocarbon Kerogen or fossilized algae, which can only be liberated by the application of heat, so that the hydrocarbon is released as vapor which when cooled becomes oil1. Gladstone in the Queensland area has about 20 billion barrels worth of shale oil available from silica based deposits that are projected to provide enough oil for Australia for 50 years.2 However the problem with the use of oil shales is that there are higher emissions of greenhouse gases produced. The Stuart Oil Shale project was developed at Gladstone by Southern Pacific Petroleum and the Queensland Government had approved the Company’s Environmental Impact Statement and approved stage 1 of the project.3 The trial Plant has been in operation until it was transferred to the Queensland Energy resources (Management) Pty Ltd after February 20044 with simultaneous environmental assessment being carried out.5 The Ross Smith Energy group of Calgary, Canada carried out an independent assessment of the Shale oil project as Gladstone and offered a positive assessment, although it qualified in its report that the relative benefits of the ATP technology being used would have to be determined during the second stage.6 There was widespread opposition from members of the public and environmental groups to the shale oil project at Gladstone due to its adverse environmental impact. Greenhouse emissions from stage 2 were projected to be four times higher than that of normal oil

Global Alcoholic Drinks Market 2014-2018 Essay Example for Free

Global Alcoholic Drinks Market 2014-2018 Essay The Global Alcoholic Drinks market comprises three segments: Beer, Spirits, and Wine. The Beer segment led the market in 2013 with 53. 24 percent and 75. 34 percent share, in terms of revenue and volume, respectively. Increase in demand among the millennial population in the US, growing demand for premium alcoholic beverages, and increased marketing and promotions by vendors are some of the factors that have driven the consumption and sales of alcoholic drinks. The Global Alcoholic Drinks market is witnessing a steady growth both in terms of revenue and volume. However, the mature nature of the Beer market is expected to have a negative impact on the growth of the market at large. Covered in this Report This report covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the Global Alcoholic Drinks market for the period 2014-2018. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from the retail sales of various alcoholic beverages. It also includes the market size based on volume, which is calculated based on the consumption of alcoholic drinks by consumers in the world. VIEW OUR FULL TOC HERE Key Regions †¢EMEA †¢APAC †¢Americas Key Vendors †¢Bacardi and Co. Ltd. †¢Beam Global Spirits Wine †¢Diageo plc †¢Pernod Ricard †¢SABMiller plc Other Prominent Vendors †¢Anheuser-Busch InBev †¢Asahi Breweries †¢Brown-Forman †¢Carlsberg Breweries †¢Central European Distribution †¢Constellation Spirits †¢Distell Group †¢Grupo Modelo. †¢Gruppo Campari †¢Heineken †¢Illva Saronno †¢John Distilleries †¢Jose Cuervo †¢Molson Coors †¢Patron Spirits †¢Shiva Distilleries †¢Suntory †¢The Wine Group †¢Tilak Nagar Industries †¢United Spirits †¢VS Group †¢William Grant Sons Key Market Driver †¢Growing Demand for Premium Alcoholic Beverages †¢For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Market Challenge †¢Increased Competition from Non-alcoholic Beverages †¢For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Market Trend †¢Demand for Low Alcohol Content. †¢For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Questions Answered in this Report †¢What will the market size be in 2018 and what will the growth rate be? †¢What are the key market trends? †¢What is driving this market? †¢What are the challenges to market growth? †¢Who are the key vendors in this market space? †¢What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? †¢What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? For more insights, view our Global Alcoholic Drinks Market 2014-2018 report.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Modern Scientific Theories Essay Example for Free

Modern Scientific Theories Essay For years evolutionists and creationists have been arguing about the way the world was created and whether it has been designed or has evolved over thousands of millions of years. William Paley was a creationist and believed that the universe must have a designer, as it is so complex with many complex organisms. To him it was observable that the universe is designed and if this is true then there must be a designer, which he believed to be God. Many scientists disagree with this theory and say that there is another way the universe could be how it is today. Scientists believe in the theory of the big bang. Unlike the creationists who take each word of the bible literally and believe that God created the universe in 6 days about 6000 years ago scientists believe the universe was created by the big bang about 15000 million years ago. The big bang theory states that the universe was created by a big explosion that threw out materials that now have created the universe of galaxies and stars and planets. It can be proven that the universe is expanding by the red shift of light and the movement of galaxies away from us. As with all explosions the big bang also let out beams of radiation which can still be seen today as the explosion was so large. Some people believe that this theory of the big bang is too much to believe, it is too amazing that all this could have happened without something to cause it. The energy of the big bang was perfect for creating the universe. If it had been less the explosion would not have created galaxies but just dust and if it had been too much life could never exist. The gravity of the universe must also have been perfect for life to exist in the universe, and many people believe the only way this could all be perfect is by something to design it with the right amount of energy, a source of energy to always exist and the right of gravity. People believe this to be God and think of the scientific theory of the big bang to also be as true as God. Creationists look at the bible of scientific truths and therefore do not accept the scientific truths of the big bang theory. However, the bible teaches us religious truths and so is another description of the same creation story. There are three types of people, the creationists who  believe every word of the bible, the scientists who do not believe in God or follow the bible and the people that agree with both theories and do not believe they are in opposition. Those scientists who do not believe in God say that if the big bang was the start of everything, including time, then God cannot exist before the big bang as there was no before as time did not exist. This to them proves that there is no designer involved in the process of creation. Evolutionists such as Richard Dawkins believe Darwins theory of evolution proves creationists wrong. As Hume said, if we were not always the way we are now then how could we be designed, the fact humans did not always exist, for example in the time of the dinosaurs, and we exist now then we must have somehow evolved. Creationists have an argument against the fact that we didnt exist when dinosaurs did. In a town called Glen Rose in Texas Fossilised dinosaur footprints were found alongside large Human footprints. Creationists and the people of Glen Rose believe that this disproves the Darwinian Theory as it proves that dinosaurs and humans co-existed. The evolutionists are trying to prove that these are not human footprints as it attacks their theory strongly. As can be seen Creationists and Evolutionists are continuously attacking each other, as creationism keeps re-appearing. Some creationists feel so strongly about their beliefs that they will not allow evolution to be taught in schools. This happens in Glen Rose and in many other places. Creationists are people that take the creation story in the bible very literally and believe that the universe was created in six days. Evolutionists say that this is impossible because they have proof that the universe evolved over thousands of years and is still not complete. They believe that evolution has no target and is a blind automatic process to which there is no end target or goal. They follow Darwins theory of evolution and natural selection. Paley, who believes the universe is designed, uses the example of the eye as one that proves that the earth is designed; he says that many organisms have very complex eye systems, such as a moth that has a very complex eye. If this eye was not designed then how  did it become as complex as it is? Evolution and science says that the eye can build up through cumulative processes of random selection and mutation. Unlike Paley they do not believe the eye was formed in one single step but believe it was a multitude of steps of evolution and is not pure chance. Their proof for this is that all the stages of evolution of an eye can be seen in different organism. Some organisms have very simple eyes and others more complex. They have not only proved this for the eye but for many other organs. The heart of a human is very complex and has a double circulation system; this is more advanced than the heart of a mouse, which proves that creation takes place in steps. Evolution is a process propelled by survival of the fittest where an insect that looks 15% like a leaf will survive longer than an insect, which only looks 4% like a leaf. The insect that looks most lie a leaf will survive to reproduce and pass on the gene that makes it look like a leaf to its offspring and after generations that particular insect will look more and more like a leaf. This process takes place with all organisms and wrongly causes people to think that the universe is designed by God and created in 6 days. From a scientific point the design argument is wrong as it creates a distinction between humans and other species, which does not exist. According to genetic information species are not as different from each other as people like Paley make out they are. Although science has tried very hard to disprove the design argument many people believe that both could be true and they are just different forms of saying the truth. They believe that the scientific theory of creation is just a more complex and detailed way of telling the same story that Genesis suggests and that the design argument is simply a simpler version of the same thing. There are a few ways that religious people or people who believe in a designer can relate Darwins theory to the idea of God. A theistic interventionist approach states that God created the souls of organisms but that the bodies could be developed through evolution. The body of Adam may have evolved through natural selection but his soul was created and  designed directly by God. Another way that science and the design argument link is that evolution and God dont have to be mutually exclusive and evolution could be the way that God operates. This is the idea of Karl Rahner. The philosopher Henri Bergson argued in his book Creative Evolution that there was something that made evolution take place, and that evolution is part of Gods design. AS of yet no answer has been found that is universally believed for the creation of the universe and all we have are persuasive arguments. Bibliography *The Question is (video) *The Blind Watchmaker (video) *The Question Of God Michael Palmer *Religion and Science Mel Thompson *Looking For God Robert Kirkwood

Most Influential Theologians

Most Influential Theologians St. Thomas Aquinas St. Thomas was born toward the end of 1226 and was born in Italy. St. Thomas was an Italian scholar and the most influential theologian in the Catholic Church. In 1243 he joined the Dominican order which was not like by his parents and they put him in jail for two years. St. Thomas wrote many works philosophy and theology but his most famous is Summa Theological. In it he gives proof of God and his existence. In another section he talks about ethics and how it roots in Aristole. In a chain of acts of will man strives for the highest end. The third part is about Christ. Thomas teaches that Christ is to be regarded as redeemer after his human nature. Thomas was sent to Paris to study under Albert the Great. He served with Albert as his teaching assistant. In 1252 he began to become a master of theology. Thomas was regonized as an excellent theology. He was very holy and would celebrate mass and then have lunch with the friars. Then in the evening he would pray and read. When he became a Dominican he parents really wanted him to become a monk. He was 19 when this happened. He was in Rome but removed and sent to Paris by his parents. His family became desperate to have him not join but he remained determined. At last the he was sent to Rome to meet the master general of the Dominicans. In 1274 St. Thomas died and never got to finish Summa Theologica. He is known as the model for people studying priesthood. In 1333 he was canonized and was declared one of the doctors of the church by Pope Pius V. Kateri Tekakwitha Young Kateri Tekakwitha, born in 1656 near a town called Auriesville in New York, was the daughter of the Mohawk Chief and a Catholic Algonquin. In 1660, at the age of four, her parents and baby brother were killed by a disease that attacked the village, leaving her an orphan. Tekakwitha survived. Although, she was partially blind. She would feel around to find her way. Seeing this, the others called her a name that by which means The One Who Walks Groping for Her Way. Later on, her uncle and two aunts adopted her. They went back to the village where the disease killed her family and rebuilt a village known as Caughnawaga. Over time, she grew into a sweet, shy young woman. She would spend time with her aunts working in the fields. She would often go to the neighboring forest and gather firewood water from the stream and certain roots to make medicine and die. Despite her poor sight, she was very skilled at beadwork. Also, at the woods she would go alone to pray to god and listen to his and her own voice. At the age of 18, is when her holy and religious life truly began. A priest came to their village and established a chapel. Kateri wanted to learn more about Jesus so she decided to be baptized. At the Age of twenty, she was baptized on Easter. Although, her family did not accept her choice to embace Christ so she became a village outcast. Tekakwitha was treated very badly by others in her settlement. In 1677, she left her village and fled to the Catholic Mission of St. Francis Xavier at Sault Saint Louis, near Montreal. Her journey to get to the mission took over two months but because of her determination, she was allowed to receive her First Holy Communion on Christmas day of that same year. She helped the young and came to the assistance of those who were sick. Her favorite devotion was to fashion crosses out of sticks and place them throughout the woods. this would be the sign that whenever she saw one, she would take a moment to pray. One thing that she loved was the rosary, which she wore around her neck every day. People always asked her to tell them a story. they would listen for a long time because when they were with her they felt the presence of God. One day, a priest came to the people and asked why they always circle around Kateri. Their answer would be, We feel closer to God when she is around and her face glows and looks different when she prays.so beautiful as if she were looking at Gods face . On March 25, 1617 she made a vow of perpetual virginity. She wanted to start a convent of Native American sisters but she was discouraged. Due to bad health, Kateri Tekakwitha died in 1680 at the age of twenty-four. her last words were Jesus, I love you. Like the flower she was named for, the lily, her life was short and beautiful. Moments after her death the scarred face of Kateri Tekakwitha was transformed into a beautiful, flawless face. This was witnessed by many people. She was known as Lily of the Mohawks. In 1943, the Catholic church declared her venerable and beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980. Her feast day id celebrated on July 14 and she is the patroness of World Youth Day 2002. Although not a saint yet, she is the first native American to be declared Blessed. St. Jerome St. Jerome was born at Stridon, a small town in the Roman province of Dalmatia, around 347. In Latin, he was known as Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus. St. Jerome was not baptized until about 360 or 366 when he went to Rome with his friend Bonosus to pursue their studies. As a student in Rome, he learned how to speak both Greek and Latin but he also engaged in bad activities and needed to repent. To make himself feel better, St. Jerome would visit the remains and items left by the martyrs and the apostles at their catacombs. This experience would remind him of the terrors of hell. To describe Christian concepts, Jerome initially used classical authors but later on converted to Christianity himself. After several years in Rome, he travelled with Bonosus to Gaul and settled in Trier where he began to take up his theological studies as well as meeting many Christian friends. Some of his friends accompanied him when he set out on a journey through Thrace and the Asia Minor. On this journey, two of his friends died and Jerome was seriously ill. During his illness, he had visions that led him to put aside secular studies and devote himself to God. St. Jerome wanted to live a new life of penance so he went for a time to the desert of Chalcis. There he studied, wrote, and attempted to learn the Hebrew language with the guidance of a converted Jew. Returning to Antioch, he was ordained by Bishop Paulinus and continued to study and write. At this time, St. Jerome was a main teacher of the church and was attached to Pope Damascus I and the leading Roman Christians. One of his most famous accomplishments was translating the Bible from Hebrew to Latin so that everyone could understand Gods teachings. Jerome continued to do many important things with the church later on in his life. St. Jerome died near Bethlehem on September 30, 420. His remains were buried in Bethlehem but were later transferred to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. St. Jerome became the patron saint of librarians and is recognized as the Doctor of the Church. His feast day is on September 30. St. Matthew The writer of the first Gospel and one of the twelve Apostles was not only a strong believer in God but a sinning tax collector as well. St. Matthew was born in the first century Judea as the son of a tax collector named Alpheus. The young Matthew grew up like any boy would have if he lived in that time; learning how to complete his fathers job. His father was a tax collector and taught him how to be a good tax collector like Joseph taught Jesus to be a carpenter. From a sinner, to an Apostle, to a writer of the Gospel, Matthew lived a life a lot like Jesus. He was soon hired by Herod Antipas to collect taxes like his father had. As a tax collector he was given an office located in Capernaum. He soon became despised and thought of as an outcast like all tax collectors. While in a large tax collector meeting in his office, Matthew was called by Jesus to live a life devoted to God like the other eleven Apostles. Although many people were skeptical when Jesus asked a sinning tax collector to follow him, Matthew rose up right then and there, converted and started to follow Jesus. As one of the early Apostles, Matthew was often known as Levi. He is often paired with St. Thomas in the Bible and is thought to be involved with a group of early Christians called the Nazarenes. With this group, Matthew and the Apostles proclaimed that Jesus was the son of God and the everlasting Messiah. Matthew was sent to Palestine alone by Jesus to continue preaching the word of God. He isnt mentioned in the Gospel any more other than in the names of the Apostles. Some historical facts place him in Gentile places preaching to those who lived there. Matthew was present with Mary during Jesus Resurrection and Ascension. Matthew was most likely very literate which was an uncommon trait for people in that time. It is unknown where he began writing the first Gospel also known as the Gospel of the Hebrews. It is called this because he began writing it in Hebrew for the early Hebrew Christians. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel the Gospel of Mark somewhere between AD 50 to AD 55. Matthews Gospel reproduces about 90% of Marks. His Gospel was later translated into Greek so more people could read it but the Greek copy was soon lost. The Hebrew copy was placed in the Library of Caesarea where it was kept for many centuries. St. Matthew turned his life around with the help of a fellow Jew. He became an Apostle, and then wrote the first of the four Gospels. Matthew wrote It is unsure whether he died of natural cause or if he was a martyr. We celebrate his feast day on September 21st. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. St. Matthew grew up a sinning tax collector, was called by Jesus, lived the rest of his life devoted to God, and died with the satisfaction of keeping the oldest and greatest memories alive. St. Jude Personal Life St. Jude was born in the first century AD in the area of Galilee, Palestine. He is also known as St. Jude Thaddeus, Thaddeus being his last name which means the brave one while Jude means giver of joy. It is stated in Matthew 13:55 that St. Jude was a brethren of Jesus, brethren being a Hebrew word indicating a blood relationship. It is also reported that his father, Cleophas was a brother of St. Joseph and was later persecuted for his faith, and his mother, Mary was a cousin of the Blessed Virgin and was said to have stood by the Immaculate Conceptions side while Jesus was crucified. St. Jude also had many brothers, two of which was St. James the Less, and St. Simeon the Zealot. Missionary Work St. Jude was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus along with his brothers James and Simeon, and is remembered for asking Christ at the Last Supper why He would not manifest Himself to the whole world after His resurrection. His name is not to be confused with Judas of Iscariot, another one of the twelve apostles since both their names are a Greek Variant of the word Judah. After the Pentecost (in which he was present) St. Jude continued to preach the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Libya, and Mesopotamia, where he became a leader of the Church of The East that St. Thomas established there around 37 AD. Although little is known about St. Jude, one of his acknowledged works is the conversion of King Abgar. This idea comes from a Biblical story in which King Abgar of Edessa (a city located in what is now southeast Turkey) asked Jesus to cure him of leprosy and sent an artist to bring him a drawing of Jesus. Impressed with Abgars great faith, Jesus pressed his face into a cloth and gave it to St. Jude to take to Abgar. Once the King saw Jesus image he was cured and he converted to Christianity along with most of the people under his rule. This cloth is believed to be the famous Shroud of Jesus which is currently on display in Turin, Italy. St. Jude is also credited for helping start the Armenian Church, and is believed to be the human author of the Epistle of St. Jude, which is the shortest book in the New Testament. One of his last works before his death was his aid in the election of the bishop of Jerusalem in 62 AD, the bishop that was chosen turned out to be his brother Simeon the Zealot Death Little is known about St. Jude, since he was confused with Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, and his veneration was avoided, thus resulting in being known as the Forgotten Saint. Also, there is little information written about him in the Bible since he was known to travel around the world to preach the Gospel. One of the countries that St. Jude traveled to was Armenia, and it was there where he was reportedly murdered for his faith around the year 65 AD, although there are some instances that claim that St. Jude suffered of martyrdom alongside St. Simon in Persia. Armenia was a country that did not completely convert to Christianity until the 3rd century, about 250 years after St. Judes death. We do not know the specifics of St. Judes death, but he is often depicted carrying an axe or a club, suggesting the way in which he was murdered. After his death, his body was brought back to Rome and was placed in a crypt beneath St. Peters Basilica, which people continue to visit to this day. Sainthood St. Jude was canonized pre-congregation, meaning that he was recognized as a saint before the Catholic Church had a formal process of canonization. His feast day for Western Christianity is on October 28, and his feast day for Eastern Christianity it is celebrated on June 19. St. Jude is often associated with St. Simeon the Zealot, whom he shares his feast day with. He is renowned for being the patron saint of Armenia, lost causes, desperate situations, ibises, hospitals, St. Petersburg, Florida, Cotta Lucena City Quezon, the Chicago Police Department, Club de Regattas do Flamengo (soccer team) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Remembrance Today Even though St. Jude isnt as well known as some of the other saints, he is still as important and is venerated in many religions including the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Eastern Catholic Churches, the Church of the East, the Coptic Church, and the Anglican Communion. Nowadays, St. Jude is probably best known for being the namesake of many hospitals specializing in treating people, and specifically children in terminal illnesses since he is the patron saint of desperate causes. We pray to him now in time of desperate need for the reason that he provided a lot of inspirational support to a group of Christians who were being persecuted in Eastern churches and he exhorted them to keep their faith and to stay in the love of God as they had been taught. We usually see St. Jude depicted carrying the image of Jesus (taken from the story of King Agbar), carrying an Axe, club, boat, oar, and/or a medallion. The following is a common prayer dedicated to St. Jude: Most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever. I promise, O blessed Saint Jude, to be mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen. Saint John the Apostle Saints to me are always people we can look up to and know that they were true followers of Jesus. Saints are a great guide on how to act and be when we grow up or even as teenagers. When we are in doubt we sometimes ask our selves what would Jesus do but we can also ask are selves what would the saints do and know that we would get the right answer. St. John the apostle was the son of Zebedee and was called to be on of the 12 apostles of Jesus along with his brother James. They also were with Jesus on his ministries. John appears on the list of the apostles in Acts and in the synoptic gospels. James and John were also believed to be given the nick name Boanerges which means sons of thunder due to their tempers. In the Bible there are no details about how old john might have been when he became one of Jesus disciples but the Christians say that he lived to at least 100 CE which would have been pretty old. There is also nothing in the Bible telling about how long his activity in Judea lasted. Christian traditions also say that John had a important position in the Apostolic body. John was also present at the transfiguration of Jesus. This is some of the things we have gotten from the Bible. John, according to the Bible, was said to be more important than all the other apostles. The reason why was because he was present at many important time such as the transfiguration, and at the Garden of Gethsemane before Jesus was arrested. Paul later in the Bible also calls John the pillar of the Jerusalem church. John was also important because he has been believed to be the author of the fourth gospel, three canonical letters, and the book of revelation. There are so many thing we can learn from saints and these are the most important things that I took from Saint John the Apostle. Again next time you need help deciding what to do just ask yourself what would Jesus do OR what would the saints do. St. Nicholas Having a wonderful family will get you many places, just like were it got Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas came from a wealth family who loved him very much. Sadly, Nicholas parents died while he was still young. Nick was a devoted catholic and when he received his fortune from his parents death, he decided to use it to help the poor and needy. Instead of using the money for himself, he used it for others, which was a start of his generosity. As a young man, Nicholas was known for his kindness. He devoted his life to serving God and became Bishop of Myra while still a young man. He took control of this job to show how responsible he was. This position was very good for Nick and I think it taught him many important things in life. Many people in the land knew that this man was a generous, kindhearted, children loving man who had concerns for other people just like sailors and ships sailings on the oceans. For loving and doing all these things, Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned for believing in god, just like Jesus. This conflict made many people angry and trying to rebel. At this time, there were so many priest, deacons, and other religious believers imprisoned that there was no room for murders, thieves and robbers. After he was released, Nicholas joined the council of Nicaea. After leaving the council, St. Nicholas died on December 6, which is his feast day. On this day, it is a time to reflect on how St. Nicholas was kind to everyone, just like we should be to. Creating this great example for us shows that we need to follow his good ways. Remembering this day will make us realize that we should all commit good deeds no matter what day it is. St. Nicholas was the Patron Saint of Russia. He has many churches named after is glorious name. As a young boy, St. Nick proved to not only himself, but also others that he was a responsible adult. Many people believe you become responsible when youre older, but Saint Nick proved them wrong. He left behind a great example and reputation that will live on forever. St. Augustine of Hippo St. Augustine of Hippo, also known as Aurelius Augustinus, was born into a middle class family on November 13, 354 in Tagaste, modern day Algeria. He was the son of St. Monica and of Patricius. As a young boy, Augustine received a catholic education. His father had believed that he was successful that he had sent him to Cathage, to prepare for his forensic career. St. Augustine was a man of belief, strength, and success. For this he had succeeded in life. Augustine came into the church for having such a strong belief. The reason why he became such a strong believer, was when he had become very ill and could not receive baptism, but he pursued that dream of his. He had joined the men of prayer group and he had three ideas stuck deep in his heart. The first idea was a divine providence or the virtue of prudence. The second one was the future with terrible sanctions or going to hell. The last idea that was in his heart was Christ is above all and the Savior. He also became close with the church when he had given up on Divine Truth and had prayed to the Blessed Mother. The prayers to the blessed mother brought him back to his faith and decided that Christianity was the religion for him. At the start of his religious life he became a priest. The only thing he had kept when he became a priest was his familys house which became a monastic house. Then later on in his life he became a bishop. As he came back to his Christian faith, he wrote about his experiences in books called, Retractions. As he lived his life of prayer, he became closer to God. He also learned how to live a life of peace. As his life drew near so did his life of becoming a saint. On August 28, 430, at the age of seventy-five, Augustines life had come to an end. Augustine was a patron of brewers. As his life came close to its end, he spent almost every moment praying to God. Augustine has become one of my favorite saints as I have learned more about him. His life was powerful and interesting to me. I will try to live my life as an image of him and live out my faith, become closer to the church and God. St. Leo the Great Saint Leo the great was and Italian aristocrat and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to be called The Great. He is best known for meeting Attila the Hun in 452 AD and persuading him to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. He is also known for being called the Doctor of the Church. St. Leos date of birth is still unknown to this day, but he was born in Tuscany, in Northern France, but refers to Rome and his home town. But it is said that his family moved to Rome when he was very young. The earliest information about Saint Leo being part of the churchs clergy when he was a deacon under Pope Celestine I. While Leo was away on a civil mission to bring peace to France, Pope Sixtus III on August 19, 440. As the people of Rome knew of Leos care and love for the individual souls, Leo was voted by the people to be their bishop. But when the people asked Leo to come back to Rome the Holy Spirit was working through all the faithful, so when Leo came back he was anointed Pope of Rome. He was elected on September 9, 440 AD and would reign as pope for the next 21 years. As pope of the Rome Leo labored constantly to protect the integrity of Faith by waging wars, taking strenuous actions against regions, and ordered to correct the errors of countries in Spain. He did all of this because he cared about the people and the faithful. He wanted them to have the most loving gift of all and that was the teachings of Christ that was handed down by the apostles. He continued to do this by defending the unity of the Catholic Church and with constancy strove to teach all men who were doctrines to lead their souls to the greatest fulfillment of salvation. Pope Leo the Greats pontificate was a continuous period of tireless effort directed at upholding the unity of the Church as the people thought. But after this he did much more. He cared about the Church so much that he tried his hardest to stop invasions in order to save more lives. Such as when he went to Atilla the Hun in 452 and persuading him with all his power to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. Legend has it that Attila, on looking above St. Leo, saw in a vision that Saints Peter and Paul would support the Popes wishes, which struck him with fear. One of his most important persuasions was with Genseric the Vandal, who had captured the city of Rome. But thanks to Pope Leos intervention the Vandals didnt even touch Rome by not hurting or killing anyone or even taking down the Churches. Pope Saint Leo the Great certainly possessed true care and love for the Church. He submitted his whole heart to Christ, labored to lead others into committing themselves into the See of Peter, and used all his influence to maintain the unity of the Church. If you ask me I would say Saint Leo the Great modeled his life after the sixth Beatitude, which proclaims, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. He has a connection between purity of heart and of faith. He exemplifies love of truth and orthodoxy of faith. In 1754 Benedict XIV exalted St. Leo to the dignity of Doctor of the Church. Not quite two centuries later, Pope Pius XII, in a sermon given on October 12, 1952, noted that Pope Saint Leo is the greatest among the great. Saint Martin of Tours Saint Martin of Tours was born around the time 317 A.D in modern-day Hungary. Martins father was a senior officer in the Roman Army; he was stationed in Ticinum, Cisalpine Gaul (now Pavia, Italy) where Martin grew up. Later, in Martins pre-teen years, he found God and took charge of his religious life. Martin learned many things about God and started on his way to becoming a saint. When Martin was ten years old he went to the church against his parents and became a candidate for baptism. His parents were very upset with him because he went against their wishes. When Martin was fifteen years old, because his father was a retired officer, Martin was required to join the army. While Martin was stationed in Amiens, he experienced the vision that is most remembered today. He was at the gates of the city of Amiens with his soldiers when he met a scarcely dressed beggar. He automatically cut his own military cloak in half and shared it with the beggar. That night he dreamed of Jesus wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. He heard Jesus say to the angels: Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized; he has clad me. (Sulpicius, ch 2). This dream confirmed Martins fidelity. He was then baptized at the age of eighteen. Later Martin thought his faith prohibited him from fighting and shouted I am a soldier of Christ. I cannot fight. He was charged of cowardice and put in jail. Martin followed the way of the Lord and always served others. Some of the things he was known for were that he was against poverty and did everything he could to help the less fortunate. Some emblems that remind us of him are trees, beggars, soldiers and cloaks. He was known for many great deeds and acts of charity and kindness. Martin died on November 8, 397, in Candes, Gaul (modern-day France). Martin of Tours was just over eighty when he died. He is the patron Saint of beggars and soldiers. We celebrate his feast day on November 11th. Prayer: God, Your Bishop Saint Martin glorified You by both his life and death. Renew in us Your grace, so that neither death nor life can separate us from Your love. Amen Saint John the Baptist But He who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God. (Luke 3:21) Saint John was the cousin of Jesus. He was a baptizer. He was born to the people named Elizabeth and Zachariah. He had many duties such as; being the first baptizer, writing a gospel ect He told the people to repent and that the Lord is upon them. But his cry was not answered by many passing people. John was often mistaken for the Messiah. He was very holy, and spread Gods word so well that he was called The Anointed One. You yourselves are witnesses to the fact that I said: I am not the Messiah; I am sent before Him.'(Luke 3:28) To be a saint you have to have humility, you have to be willing to die for your faith. You have to be open to the fact that you have to make sacrifices to be a soldier of Christ. He took His chance and became that soldier and was the first priest, and was the first leader to baptize someone. He had a lot of weight on his shoulders that day. The cousin of the Lord being asked to baptize someone when you have no idea what to do. He had to be brave to be that kind of person. In current life today we should be Johns. We should be able to die for our faith and give it all up for the Lord. We were all sent by God to do his will and to be the messengers for his faith. We are to live by example and be the little Johns of the world. If we love and care for Jesus and God then we should be able to understand how we are part of the great plan of salvation. From John, we can learn that we just cant sit here and wait for miracles to happen, we need to write of the Lords love, sing of the Lords love, be the Lords love. Saint Anthony the Abbot Saint Anthony the Abbot was born in 251 at Heracleus, Egypt. He is also known by many names such as Abba Antonius, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, and Anthony the Anchorite. Anthony grew up in a wealthy family. He lived a good childhood and a healthy life. But unexpectedly everything changed. When he was about 20 years old his parents unexpectedly died. He ensured that his sister got a good education and that was about all he could do. But then the lord spoke to him and said If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell, what thou hast, and give to the poor. After Anthony heard this he gave away all of his possessions and started his holy life in the desert. He lived as a hermit in an old abandoned fort for more than 20 years praying in solitude. But the devil tried to tempt him many times and he never gave in to its temptations. But he wasnt always alone. Many followers and admirers came into his fort. He healed many of the sick who came and was also a spiritual counselor for others. He had so many disciples following him that he had to build two monasteries! A lot of people helped him by weaving baskets and making brushes for him which made him the patron of those 2 trades. Saint Anthony was also the patron saint of grave diggers and people who work with pigs. He was patron of gravediggers because he buried an Anchorite which was someone who walled themselves up to be alone in prayer. He was patron of pigs because he used pork to reduce inflammation and itching. An artist drew a picture of him with a pig and someone took it as Anthony being the patron saint of pigs. In 311 Anthony shortly left his fort to go fight Arianism in Alexandria. He also left to comfort the victims of the persecutions at Maximinus. While he was out of his fort he met his sister. It turns out she had also become a holy person and chosen to become a nun. Anthony did return to the desert but he did not return to his fort. He retired in a cave in Mount Colzim. Saint Anthony also knew some other saints. During the later part of his life he became good friends with Saint Paul the Hermit. And his biography was written by Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. He also founded a religious order of hermits. Saint Anthony died at Mount Colzim in 356 due to natural causes. Many people still follow his influences to this day. His order of hermits is still around. People give away possessions to help others. He was canonized by the Pre-Congregation which is where saints are canonized by local church officials so no one knows the exact canonization date. Saint Dominic Saint Dominic is the founder of the Order of Preachers, more commonly known as the Dominican Order. He is also the patron saint of astronomers and the Dominican Republic. Close friends with our patron, Saint Francis of Assisi, he was born into a very re Most Influential Theologians Most Influential Theologians St. Thomas Aquinas St. Thomas was born toward the end of 1226 and was born in Italy. St. Thomas was an Italian scholar and the most influential theologian in the Catholic Church. In 1243 he joined the Dominican order which was not like by his parents and they put him in jail for two years. St. Thomas wrote many works philosophy and theology but his most famous is Summa Theological. In it he gives proof of God and his existence. In another section he talks about ethics and how it roots in Aristole. In a chain of acts of will man strives for the highest end. The third part is about Christ. Thomas teaches that Christ is to be regarded as redeemer after his human nature. Thomas was sent to Paris to study under Albert the Great. He served with Albert as his teaching assistant. In 1252 he began to become a master of theology. Thomas was regonized as an excellent theology. He was very holy and would celebrate mass and then have lunch with the friars. Then in the evening he would pray and read. When he became a Dominican he parents really wanted him to become a monk. He was 19 when this happened. He was in Rome but removed and sent to Paris by his parents. His family became desperate to have him not join but he remained determined. At last the he was sent to Rome to meet the master general of the Dominicans. In 1274 St. Thomas died and never got to finish Summa Theologica. He is known as the model for people studying priesthood. In 1333 he was canonized and was declared one of the doctors of the church by Pope Pius V. Kateri Tekakwitha Young Kateri Tekakwitha, born in 1656 near a town called Auriesville in New York, was the daughter of the Mohawk Chief and a Catholic Algonquin. In 1660, at the age of four, her parents and baby brother were killed by a disease that attacked the village, leaving her an orphan. Tekakwitha survived. Although, she was partially blind. She would feel around to find her way. Seeing this, the others called her a name that by which means The One Who Walks Groping for Her Way. Later on, her uncle and two aunts adopted her. They went back to the village where the disease killed her family and rebuilt a village known as Caughnawaga. Over time, she grew into a sweet, shy young woman. She would spend time with her aunts working in the fields. She would often go to the neighboring forest and gather firewood water from the stream and certain roots to make medicine and die. Despite her poor sight, she was very skilled at beadwork. Also, at the woods she would go alone to pray to god and listen to his and her own voice. At the age of 18, is when her holy and religious life truly began. A priest came to their village and established a chapel. Kateri wanted to learn more about Jesus so she decided to be baptized. At the Age of twenty, she was baptized on Easter. Although, her family did not accept her choice to embace Christ so she became a village outcast. Tekakwitha was treated very badly by others in her settlement. In 1677, she left her village and fled to the Catholic Mission of St. Francis Xavier at Sault Saint Louis, near Montreal. Her journey to get to the mission took over two months but because of her determination, she was allowed to receive her First Holy Communion on Christmas day of that same year. She helped the young and came to the assistance of those who were sick. Her favorite devotion was to fashion crosses out of sticks and place them throughout the woods. this would be the sign that whenever she saw one, she would take a moment to pray. One thing that she loved was the rosary, which she wore around her neck every day. People always asked her to tell them a story. they would listen for a long time because when they were with her they felt the presence of God. One day, a priest came to the people and asked why they always circle around Kateri. Their answer would be, We feel closer to God when she is around and her face glows and looks different when she prays.so beautiful as if she were looking at Gods face . On March 25, 1617 she made a vow of perpetual virginity. She wanted to start a convent of Native American sisters but she was discouraged. Due to bad health, Kateri Tekakwitha died in 1680 at the age of twenty-four. her last words were Jesus, I love you. Like the flower she was named for, the lily, her life was short and beautiful. Moments after her death the scarred face of Kateri Tekakwitha was transformed into a beautiful, flawless face. This was witnessed by many people. She was known as Lily of the Mohawks. In 1943, the Catholic church declared her venerable and beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980. Her feast day id celebrated on July 14 and she is the patroness of World Youth Day 2002. Although not a saint yet, she is the first native American to be declared Blessed. St. Jerome St. Jerome was born at Stridon, a small town in the Roman province of Dalmatia, around 347. In Latin, he was known as Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus. St. Jerome was not baptized until about 360 or 366 when he went to Rome with his friend Bonosus to pursue their studies. As a student in Rome, he learned how to speak both Greek and Latin but he also engaged in bad activities and needed to repent. To make himself feel better, St. Jerome would visit the remains and items left by the martyrs and the apostles at their catacombs. This experience would remind him of the terrors of hell. To describe Christian concepts, Jerome initially used classical authors but later on converted to Christianity himself. After several years in Rome, he travelled with Bonosus to Gaul and settled in Trier where he began to take up his theological studies as well as meeting many Christian friends. Some of his friends accompanied him when he set out on a journey through Thrace and the Asia Minor. On this journey, two of his friends died and Jerome was seriously ill. During his illness, he had visions that led him to put aside secular studies and devote himself to God. St. Jerome wanted to live a new life of penance so he went for a time to the desert of Chalcis. There he studied, wrote, and attempted to learn the Hebrew language with the guidance of a converted Jew. Returning to Antioch, he was ordained by Bishop Paulinus and continued to study and write. At this time, St. Jerome was a main teacher of the church and was attached to Pope Damascus I and the leading Roman Christians. One of his most famous accomplishments was translating the Bible from Hebrew to Latin so that everyone could understand Gods teachings. Jerome continued to do many important things with the church later on in his life. St. Jerome died near Bethlehem on September 30, 420. His remains were buried in Bethlehem but were later transferred to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. St. Jerome became the patron saint of librarians and is recognized as the Doctor of the Church. His feast day is on September 30. St. Matthew The writer of the first Gospel and one of the twelve Apostles was not only a strong believer in God but a sinning tax collector as well. St. Matthew was born in the first century Judea as the son of a tax collector named Alpheus. The young Matthew grew up like any boy would have if he lived in that time; learning how to complete his fathers job. His father was a tax collector and taught him how to be a good tax collector like Joseph taught Jesus to be a carpenter. From a sinner, to an Apostle, to a writer of the Gospel, Matthew lived a life a lot like Jesus. He was soon hired by Herod Antipas to collect taxes like his father had. As a tax collector he was given an office located in Capernaum. He soon became despised and thought of as an outcast like all tax collectors. While in a large tax collector meeting in his office, Matthew was called by Jesus to live a life devoted to God like the other eleven Apostles. Although many people were skeptical when Jesus asked a sinning tax collector to follow him, Matthew rose up right then and there, converted and started to follow Jesus. As one of the early Apostles, Matthew was often known as Levi. He is often paired with St. Thomas in the Bible and is thought to be involved with a group of early Christians called the Nazarenes. With this group, Matthew and the Apostles proclaimed that Jesus was the son of God and the everlasting Messiah. Matthew was sent to Palestine alone by Jesus to continue preaching the word of God. He isnt mentioned in the Gospel any more other than in the names of the Apostles. Some historical facts place him in Gentile places preaching to those who lived there. Matthew was present with Mary during Jesus Resurrection and Ascension. Matthew was most likely very literate which was an uncommon trait for people in that time. It is unknown where he began writing the first Gospel also known as the Gospel of the Hebrews. It is called this because he began writing it in Hebrew for the early Hebrew Christians. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel the Gospel of Mark somewhere between AD 50 to AD 55. Matthews Gospel reproduces about 90% of Marks. His Gospel was later translated into Greek so more people could read it but the Greek copy was soon lost. The Hebrew copy was placed in the Library of Caesarea where it was kept for many centuries. St. Matthew turned his life around with the help of a fellow Jew. He became an Apostle, and then wrote the first of the four Gospels. Matthew wrote It is unsure whether he died of natural cause or if he was a martyr. We celebrate his feast day on September 21st. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. St. Matthew grew up a sinning tax collector, was called by Jesus, lived the rest of his life devoted to God, and died with the satisfaction of keeping the oldest and greatest memories alive. St. Jude Personal Life St. Jude was born in the first century AD in the area of Galilee, Palestine. He is also known as St. Jude Thaddeus, Thaddeus being his last name which means the brave one while Jude means giver of joy. It is stated in Matthew 13:55 that St. Jude was a brethren of Jesus, brethren being a Hebrew word indicating a blood relationship. It is also reported that his father, Cleophas was a brother of St. Joseph and was later persecuted for his faith, and his mother, Mary was a cousin of the Blessed Virgin and was said to have stood by the Immaculate Conceptions side while Jesus was crucified. St. Jude also had many brothers, two of which was St. James the Less, and St. Simeon the Zealot. Missionary Work St. Jude was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus along with his brothers James and Simeon, and is remembered for asking Christ at the Last Supper why He would not manifest Himself to the whole world after His resurrection. His name is not to be confused with Judas of Iscariot, another one of the twelve apostles since both their names are a Greek Variant of the word Judah. After the Pentecost (in which he was present) St. Jude continued to preach the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Libya, and Mesopotamia, where he became a leader of the Church of The East that St. Thomas established there around 37 AD. Although little is known about St. Jude, one of his acknowledged works is the conversion of King Abgar. This idea comes from a Biblical story in which King Abgar of Edessa (a city located in what is now southeast Turkey) asked Jesus to cure him of leprosy and sent an artist to bring him a drawing of Jesus. Impressed with Abgars great faith, Jesus pressed his face into a cloth and gave it to St. Jude to take to Abgar. Once the King saw Jesus image he was cured and he converted to Christianity along with most of the people under his rule. This cloth is believed to be the famous Shroud of Jesus which is currently on display in Turin, Italy. St. Jude is also credited for helping start the Armenian Church, and is believed to be the human author of the Epistle of St. Jude, which is the shortest book in the New Testament. One of his last works before his death was his aid in the election of the bishop of Jerusalem in 62 AD, the bishop that was chosen turned out to be his brother Simeon the Zealot Death Little is known about St. Jude, since he was confused with Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, and his veneration was avoided, thus resulting in being known as the Forgotten Saint. Also, there is little information written about him in the Bible since he was known to travel around the world to preach the Gospel. One of the countries that St. Jude traveled to was Armenia, and it was there where he was reportedly murdered for his faith around the year 65 AD, although there are some instances that claim that St. Jude suffered of martyrdom alongside St. Simon in Persia. Armenia was a country that did not completely convert to Christianity until the 3rd century, about 250 years after St. Judes death. We do not know the specifics of St. Judes death, but he is often depicted carrying an axe or a club, suggesting the way in which he was murdered. After his death, his body was brought back to Rome and was placed in a crypt beneath St. Peters Basilica, which people continue to visit to this day. Sainthood St. Jude was canonized pre-congregation, meaning that he was recognized as a saint before the Catholic Church had a formal process of canonization. His feast day for Western Christianity is on October 28, and his feast day for Eastern Christianity it is celebrated on June 19. St. Jude is often associated with St. Simeon the Zealot, whom he shares his feast day with. He is renowned for being the patron saint of Armenia, lost causes, desperate situations, ibises, hospitals, St. Petersburg, Florida, Cotta Lucena City Quezon, the Chicago Police Department, Club de Regattas do Flamengo (soccer team) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Remembrance Today Even though St. Jude isnt as well known as some of the other saints, he is still as important and is venerated in many religions including the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Eastern Catholic Churches, the Church of the East, the Coptic Church, and the Anglican Communion. Nowadays, St. Jude is probably best known for being the namesake of many hospitals specializing in treating people, and specifically children in terminal illnesses since he is the patron saint of desperate causes. We pray to him now in time of desperate need for the reason that he provided a lot of inspirational support to a group of Christians who were being persecuted in Eastern churches and he exhorted them to keep their faith and to stay in the love of God as they had been taught. We usually see St. Jude depicted carrying the image of Jesus (taken from the story of King Agbar), carrying an Axe, club, boat, oar, and/or a medallion. The following is a common prayer dedicated to St. Jude: Most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever. I promise, O blessed Saint Jude, to be mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen. Saint John the Apostle Saints to me are always people we can look up to and know that they were true followers of Jesus. Saints are a great guide on how to act and be when we grow up or even as teenagers. When we are in doubt we sometimes ask our selves what would Jesus do but we can also ask are selves what would the saints do and know that we would get the right answer. St. John the apostle was the son of Zebedee and was called to be on of the 12 apostles of Jesus along with his brother James. They also were with Jesus on his ministries. John appears on the list of the apostles in Acts and in the synoptic gospels. James and John were also believed to be given the nick name Boanerges which means sons of thunder due to their tempers. In the Bible there are no details about how old john might have been when he became one of Jesus disciples but the Christians say that he lived to at least 100 CE which would have been pretty old. There is also nothing in the Bible telling about how long his activity in Judea lasted. Christian traditions also say that John had a important position in the Apostolic body. John was also present at the transfiguration of Jesus. This is some of the things we have gotten from the Bible. John, according to the Bible, was said to be more important than all the other apostles. The reason why was because he was present at many important time such as the transfiguration, and at the Garden of Gethsemane before Jesus was arrested. Paul later in the Bible also calls John the pillar of the Jerusalem church. John was also important because he has been believed to be the author of the fourth gospel, three canonical letters, and the book of revelation. There are so many thing we can learn from saints and these are the most important things that I took from Saint John the Apostle. Again next time you need help deciding what to do just ask yourself what would Jesus do OR what would the saints do. St. Nicholas Having a wonderful family will get you many places, just like were it got Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas came from a wealth family who loved him very much. Sadly, Nicholas parents died while he was still young. Nick was a devoted catholic and when he received his fortune from his parents death, he decided to use it to help the poor and needy. Instead of using the money for himself, he used it for others, which was a start of his generosity. As a young man, Nicholas was known for his kindness. He devoted his life to serving God and became Bishop of Myra while still a young man. He took control of this job to show how responsible he was. This position was very good for Nick and I think it taught him many important things in life. Many people in the land knew that this man was a generous, kindhearted, children loving man who had concerns for other people just like sailors and ships sailings on the oceans. For loving and doing all these things, Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned for believing in god, just like Jesus. This conflict made many people angry and trying to rebel. At this time, there were so many priest, deacons, and other religious believers imprisoned that there was no room for murders, thieves and robbers. After he was released, Nicholas joined the council of Nicaea. After leaving the council, St. Nicholas died on December 6, which is his feast day. On this day, it is a time to reflect on how St. Nicholas was kind to everyone, just like we should be to. Creating this great example for us shows that we need to follow his good ways. Remembering this day will make us realize that we should all commit good deeds no matter what day it is. St. Nicholas was the Patron Saint of Russia. He has many churches named after is glorious name. As a young boy, St. Nick proved to not only himself, but also others that he was a responsible adult. Many people believe you become responsible when youre older, but Saint Nick proved them wrong. He left behind a great example and reputation that will live on forever. St. Augustine of Hippo St. Augustine of Hippo, also known as Aurelius Augustinus, was born into a middle class family on November 13, 354 in Tagaste, modern day Algeria. He was the son of St. Monica and of Patricius. As a young boy, Augustine received a catholic education. His father had believed that he was successful that he had sent him to Cathage, to prepare for his forensic career. St. Augustine was a man of belief, strength, and success. For this he had succeeded in life. Augustine came into the church for having such a strong belief. The reason why he became such a strong believer, was when he had become very ill and could not receive baptism, but he pursued that dream of his. He had joined the men of prayer group and he had three ideas stuck deep in his heart. The first idea was a divine providence or the virtue of prudence. The second one was the future with terrible sanctions or going to hell. The last idea that was in his heart was Christ is above all and the Savior. He also became close with the church when he had given up on Divine Truth and had prayed to the Blessed Mother. The prayers to the blessed mother brought him back to his faith and decided that Christianity was the religion for him. At the start of his religious life he became a priest. The only thing he had kept when he became a priest was his familys house which became a monastic house. Then later on in his life he became a bishop. As he came back to his Christian faith, he wrote about his experiences in books called, Retractions. As he lived his life of prayer, he became closer to God. He also learned how to live a life of peace. As his life drew near so did his life of becoming a saint. On August 28, 430, at the age of seventy-five, Augustines life had come to an end. Augustine was a patron of brewers. As his life came close to its end, he spent almost every moment praying to God. Augustine has become one of my favorite saints as I have learned more about him. His life was powerful and interesting to me. I will try to live my life as an image of him and live out my faith, become closer to the church and God. St. Leo the Great Saint Leo the great was and Italian aristocrat and is the first pope of the Catholic Church to be called The Great. He is best known for meeting Attila the Hun in 452 AD and persuading him to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. He is also known for being called the Doctor of the Church. St. Leos date of birth is still unknown to this day, but he was born in Tuscany, in Northern France, but refers to Rome and his home town. But it is said that his family moved to Rome when he was very young. The earliest information about Saint Leo being part of the churchs clergy when he was a deacon under Pope Celestine I. While Leo was away on a civil mission to bring peace to France, Pope Sixtus III on August 19, 440. As the people of Rome knew of Leos care and love for the individual souls, Leo was voted by the people to be their bishop. But when the people asked Leo to come back to Rome the Holy Spirit was working through all the faithful, so when Leo came back he was anointed Pope of Rome. He was elected on September 9, 440 AD and would reign as pope for the next 21 years. As pope of the Rome Leo labored constantly to protect the integrity of Faith by waging wars, taking strenuous actions against regions, and ordered to correct the errors of countries in Spain. He did all of this because he cared about the people and the faithful. He wanted them to have the most loving gift of all and that was the teachings of Christ that was handed down by the apostles. He continued to do this by defending the unity of the Catholic Church and with constancy strove to teach all men who were doctrines to lead their souls to the greatest fulfillment of salvation. Pope Leo the Greats pontificate was a continuous period of tireless effort directed at upholding the unity of the Church as the people thought. But after this he did much more. He cared about the Church so much that he tried his hardest to stop invasions in order to save more lives. Such as when he went to Atilla the Hun in 452 and persuading him with all his power to turn back on the invasion of Western Europe. Legend has it that Attila, on looking above St. Leo, saw in a vision that Saints Peter and Paul would support the Popes wishes, which struck him with fear. One of his most important persuasions was with Genseric the Vandal, who had captured the city of Rome. But thanks to Pope Leos intervention the Vandals didnt even touch Rome by not hurting or killing anyone or even taking down the Churches. Pope Saint Leo the Great certainly possessed true care and love for the Church. He submitted his whole heart to Christ, labored to lead others into committing themselves into the See of Peter, and used all his influence to maintain the unity of the Church. If you ask me I would say Saint Leo the Great modeled his life after the sixth Beatitude, which proclaims, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. He has a connection between purity of heart and of faith. He exemplifies love of truth and orthodoxy of faith. In 1754 Benedict XIV exalted St. Leo to the dignity of Doctor of the Church. Not quite two centuries later, Pope Pius XII, in a sermon given on October 12, 1952, noted that Pope Saint Leo is the greatest among the great. Saint Martin of Tours Saint Martin of Tours was born around the time 317 A.D in modern-day Hungary. Martins father was a senior officer in the Roman Army; he was stationed in Ticinum, Cisalpine Gaul (now Pavia, Italy) where Martin grew up. Later, in Martins pre-teen years, he found God and took charge of his religious life. Martin learned many things about God and started on his way to becoming a saint. When Martin was ten years old he went to the church against his parents and became a candidate for baptism. His parents were very upset with him because he went against their wishes. When Martin was fifteen years old, because his father was a retired officer, Martin was required to join the army. While Martin was stationed in Amiens, he experienced the vision that is most remembered today. He was at the gates of the city of Amiens with his soldiers when he met a scarcely dressed beggar. He automatically cut his own military cloak in half and shared it with the beggar. That night he dreamed of Jesus wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. He heard Jesus say to the angels: Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized; he has clad me. (Sulpicius, ch 2). This dream confirmed Martins fidelity. He was then baptized at the age of eighteen. Later Martin thought his faith prohibited him from fighting and shouted I am a soldier of Christ. I cannot fight. He was charged of cowardice and put in jail. Martin followed the way of the Lord and always served others. Some of the things he was known for were that he was against poverty and did everything he could to help the less fortunate. Some emblems that remind us of him are trees, beggars, soldiers and cloaks. He was known for many great deeds and acts of charity and kindness. Martin died on November 8, 397, in Candes, Gaul (modern-day France). Martin of Tours was just over eighty when he died. He is the patron Saint of beggars and soldiers. We celebrate his feast day on November 11th. Prayer: God, Your Bishop Saint Martin glorified You by both his life and death. Renew in us Your grace, so that neither death nor life can separate us from Your love. Amen Saint John the Baptist But He who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God. (Luke 3:21) Saint John was the cousin of Jesus. He was a baptizer. He was born to the people named Elizabeth and Zachariah. He had many duties such as; being the first baptizer, writing a gospel ect He told the people to repent and that the Lord is upon them. But his cry was not answered by many passing people. John was often mistaken for the Messiah. He was very holy, and spread Gods word so well that he was called The Anointed One. You yourselves are witnesses to the fact that I said: I am not the Messiah; I am sent before Him.'(Luke 3:28) To be a saint you have to have humility, you have to be willing to die for your faith. You have to be open to the fact that you have to make sacrifices to be a soldier of Christ. He took His chance and became that soldier and was the first priest, and was the first leader to baptize someone. He had a lot of weight on his shoulders that day. The cousin of the Lord being asked to baptize someone when you have no idea what to do. He had to be brave to be that kind of person. In current life today we should be Johns. We should be able to die for our faith and give it all up for the Lord. We were all sent by God to do his will and to be the messengers for his faith. We are to live by example and be the little Johns of the world. If we love and care for Jesus and God then we should be able to understand how we are part of the great plan of salvation. From John, we can learn that we just cant sit here and wait for miracles to happen, we need to write of the Lords love, sing of the Lords love, be the Lords love. Saint Anthony the Abbot Saint Anthony the Abbot was born in 251 at Heracleus, Egypt. He is also known by many names such as Abba Antonius, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, and Anthony the Anchorite. Anthony grew up in a wealthy family. He lived a good childhood and a healthy life. But unexpectedly everything changed. When he was about 20 years old his parents unexpectedly died. He ensured that his sister got a good education and that was about all he could do. But then the lord spoke to him and said If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell, what thou hast, and give to the poor. After Anthony heard this he gave away all of his possessions and started his holy life in the desert. He lived as a hermit in an old abandoned fort for more than 20 years praying in solitude. But the devil tried to tempt him many times and he never gave in to its temptations. But he wasnt always alone. Many followers and admirers came into his fort. He healed many of the sick who came and was also a spiritual counselor for others. He had so many disciples following him that he had to build two monasteries! A lot of people helped him by weaving baskets and making brushes for him which made him the patron of those 2 trades. Saint Anthony was also the patron saint of grave diggers and people who work with pigs. He was patron of gravediggers because he buried an Anchorite which was someone who walled themselves up to be alone in prayer. He was patron of pigs because he used pork to reduce inflammation and itching. An artist drew a picture of him with a pig and someone took it as Anthony being the patron saint of pigs. In 311 Anthony shortly left his fort to go fight Arianism in Alexandria. He also left to comfort the victims of the persecutions at Maximinus. While he was out of his fort he met his sister. It turns out she had also become a holy person and chosen to become a nun. Anthony did return to the desert but he did not return to his fort. He retired in a cave in Mount Colzim. Saint Anthony also knew some other saints. During the later part of his life he became good friends with Saint Paul the Hermit. And his biography was written by Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. He also founded a religious order of hermits. Saint Anthony died at Mount Colzim in 356 due to natural causes. Many people still follow his influences to this day. His order of hermits is still around. People give away possessions to help others. He was canonized by the Pre-Congregation which is where saints are canonized by local church officials so no one knows the exact canonization date. Saint Dominic Saint Dominic is the founder of the Order of Preachers, more commonly known as the Dominican Order. He is also the patron saint of astronomers and the Dominican Republic. Close friends with our patron, Saint Francis of Assisi, he was born into a very re