1st and 2nd Peter

1st and 2nd Peter The Christians around the time I Peter was written were undergoing some intense persecution. Socially they were shunned, abused, insulted and ridiculed, and Peter realized that the circumstances were getting worse. Nero was Emperor of Rome during the time I Peter was written. He oversaw the persecutions of Christians. Peter wrote this letter to offer encouragement to Christians suffering this persecution. (I Peter 2:18-20) As a result the church in Jerusalem was being scattered throughout Asia Minor.Some of the ways Christians were being persecution during Nero’s time were, being nailed to crosses or sewn up in the skins of wild beasts and left in the sun to die a horrible and painful death. They were used as torches to illumine Nero’s parties. Through this time it was Peter who reminded them that Jesus has set an example for everyone and that although there is much suffering on Earth, they are promised an imperishable inheritance in heaven. It states in I Peter 2:21-23 that â€Å"this suffering is all part of what God has called to you. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example.Follow in his steps. He never sinned, and he never deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted. When he suffered, he did not threaten to get even. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. † That is what the letter rejoices. Although the Christians wanted so bad to get even with Emperor Nero and his people, they stayed humble, and pulled through their suffering (I Peter 3:9). The author calls Christians to be holy as God is holy, for they are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s chosen people.In the Bible it does state that as a Christian you have decided to not go back to the evil desires such as immorality and lust, feasting and drinking and wild parties and worshipping other idols, but you will be anxious to do the will of God (I Peter 4:2-3). The Bible says that there will be people who ar e surprised that you don’t participate in their wicked ways and they will say evil things about you and torture you (I Peter 4:4-5). This is much like the Christians during the time of Nero.Nero didn’t understand why Christians didn’t believe and worshiped like his people did, therefore he completely rejected their ideas and put them through a lot of torment. One reason for their persecution was their life-style as aliens and foreigners in the heathen culture. Peter wanted Christians to know that, yes, we as Christians are aliens and foreigners not only to Rome but also to this world. We are only visitors here, and in our short time we have here we must live and glorify God in everyway possible (I Peter 1:17 & 1Peter2:11).Nero is described to be fair- haired, with weak blue eyes, a rather large neck, and a potbelly. He came off to have a very strange mixture of absurdity. Nero was artistic, weak, sensual, bi-sexual, aggressive, extravagant, and later in life rat her disturbed. Early on in his ruling, Nero came across as very a civilized person. He gave the senate more freedom and considered ending the murder of criminals and gladiators in the arenas, he made city wide reforms and was very upset that the law required him to put 300 slaves to death over the fact that their master, a powerful senator, was poisoned by them.Many historians report that he was very reluctant to do it. Later on in his ruling he became absolutely obsessed with the arts, recreation, and sexual desires. He had many affairs and began to go about his evil ways once his mother began spreading rumors. The main reason Nero persecuted the Christians was because of something that happened during the burning of his city. It was around 64 A. D. when the Great Fire of Rome took place. Rome had 14 different districts and only 4 of them remained untouched.The fire burned for a total of 6 days and 6 nights. At that time, people started a lot of rumors about Nero, saying that he â €Å"fiddled while Rome burned† and this rumor spread throughout Rome, creating other rumors. People believed that Nero was the one who started the fire so that he could totally wipe out Rome and start a new city named after him in its place, also that he could build a better palace. Nero didn’t like the fact that people were spreading rumors about him so he decided he needed a scapegoat to blame the fire on.He chose the Christians. Nero’s attempt to use them to take all of the blame off of him failed. Everyone turned against him after this tragic event and the senate decided that he should be flogged to death. But instead of going through this humiliation, he made the decision to commit suicide. He died in 68 A. D. and during his 14 years he managed to establish a bloody reign of terror and to the world he will always be remembered as an insane tyrant. The culture around the time of Nero was rather interesting.Much of the furniture they used was couches, not too many chairs, and they almost always reclined even at the dinner table. The most popular room was the lavatory were there were rows of toilets with arm rests were people would sit and talk for an hour or more. Baths were equivalent to that of a modern day athletic club. There were several rooms including the sweat room and the warm room where sweat was scraped off by slaves because soap was unknown.Foot races, boxing, and wrestling were minor sports in this era but chariot racing and gladiator contests where the most amusing to watch. These events tie in to the persecution theme of I Peter. When Emperor Nero decided to blame the Christians for the burning, he threw them in to the arena and made them face gladiators and wild animals, killing them. Peter says that we should expect ridicule, rejection and suffering and that persecution makes us stronger because it refines our faith (I Peter 2:21-25).Nero completely rejected the idea of family. After his stepfather adopted him, he was e ngaged to his stepsister Octavia, and after awhile he became involved with a woman named Acte. As he became even more lustful, he began having an affair with another woman and his mother got enraged and sided with Octavia. He then attempted to kill his mother, more than once it was said. He tried poisoning her 3 times, he also tried to murder her by loosening her ceiling on a boat and almost drowning her but she managed to escape.After his failing attempts, he then hired an assassin who clubbed and stabbed her to her death in 59 A. D. Peter truly encouraged the idea of family life in the fact that he urged all family members to treat other with sympathy, love, tenderness and humility (I Peter Chapter 3). Finally, the theme that is found mostly in II Peter is the false teachings. One of the reasons that Nero persecuted almost all the Christians was that fact that they didn’t conform to the heathen culture that he encouraged during his reign.Heathen culture emphasize the import ance of relationships with gods and goddesses, ancestors, spirits of the land, and other’s in the community. Since the Christians living in Rome at the time believed in the one true God they were mocked and tortured, but in no way did they give into the false teachings that were in their surroundings ( II Peter chapter 2) Works Cited Nosotro, Rit. â€Å"Nero. † 13. 05. 2007. 13. 05. 07 . Christian, Imanual. â€Å"bible. org. † I Peter: how should we live in a Pagan Culture. 13 May 2007 .

World Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World Music - Essay Example It requires the breath of the player to play it efficiently. The cultural history of aero-phones is found in Latin America. There are many artifact evidences available for aero-phone usage in historic times in Latin Amercia (Kuss, 2004, pp.263-264). Ductless, Duct, Lip suction aero-phones and reed made aero-phones all are the musical cultural identity of Latin America. Other cultures use aero-phones in form of Mizwid and Nay in Arabic music (Arab Music, 2009), Mouth organs like Shakuhachi in Japan (Musical Instruments, 2000) and flutes in Indian culture. Chordophones have a huge emergence from Arabic, Latin America, India, West Africa and Chinese culture. It is used abundantly in Arabic Music in the form of ud, buzuq, qanun and rababah also in Pakistan, India, Turkey and Greece (Arab Music, 2009). Laud, a Latin American pear shaped instrument is descendant of Ud from Arabic musical instruments (Torres, 2013, pp.228). They create sound of music with strike, shake or pluck. In Arabic music, sijat and mihbaj used and can be categorized in idiophones (Arab Music, 2009). Zill is an example of idiophones used by musicians and belly dancers. Xylophones, Gong-chimes, and Cymbals and Metallophones, are used widely in Asian culture and hence are the most prominent culture for idiophones (Musical Instruments of the Indian Subcontinent, 2013). These are chiefly drums. They use stretched surface to create voice. Membranophones are used commonly in African, Arabic and Asian cultures. The most prominent use of these is in African culture in form of drums. In Asian culture, tabla is a membranaphone used in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India etc. In Chinese culture Tsuzmui made up of deer skin is used (Musical Instruments, 2000). In Arabic music, the instruments are tabl, darbukkah and riqq (Arab Music, 2009). Master players of riq include Mohamed El Arabi , Adel Shams Eddine , Hossam Ramzi from Egypt (Arabic Musical Instruments,

Article Discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article Discussion - Coursework Example Nonetheless, this management technique terrorizes the employees, as intimidation is a recipe for short-term results. In contrast, the Theory Y bases its management style on the assumption that work is a source of satisfaction given that employees willingly chose to devote their mental and physical abilities to the company. Depraved leaders are characterized by self-centered approach towards management. These leaders exhibit intelligence and high rates of success. Despite this, these leaders undermine prudent organizational behavior of embracing unity and teamwork in the decision-making processes. Through their attitude, depraved leaders practice intolerance, a trait that does not give room for recognition of the inferior groups. Therefore, the current nature of business does not consider intolerance as a component of success. Moreover, globalization and corporate social responsibility are the current trends that define the success of an organization. With depraved leaders, organizations risk the chance of failure as employee motivation plays a critical role in embracing diversity and ensuring continuity within the

Emotional Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Emotional Intelligence - Essay Example According to Goleman, emotional intelligence is the management of feelings so that they are expressed appropriately and effectively in order to allow people to work together for a common goal (Leadership Organization 2012: 42). Additional definitions given include one that calls it the capacity to understand and use emotional information, either from others or from one’s own, accordingly. The concept of emotional intelligence is tied around the ability to be aware and express emotions; moreover, it is the ability to be aware of other people’s feelings, establish interpersonal relationships and the ability to manage and regulate emotions. The other two aspects of emotional intelligence are the ability to realistically and flexibly cope with the immediate situation and solve problems of personal and interpersonal nature as they arise, as well as generate positive feelings that allow one to be motivated adequately in order to achieve personal goals. In addition, emotional intelligence is known to affect the personality traits that an individual exhibits, which include sociability, extraversion, self-esteem, persistence and optimism. This is because, by people understanding their own, and other people’s feelings, people can manage relationships appropriately. Therefore, emotional intelligence is crucial in influencing people and leading them to achieve certain goals that in which one has an interest. In leadership, it is crucial to have emotional intelligence and apply it to all situations that involve relationships with people in order to affect the outcome that people under one’s leadership. This is particularly so in transformational leadership styles. Moreover, in this form of leadership, a leader operates at the emotional level of transforming people and their outcomes (Leadership Organization 2012: 18). Therefore, in transformational leadership, emotional intelligence is used to inspire involvement, loyalty, commitment and performa nce (Leadership Organization 2012: 18). In addition, this is done by leaders identifying themselves as a force and commissioners of change through taking up that role and embodying with it (Leadership Organization 2012: 18). This is concerning the behavior they portray and the influence they seek to mount on their followers. Thus, leaders using the transformational style of leadership are able to motivate their followers to do more than what they intend to do, and that which they consider themselves capable of achieving by providing a sense of belonging (Deloitte 2012: 10). Emotions are expressed in offering meaning and offering challenging tasks to followers in order to motivate them. This shows the role of emotional intelligence in offering motivation in leadership by letting one’s followers own the goals of an organization and create, and the leader creates an enthusiastic environment in which to work. In addition, transformational leaders and emotional intelligence go han d in hand owing to the leaders characteristics. This is because transformational leaders conduct themselves in ways that are admirable, respectable and that can be trusted by their followers. Thus, they are role models for their followers by portraying the goals and needs of an organization as their own. Moreover, this behavior works on the emotions of the followers by provoking a desire to achieve together with a formidable leader. An additional way in which transformational leadership and emotional intelligence are related is in the opportunities offered by a leader concerning furthering the ideas of their followers. This occurs by leaders engaging their followers in exploring ideas, which builds the relationship between the two parties (Brady et al. 2008: 58). Therefore, the relationship between leaders and followers gets a boost by interacting, exchanging ideas, challenging assumptions and developing new ideas for the betterment of the organization (Leadership Organization 2012: 18). Furthermore, on leadership styles, emotional intelli

Should Public Employees be Required to Pay an Agency Fee Essay

Should Public Employees be Required to Pay an Agency Fee - Essay Example Nevertheless, employers consistently infringe these laws, as the penalties are ineffective or do not exist. When working together, they bargain for better wages and improvement of working conditions to be on a position to improve their living standards and that of their life families. Union members will normally have elevated wages, promising job stability, retirement security, and availability to quality healthcare for both them and their families. It is no wonder that those who are not union members are craving to be part of one union. It is unfortunate that workers are consistently denied that fundamental rights by their employers. One out of four employers will in fact dismiss his or her workers for trying to form a union in their work place. Several employers hire expensive lawyers and anti-union consultants to interrupt and prolong the union election, occasionally for periods for more than a year. This conditions frustrate the workers often get the feeling of being defenseless People working to earn a living are aware of the disproportion of power stuck between employers and employees. With a union, the human resources win vital rights such as jobs security. Unions make it easy to remedy on biases as union contracts ensure that all employees are treated reasonably and equally by their employers. When there is a predicament in the workplace, workforce and management come together as equals to solve the problem. The conflicting parties will ascertain a schedule and length of negotiating sessions. The parties involved will agree upon time out for caucuses. The parties need to come to some understanding on the needs to be established with regard to keeping of record. They will also need to make common decisions with regard to confidentiality of the information discussed. This is the every initial meeting; in general the union brings forward all of its demands. The subsequently conference or set of meetings is where management will in turn give the

Biodiversity and Ethno botanist Exploitation by Pharmaceutical Essay

Biodiversity and Ethno botanist Exploitation by Pharmaceutical Companies - Essay Example Many medicinal plants were thus planted in farm gardens so that they could be used for treating fast illnesses whenever they occurred even without the intervention of other remedies. Physicians, midwives and herbalists in the 1800s were specifically trained in the use of medicinal plants to solve various medicinal conditions. During this time, plants parts were widely used by medical practitioners to cure various ailments in line with the teachings they received in their learning institutions. The pharmaceutical industry has flourished for a long time going by the number of large and highly profitable pharmaceutical companies that exist especially in wealthy countries today. The industry greatly relies on plant derivatives and should reasonably be at the forefront in pushing for plant conservation according to (Lapinskas par 1). Like every other business entity, pharmaceutical companies have profits at the top of their agenda. Indeed, without profits, they are doomed to fail however worthy their courses are. In order to remain in business, the companies have to seek ways of maximizing their profits and minimizing their costs. These two objectives are usually achieved by engaging in research with an aim of developing new products, improving efficiency and using cheaper raw materials. Pharmaceutical organizations use plants in two main ways; as raw material and as inspiration for new products according to Lapinskas (par 3). These organizations have established massive screening programs to identify plants that could be used for making new drugs, thousands of compounds being analysed every year in this respect. When a compound is... This report stresses that the use of herbal medicine among pharmaceutical companies has really grown in recent times and most modern pharmaceutical firms trace their origin from plant products and the knowledge of ethnobotanists or indigenous peoples. Most pharmaceutical companies have grown huge interest in herbal medicine and this interest has led them into believing that there are great profits in medicinal plants, thus they have turned their focus towards indigenous land and knowledge for new resources that can be used in developing new drugs. The knowledge of ethnobotanists is in great demand and usually sought by pharmaceutical companies and medical researchers in their fight to come up with new medicines and products for commercial exploitation. This paper makes a conclusion that the importance of plants in the development of drugs cannot be underestimated. Indeed many of the drugs that sit on the shelves of pharmaceutical companies are a result of plant derivatives some of which originated from remote parts of the world. Many arguments have been posted regarding the exploitation of plants, ethnobotanists, herbalists and indigenous people by large pharmaceutical companies. While some argue that the companies are innocent in that they commonly manufacture synthetic compounds similar to those derived from plants to come up with mass-produced products, others argue that the companies unduly exploit resources without regard to the environment and those who contribute the knowledge. Going by the arguments posted above, it goes beyond doubt the later argument holds more water.

Officer Selection and Recruitment Process Essay Example for Free

Officer Selection and Recruitment Process Essay There are varying components that go into officer-recruitment and the selection-process. This paper will outline many general concerns for consideration into a law enforcement branch and then focus more on a specific agency and policy once all normal or formal recruitment procedures are addressed. Most law enforcement agencies generally start with a application process that weeds out applicants that do not fit into the general criteria or job experience, and education requirements. The minimum eligibility requirements depend on the level or category of agency you are applying to and what standards need to be met to qualify you for the position. Some of these minimum qualifications are United States citizenship, vision assessment, drivers license, and being somewhere in between the minimum and maximum age at the time you are admitted to the academy. Other parts of this process depend on if you are looking at employment at a local or federal policing agency. Most Local agencies carry an education requirement of a high school degree or at the very least a General Education Diploma (GED). On the other hand federal agencies can ask for a increased education requirement of a bachelors degree in a related field that they desire or a higher masters degree in a discipline that the agency requires. Minimum eligibility requirements imply exactly that; the smallest amount of qualifications you are expected to meet prior to application for employment. Meeting this minimum eligibility does not entitle you to the position or guarantee you to be any closer to employment to the position than any other person may be all this means is that you meet the basic criteria for the possibility of employment at the given agency. Once you meet the minimum requirements for eligibility then you are one step closer to the goal of employment in a law enforcement agency but that’s when the real part of the selection process actually begins. Selection processes do not include everything but are merely a broad spectrum of knowledge and understanding that officers need to adhere to, to furthe r move them along from just an application to the rest of the hiring process. Applicants must pass a written examination, pass a physical abilities exercise, complete a background investigation, and a psychological and other medical examination to qualify. Federal enforcement bureaus also have several step oral interview processes and most likely a polygraph test is required after the background investigation is completed. During a background investigation you are most likely asked detailed questions that are meant to disqualify you later in the process if you were to provide a false response. These truth questions are made to thin the applicant pool and will exclude you from further opportunities even if you do well on any other portion of your examinations. The beginning of the process after the application is submitted is generally a written aptitude test that has to be completed. Assuming the recruited officer passes these standardized tests, the next hurdle is physical agility and endurance testing.Depending again on the size of the agency for which you have tested, it might take quite a while for you to get your test results. The reasons may vary, but whatever they are, you can expect to eventually receive a notification with you r test score. If you are informed that you did not pass, you may receive information on how to appeal your result. In the interest of brevity, this discussion assumes that you passed the test and have been placed on what is generally called the eligibility list. These test examine are comparable to how a police officer may fair during daily tasks. Examples of what you physical activity that you will be asked to exhibit are equivalent to a military Physical Readiness Test (PRT), these are activities such as a minimum time you are able to finish a mile and a half run, sit-ups, push-ups, and basically a confidence course test with obstacles that you may have to maneuver to catch a perp. If recruited officers are in top physical condition and have a body mass equivalent to their height this should not be a issue but because of society being more sedentary this has actual become a major issue in the recruitment process. Completing the physical requirements step brings you to an evaluation of your background and history. Aspects of your life that can be checked are medical, military, school records, employment history, credit history, past criminal record and your driving record. Usually the background investigation coincides with taking a polygraph in most organizations that I have dealt with personally. The polygraph is used as an after action to determine the validity and truthfulness of your statements during the application process. This is meant to determine your strength of character and usually if you fail a poly then you will not be considered for employment. After all of these examinations policing agencies have to take further precautions with employment than most civilian organizations, agencies ask for a psychological and medical evaluation. The medical exams are needed to determine your immediate and long term health and whether or not there needs to be any concerns about how you will perform during any challenges that may arise in field. Agencies are mostly concerned on if you have any withstanding ailments or injuries that could shorten your law enforcement career. Also a major factor during your medical examination is if you have 20/20 vision or normal vision without any color blindness that could hinder your ability to complete normal job functions. The psychological examination normally had two separate parts, the first being a written questionnaire and the second being a meeting with a actual psychologist or psychiatrist who interviews determine you mental health and what you are susceptible. Lastly in the recruitment process is the personal interview which can already have been done through knowledge of some of your other interviews and assessments that were taken to this point. Mostly this portion is just to assess your communication skill set and your responses to predetermined set of questions. Interviewing agencies may be in a board format or a single interviewer but this is meant to assess your answers to difficult but pertinent questions concerning law enforcement actions and situations and create a stress on the interviewee. Interviewers compare recruits on how they handle the stressful situation and according to their line of questioning and if it remained correct throughout the interview. The specific agency that interests me is Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), all of this criteria provided fits into the same selection process that they have implemented. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service a federal agency tasked with protecting military members and their families and any other civilian personnel that has ties to the navy. NCIS protects naval equipment, technology, and the communications networks of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. NCIS personnel number over 1,200 Special Agents, 900 other civilian professionals, and 200-plus military service members all over the world to prevent terrorism, protect our national intelligence, and decrease criminal activity across the United States and over 40 countries around the globe. There are only minute differences such as the training opportunities that make a NCIS Special Agent candidates much more specialized in handling all possible situations that may arise as a federal law enforcement officer both at home in country (CONUS) or abroad (OCONUS). These agents must complete several training programs to include the Criminal Investigators Training Program (CITP) and the NCIS-specific Special Agent Basic Training Program (SABTP) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), Glynco, GA. Later opportunities may include specialized training in Polygraph and Credibility Assessment (PCA) techniques, procurement fraud, forensic science, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, leadership and languages. (NCIS) Working with the military and dealing with classified information and investigations another need that happens during their back ground investigation is to get adjudicated to a top secret security clearance. These officer-recruitment and selection-process are pain taking and rigorous but meant to weed out the undesirable or inexperienced applicants that just don’t quite fit the criteria needed to be a successful officer of the law. The requirements that are set forth make each agencies personnel that much wiser in a given situation and give them the satisfaction that they are one of the few to make it through such an extenuating selection process.