Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Origin of the Word Protestant

Origin of the Word Protestant A Protestant is someone who follows one of the numerous branches of Protestantism, the form of Christianity created during the Reformation of the sixteenth century and spread across Europe and later the world. The term Protestant, therefore, came into use in the sixteenth century, and unlike many historical terms, you can work out what it means with a little bit of guesswork: it is, quite simply, all about protest. To be a Protestant was, essentially, to be a protestor. Origin of Protestant In 1517, the theologian Martin Luther spoke out against the established Latin Church in Europe on the subject of indulgences. There had been many critics of the Catholic Church before, and many had been crushed easily by the monolithic central structure. Some had been burned, and Luther faced their fate by starting an open war. But the anger at many aspects of a church considered corrupt and venal was growing, and when Luther nailed his theses to a church door (an established way of starting debate), he found he could gain patrons strong enough to protect him. As the Pope decided how best to deal with Luther, the theologian and his colleagues effectively evolved a new form of the Christian religion in a series of writings which were exciting, frenzied, and which would be revolutionary. This new form (or rather, new forms) were taken up by many princes and towns of the German empire. Debate ensued, with the Pope, Emperor, and Catholic governments on one side and members of the new church on the other. This sometimes involved genuine debate in the traditional sense of people standing, speaking their views, and letting another person follow, and sometimes involved the sharp end of weapons. The debate covered all of Europe and beyond. In 1526, a meeting of the Reichstag (in practice, a form of German imperial parliament) issued the Recess of 27 August, stating that each individual government within the empire could decide which religion they wished to follow. It would have been a triumph of religious freedom, had it lasted. However, a new Reichstag which met in 1529 was not so amenable to the Lutherans, and the Emperor canceled the Recess. In response, the followers of the new church issued the Protest, which protested against the cancellation on April 19th. Despite differences in their theology, Southern German cities aligned with Swiss reformer Zwingli joined other German powers following Luther to sign on to the ‘Protest’ as one. They thus became known as Protestants, those who protested. There would be many different variations of reformed thought within Protestantism, but the term stuck for the overall group and concept. Luther, amazingly when you consider what had happened to rebels in the past, was able to live and thrive rather than be killed, and the Protestant church established itself so strongly, it shows no signs of vanishing. However, there were wars and much bloodshed in the process, including the Thirty Years War which has been called as devastating for Germany as the conflicts of the twenty-first century.​​

Saturday, November 23, 2019

An eye for an eye essays

An eye for an eye essays The most severe of all sentences is in fact the death penalty. Also known as capital punishment, it's the most severe form of corporal punishment as it requires law enforcement officers to kill the offender. It has been banned in many countries, in the United States, an earlier move to eliminate capital punishment has now been reversed and more and more states are resorting to capital punishment for serious offenses such as murder. Like they say: An Eye for and eye, or a life for a life as it applies in this case. The Bible mentions it, and people have been using it regularly for centuries. One steals from those who have stolen from him, one wrongs those who have wronged him, but do we really have the right to kill those who have killed. Today, there is a big controversy over capital punishment whether or not it works, or if it is morally right. Do we have the right to decide the kind of lives others can or cannot live? We find someone guilty of murder and sentence him to death, doe s that not make murderers out of ourselves? Those who assist in the death penalty are they not partners in crime? Is the death penalty a "Cruel and Unusual" punishment or is it now a necessary tool in the war on crime? With the increase in crime and violence in our society, how does the death penalty affect a North American family. There are three major issues in the capital punishment debate, the first being deterrence, the second being retribution and the last is the danger of mistake. A major purpose of criminal punishment is to prevent future criminal conduct. The deterrence theory suggests that a rational person will avoid criminal behavior if the severity of the punishment outweighs the benefits of the illegal conduct. It is believed that fear of death deters people from committing crimes. That if attached to certain crimes, the penalty of death exerts a positive moral influence by placing a stigma on certain crimes like manslaughter, resulting...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Magic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Magic - Essay Example In the novel of Lord Dunsany’s The King of Elflands Daughter, magic was first described as the folly of Alveric’s people. Through its parliament, they demanded from Alveric, the son of the Lord of Erl, for magic to rule over them. This wish was granted only that it had terrible consequences. Such, the clichà © â€Å"be careful what you wished for† might have originated from this novel because Alveric’s people got what they wished for, no matter how seemingly impossible it was but with an unthinkable consequence, they themselves became part of magic. Magic should not have been granted but Alveric yielded to the demand of the parliament no matter how foolish it was. Its folly of demanding magic to rule over earth was encapsulated in this passage in the novel delivered by the spokesperson as; â€Å"For seven hundred years, the chiefs of your race have ruled us well; and their deeds are remembered by the minor minstrels, living on yet in their little tinkling songs. And yet the generations stream away, and there is no new thing† (Dunsany 1). Magic, as pronounced by the anxiety of Alveric meant as something inappropriate for the people of the earth. It is because magic follow different laws which is only applicable to the nature of the fairies and cannot be applied to earth. Magic here meant a wish that is desirable that should not be done but was demanded anyway by the parliament of Elk demonstrating the folly of man. The quest and victory of Alveric in the Elfland proved that magic is not compatible on earth. True, he may have initially prevailed over the magic of Elfland, but in the end, he was lost when his elven wife Lirazel was gone. During the entire quest from acquiring magic until actually having it in the Elfland, magic proved to be precarious among the people of Elk and is something more than they can handle. Magic in Lord Dunsany’s The King of Elfland’s Daughter first meant the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Engineering accomplishments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Engineering accomplishments - Essay Example In the year 2004, the EEG Simecsol, under Eiffage Construction, the main contractor, completed the Millau Viaduct project, the most beautiful bridge in the world today. The project kicked off in the year 2012 when the Foster and Partners Company completed their design work and handed their plan to the construction company. The bridge is located in South West France, constructed across the River Tarn Valley. Apart from being one of the largest bridges, its features are unique and completely designed expertly. The most unique features of the bridge are the seven reinforced concrete pylons, whose height range between 78 and 245 metres, supporting 32m wide steel super structure. The hollow box girders and the steel pylons carrying the stay cables make it a heavy and stable structure. This bridge has become a source of public attraction in France as many people come to see the world most beautiful bridge. The engineering perspective of this bridge shows the development of the metal-streng thening technology and new ways of meshing the support structure in the construction industry (Matthew Para. 1). Therefore, the bridge is rated as one of the greatest construction and civil engineering achievements in the 21st century. Another engineering achievement is the QingZang Tibet Railway built in China. This railway traverses across permafrost land on a very high altitude. From the start, the engineers knew that the project was a big challenge especially given to the terrain and the unfavorable weather conditions of the land. For many years, the Chinese engineers had sought solution to how this project would succeed as it was an urgent project that aimed at connecting the Chinese business market. However, the project delayed due to the challenges that way laid the construction of such a railway. The railway spans between Golmud and Lhasa, traversing a tough landscape.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Economic Experience of Mexico since North American Free

Economic Experience of Mexico since North American Free Trade Agreement Essay The Mexican automotive industry has undergone a lot of changes since the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Initially this industry was dominated by US assemblers and parts producers. Policies instituted by the Mexican government affected the industry. US automakers in Mexico purchased large quantities of raw materials for vehicle manufacturing from Mexican owned suppliers. These in many times did not meet internationally set standards in terms of quality and price. Many companies therefore like Acme motors operated inefficiently producing substandard vehicles. These constrained the export of vehicles to the US. (World Bank, 2000) NAFTA helped change the setup to rescue the automotive industry in Mexico. This benefited Acme motor company. The highly protected automotive market opened up allowing Acme to consolidate production across borders. The industrial restructuring has permitted Acme to enhance its competitiveness directing its massive production to meet the ever growing market abroad especially in North America. NAFTA has therefore enabled Acme to identify production sites based on business factors rather than trade barriers. (Adkisson, 2000). Since the industrial streamlining in Mexico, Acme has adopted new millennium vision to become an international firm and the world’s lowest-cost volume producer of super-quality vehicles. The company’s management strategy has enabled production of better vehicles, increase in global market share, increased profits and developed reputations internationally. Acme has since reduced its engineering personnel by over 29% decreasing the labor costs. The company also currently uses one process to develop cars. This is a different strategy since initially different engineering centers operated under varied processes. (Randall, 1996) From the year 2000, Acme has constructed an over 5 billion dollars facility in Mexico. The firm produces a new line of engines with high performance ratings for their efficient power train system. They include Auto turbo engines and V-8 Quattro engines. The company produces around half a million engines per year each type. This has enabled the company to increase efficiency and reduce freight cost per unit by over 50% . Industrial growth contributes to around 25% of Mexico’s GDP. Acme motors contributes a lot to the country’s economy. Mexico has since become one of the most open countries in the world of trade allowing access from various countries like USA, Canada, Europe and others. The trade liberalization has enabled the industry to grow and Acme has benefited much. The good relationship that Mexico enjoys with international organizations like IMF and World Bank has helped to develop various economic sectors like industrialization. The World Bank stands ready always to assist Mexican authority in implementing their policies. The Bank mobilizes resources to support Mexico’s effort in policy design and implementation and Acme is a beneficiary. There is more trade liberalization in Mexico and workers’ rights are protected. Acme has been in the forefront in implementing the workers rights leading to improved productivity. The country has a close relationship with members of World Trade Organization. This offers more economic grounds for Acme to find ready market for its products. Acme’s economic contribution has been instrumental in Mexico. NAFTA has therefore led to massive economic transformation in Mexico. The Mexican industrial set up led by Acme motor company has since grown to greater heights. This has led to a general development of the country’s economy. Acme is the major economic contributor in Mexico.

Friday, November 15, 2019

lord of the rings, fellowship of the ring :: essays research papers

Lord of the rings, Fellowship of the ring By: J.J.R Tolkin, print date: Oct, 1965 The story starts with the 33rd birthday-party for Frodo Baggans, and the 111th birthday party for Bilbo Baggans, Hobbits who live in a mythical land called the Shire. Frodo’s best friend is his gardner Sam. Frodo owns a magic Ring which makes him invisible when he wears it, a gift from his cousin Bilbo who stole it from Gollum years ago. One day the old wizard Gandalf comes to the Shire, and he tells Frodo of an evil named Sauron who wants to capture the Ring for himself. In ages long past Sauron stole the Ring from the Elves, to protect him from the Powers of Good; but the Ring was stolen from him by a creature named Gollum, and then stolen from Gollum by Bilbo, who finally gives it freely to Frodo. "Sauron has been searching for the Ring for years," Gandalf tells Frodo, "and now he has sent his nine Black Riders, to the Shire to look for it." Frodo and Sam consult with their loyal friends Merry and Pippin, and when the Black Riders appear, the hobbits trick them into going into a mushroom-patch, disorienting the Black Riders just long enough to escape the Shire. But the tone of the book rapidly becomes more serious as the Black Riders pursue the hobbits through the forest. The hobbits come to the village of Bree, and arrive at the home of Tom Bombadil. Frodo meets a man named Aragorn, or ‘Strider’, who convinces him to go to the city of Rivendell. "In Rivendell you will be safe from their magic," Aragorn tells him, "for Elrond is a sensible man, and does not believe in it." With that Aragorn leads them rapidly to Rivendell, with the Riders in hot pursuit. As they ford the last river between them and Rivendell there is a spell cast on the river-water, causing it to rise up and wash away the Black riders, and our heroes make it to the safety of Rivendell. At Rivendell, Elrond holds a Council where the fate of the Ring is discussed. The only way to keep Sauron from recovering the Ring, they decide, is to throw it into the volcano of Mount Doom where it will be destroyed. During the Council Gandalf arrives late, saying that he had been held prisoner in the tower of Orthanc, the Wizards' Tower.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Atlanta Home Loan – Case Study

Thank you for providing the background information of your company. Based on the information provided, there appears to be deficiencies in the control systems implemented within the operation. These control deficiencies were one of the main causes that allowed unintended individuals to gain unlawful control over Atlanta Home Loan. In order to prevent this from happening again, it is important to identify the main issues that caused the company to fall, generate alternatives to apply in the future, and evaluate these alternatives to see which controls would be most valuable to your future business.Control System AnalysisBefore attended the EMBA, your main system of control was action and result controls. Action controls were demonstrated in several control areas: direct monitoring of the credit inquiry of each loan application; close monitoring of the loan application/lead ratios and their trends to identify any irregularities; receiving funds directly from the proceeds at closing; re ceiving brokers’ checks overnight at AHL’s office or direct wiring of money to AHL’s general account. Result controls were demonstrated through AHL’s compensations to the loan officers based on who originated the deal.Since the school started, in addition to the existing controls, you have set  up remote monitoring system to keep track of employees’ daily activities as well as forwarded all corporate mails to California. These are also forms of action control. Provided that Wilbur generates revenues to the company, you compensate him through commissions. This is a result control.Generally, there are four types of common controls a firm can utilize when setting up their internal control systems: results, action, and personnel/cultural controls. As per the above analysis, it appears that AHL primarily used only action and result controls and lacked the use of the personnel and cultural controls. Action controls heavily rely on your personal effort in monitoring the behaviors of your employees; it does not promote goal congruence within the firm. Result controls provide autonomy or motivation for employees to strive better as a team, but the linkage between results and actions may not always be perfect.In the case of AHL, action and result controls are susceptible to fraudulent acts as they are evaluated based on the observation or outcome the company; they are more of reactive than proactive control systems. For example, there is a lack of monitoring of loan applications once they are past the loan officer level. In addition, there was a lack of segregation of duties within the departments of your firm.Wilbur had the use and privileges of AHL, as well, he was able to conduct human resources function at the same time have the authority to pay any office expenses. Further, signed blank checks were made available to the company management during your absence. These are control deficiencies that are visible for staff and are easy targets for misappropriations.Besides several weaknesses in controls, AHL does not have a sound company strategy. It is important to develop a corporate-level strategy by establishing a functional organizational structure as well as strengthen your business unit strategy by setting up a mission statement or a vision for your employees to realize.Preventing the Same Mistake from HappeningWe have identified the current controls implemented at AHL, some of the controls need improvements in order to prevent the same problems from happening. AHL should to consider strengthening your action controls by implementing the electronic links to the processors’ files so you can see the entire loan application process remotely instead of only checking the status at the loan officers’ level. In addition, Segregation of duties should be enforced by having separate individual personnel handling loan applications, loan submissions, paying office expenses, human resources, approving pay ments, and signing checks, etc.This would require the coordination of personnel controls which helps an organization find the right people, giving them a good working environment and the necessary resources to do their work. AHL should have a trained recruiting manager or an experienced staff to conduct the hiring and firing process. In addition, AHL should continue to establish a more effective motivational compensation plan (through its result controls) that not only rewards the outperforming staff, but also encourages synergy and goal congruence for the organization.This will be complemented through the implementation of cultural controls. AHL can set company code of conducts and statements of values, create an ethical tone at the top and promote employees in thinking more socially responsible. A company’s culture can unite its employees or attract new employees as they share a similar set of values. The alternative controls in place could help prevent your past mistakes a nd assist in hiring and rewarding trustworthy employees.RecommendationsAction, personnel, and cultural controls are three key controls that should be in place to reduce the probability of the case events reoccurring. If you can tighten the current action controls via the help of technology or an independent monitoring system, then the loan application to leads ratio could be significantly increased as it reduces the likelihood of any loan officers privately absorbing the loan applications without reporting them to the firm.A solid action control cannot be solely performed by your (one person), so implementation of personnel controls is essential which will allow you to recruit talented and trustworthy employees that prevent theft or fraud from reoccurring. Setting a clear mission statement and company corporate governance policy will provide an overall cultural support to the company that will complement the application of action and personnel controls. I hope the above memo can be a useful guidance for you in the future.