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Buddhist and Hindu Sculpture of Ancient India

Introduction

Sex or sexuality in general is not widely talked about in the Indian culture and especially in the Gita. However, a lot of artwork, architecture and sculptures have been used to portray sexuality in a number of places and especially in the Hindu temple. These temples include the Ajanta, the Ellora and the Khajuraho temples. The fertility symbol known as Shiva lingam is one of the sexual symbols seen in some of these temples.

A Hindu’s life is usually in stages. When one is in the Brahmacharya, which is the student stage, one is required to live a celibate life in order to advance him or herself spiritually and educationally (Nair 65). After this, they attain the dharma stage where one fulfills their religious duties and then they move to the Grihastya stage. When one attains the Grihastya stage, which is referred to as ‘the householder’, one can explore Kama, which is the physical pleasure (Sarita 47). Although sexual pleasure outside marriage has been accepted in some Hindu areas due to the great influence of Westernization, some communities still view sex outside marriage as a hindrance to attain moksha, which is the soul enlightenment.

As has been noted earlier, some art or architecture portrays sexuality, or they are sexual symbols by their own merit. In addition to those already listed above, the Laksham temple and the Chaturbuj are other examples of architecture with sexual statues and carvings located in them (Kimball & George 583). Although these kinds of carvings and general architecture were not meant to encourage immorality, they were and still are of significance to the life of a Hindu. This paper discusses the Khajuraho, the Ellora caves, Lord Shiva and the lingam and yoni (Subramanian 64).

Khajuraho Temples

The Khajuraho temples are a group of temples in Kajuraho town in the state of Madhya Pradesh. They are very famous because they are also depicted as monuments. Their location is also known as the City of Erotica (Kimball & George 582). The monuments are made of sandstone. Unlike other buildings, mortar was not used to build these temples. Instead, the monuments were made by joining the stones using mortise-and-tenon joints. To top it up, the stones were held together by gravity. The people in charge of putting up these monuments had to be very precise, for otherwise, this mode of building would not have worked. Megaliths, which would weigh up to twenty tons, were used to build the columns and architraves (Kimball & George 583).

Apart from the erotic sculptures curved out of the monuments, the sculptures also look as though they are real. They are of much interest to the people until this day. People still go to this part of Asia to study them. Some other temples such as the Saraswati, Pilani or the Birla Institute of Science have been modeled after the Khajuraho temple (Stewart, 2007). Each of the materials used to build this monumental structure had meaning and significance to the people and structure. The temple and the sculptures were mostly made at the peak of the Gurajara- Pratihara Empire between the years 500 and 1300 C.E.

The sandstone was used to give the temples a long lasting and distinct effect. This is why the temples have withstood the natural vagaries. It also made it easier for the artisans to make the sculptures found in the temple. Since the temples were built at a very early time, keenness and precision was very essential. The theme of the temples was also of significance and so the right materials had to be used. Since love and sexuality as a whole are topics and activities that have been with man since the beginning of time, then the temple had to be made with materials and joining methods that would last that long. Even today, the temples are still strong.

The famous erotic sculptures found on the temples are not inside the building and neither are they near the deities. These sculptures are found outside (Stewart, 2007). Mythologies suggest that the god of the Moon seduced and later ravaged Hemvati, a beautiful Brahmin girl. As a result, she gave birth to Chandravarman who became the founder of Chandela dynasty. The town also came into being due to Chandravarman’s dream.

According to Hinduism, the temples’ architecture presents human relationship. They are meant to show that sexual relations are as important as other stages and physical wants of a human being. The sexual pleasures are also important for the reproduction process to take place. The god’s seduction of the girl shows that our sexual health needs to be fulfilled. Putting such erotic sculptures in a temple also shows that our sexual health needs to be looked after just the way the Hindus look after their spiritual health (Stewart, 2007).

However, it is significant to understand that the temple sculptures were outside and not inside. This was to make it clear that spiritual matters should remain segregated and pure. Mixing sexual matters and spiritual matters was not acceptable. One had to go through all the stages successfully before having enlightenment of the soul. Spiritual matters come first and that is why people have to go through the Brahmacharya and dharma stages before becoming sexually active. In other words, each time people visit the temple, they are supposed to be reminded by all the sculptures present of the different parts of their lives and their significance.

Ellora Caves

The Ellora caves, which are mostly referenced together with the Ajanta caves, are another architectural work that is of significance to the Hindu people. The most interesting thing about these caves lies on the fact that they were curved out of stone with a hammer and chisel. It is believed that this work took more than a century to be completed. The caves represent a combination of the Jain, the Buddha and the Hindu religions. The caves are found in AurangabadCity in Maharashtra. They were made during the Rashtrakuta dynasty. The two major caves related to the Hindu religion are the Dashavatara (cave 15) and the Kailasantha (cave 16) caves. Other caves are also of significance to Hinduism. In approximation, the Hindu caves are ten. These are caves 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 26, 27, 28 and 29. However, there is a culmination of caves 14 and 15 in cave 16 (Subramanian 64).

Apart from the skills put in the work such a cave been curved from top to bottom, the sculptures in those case are a centre of attraction. As they are made purely of stone and with no joints, most of the caves have a story to tell. The sculptures inside the caves are almost pornographic. In fact, some portray people in different sexual positions. However, the main aim of the Hindus who made these sculptures was not to portray obscene sculptures, but they made these sculptures in order to relieve the sexual energy in a person.

In most times, the temples have been said to repress sexual desires. The sculptures curved out of the stones are not meant to repress the sexual desires once one gets there, but they are used to relieve them. Some of the caves have been made to be temples (Subramanian 65). Through meditating in the temples, the erotic sculptures are meant to relieve such desires. As was noted earlier, these sculptures are not used to encourage promiscuity, idolatry or any other form of immorality, but they are used to encourage people to explore their whole “self”.

Lord Shiva

The Lord Shiva sculpture is mostly depicted as a handsome youthful man in a meditating position. Lord Shiva is mostly recognized as a supernatural being known for his good qualities. These are mostly humility, honesty, and kindness, amongst other virtues. Among other things he is associated with is sexuality (Nair 35). Shiva is taken to associate with sexuality when he is in the form of Lingam. Lingam is a symbol of the creative energy in males. The Lingam is shown with Yoni, which is also the creative energy in females.

Just like other gods, there are places where the sculpture depicting Lord Shiva appears with Parvati, his wife (Nair 40). This means that he is also a sexual deity. The sculpture of Shiva is mostly made out of sand stone. However, there are times it can be made from gold or other precious long-lasting material. This is to represent the immortality of the god. As the gods are part of the people, so is sexuality. Lord Shiva can be found in other places apart from the temple. Depending on what he is depicting at that particular moment, Shiva’s sculpture will be seen in most places where there is a public gathering.

Lord Shiva is seen as a symbol of human sexuality because sex is perceived as sacred by those who practice Hinduism. There is a representation of Shiva known as Ardhanarishvara. This sculpture represents Shiva as half-male and half female (Nair 56). In being depicted as this, Hinduism practitioners are able to view sexuality as a way of unifying the male and the females. They are able to view sexuality as a bonding force rather than a shameful act. However, with all these in place, sex is not supposed to be done outside marriage. This is why the god is portrayed as having a wife who have two sons- Ganesha and Skanda.

Yoni and Lingam

The Yoni and the Lingam symbols of sexuality mostly appear together. As earlier stated, the lingam represents creative energy in males and the yoni represents the creative energy in females. These symbols, which are mostly sculpted out of any precious material, represent god Shiva and goddess Shakti as noted. They usually appear together to depict the two in oneness that is brought by sexual intercourse (Sarita 22). The yoni and the lingam join in order to bring this oneness. This symbols show that there is nothing wrong about the sexuality of a human being especially when one reaches the Kama stage.

It is also significant that these two symbols are related to the gods. In most cases, the Hindus will pray to Shiva through this sculptural symbol when it comes to their sexual matters. This case applies to the female who will pray to goddess Shakti through the yoni. In some cases, the presence of yoni and lingam as one has been interpreted as hermaphroditism. This is a wrong interpretation. This unity only depicts that a man and woman attain oneness through sexual intercourse. In some cases, these symbols are used to perform sexual rituals (Sarita 50).

Conclusion

Sexuality is of significance in Hinduism just as it is in other religions or practices. Sexuality was so important that it was depicted in temples as shown in the Khajuraho group of temples. These were sculptures of people posing in different sex positions. It is important to understand that these sculptures were not meant to repress the sexual energy in the people but rather relieve it. They were also not meant to cause obscenity but rather show that sexuality was as significant to us as the spiritual life was.

The yoni and the lingam are associated with god Shiva and goddess Shakti. The oneness they portray is meant to show the people that there is oneness when people engage in sexual intercourse and it is nothing to be ashamed of at all. This is more so as the Gita vaguely addresses sexuality. It is also significant that sexual intercourse be done within marital boundaries. This has been clearly depicted by the presence of Shiva’s wife Parvati. Their two sons depict that children are fruits of sexuality as an addition to physical pleasure and liberty. 

Works Cited

Nair, Shantha N. The Lord Shiva. New Delhi, Pustak Mahal, 2009. Print.

Kimball, Fiske & George Harold Edgell. History of Architecture. Research of Education Association of America, 2002. Print. 581

Sarita, Mahasatvaa Ma Ananda. Divine Sexuality: The Joy of Tantra. Scotland, UK: Findhorn, 2003. Print. 20

Stewart, Stanley. India’s Stone Kama Sutra. The Sunday Times. 8 Jul. 2007. Web. 30 Sep. 2011. <http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/destinations/india/article2036159.ece>

Subramanian V. K. Art shrines of ancient India. New Delhi: Shakti Malik Abhinav Publications, 2003. Print. 63

 

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Commons and Environmental Discourse

Part 1

Hardin’s essay concerning resource use indicates that common resources are always available and free for utilization by all individuals without any expectation of reciprocity from them. The free use of common resources is allowed because restricting the access to the same tends to be very costly and impossible. From research, common resources are connected to property rights that involve the right to open access to government property. Resource units are finite and subtractive meaning that the pool of the resources reduces in proportion to each unit that is consumed or used. This shows that each of the unit used ceases to exist upon depletion or utilization by the consumers.

A common refers to resource units and domains considered as public property and therefore open to communal utilization. According to Hardin (1996), resource domains are geographical spaces inclusive of auditoriums, fields or parking lots. On the other hand, a resource unit comprises of the building blocks of domains such as landfills, and bundles of fodder among others. Hardin also holds that people have the ability to preserve and nurture common resources proportionately to the freedom of attached to their utilization. Examples of commons not included in the publication include wind power and national parks.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a law developed to enhance environmental management in a given country. NEPA’s main purpose is to ensure that environmental factors are weighed equally to other issues in the decision making process taken by federal agencies. Alternative solutions to the dilemma tragedy include establishing regulations on the use of the resource in question. This could be through regulating a common good by imposing taxes or levies on the resources in order to avoid over-exploitation. For instance, charges on emissions and effluents and user fees should be established especially on waste disposal. Another solution includes creating and allocating rights to common resources as a way of preserving the integrity of the commons through access restraints that prevent resource exhaustion.

Part 2

Environmental discourse is a major pattern of thought, belief and practices that direct relationships to take specific directions. Examples of environmental discourse in the United States include ecological modernization, green romanticism, and sustainable development. Major assumptions of ecological modernization are linked to the environmental readaptation of economic and industrial development. This implies that an environment’s productivity such as the proper use of natural resources can be a major foundation of future economic and industrial growth and development as well as labor and capital productivity. This comprises of clean technologies and sustainable environmental management among others. Through this, solving environmental problems by enhancing efficiency in the use of natural resources becomes a sustainable function that promotes production of cleaner technologies.

Green romanticism assumes an ecocritical view of nature by holding that the love for nature results into the love for humanity. This implies that enhancing nature preservation lead to the progression of human well-being. Through this environmental discourse, the quest to have a balanced and a sustainable environment has been established with the realization of a just and improved society.

Sustainable development assumes current utilization of environmental resources without compromising the needs of the future generation. This implies that as much as the present generation utilizes natural resources, it should ensure that enough resources are safeguarded to meet the needs of the future generation. Therefore, this discourse promotes preservation and conservation of environmental resources such as water, forests among others.

A good instance of an environmental problem includes deforestation. This problem maybe resolved through the application of the sustainable development discourse. The given discourse will motivate people to use trees but ensure and replace that same in order to prevent resource depletion. Therefore, through sustainable development, reforestation and aforestation strategies will be implemented against the deforestation issue. 

Works Cited

Hardin, Garret. The tragedy of the commons. New York: Cengage Learnings, 1996. Print.

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Culture and Main Business Practices

Brazil is the largest country in South America with a total area of 8,511,965 sq. km. being the largest country in the region, it shares boundaries with all the south American countries expect Chile and Ecuador (CIA, 2011). It has a population of close to two hundred million. The country has a mostly tropical climate with dense forests, which include the AmazonBasin, semiarid regions in the northeast, rolling plains in the southwest, savannahs, mountainous and hilly regions, coastal lowlands and the largest wetland areas. Brazil is a vast land and most of that land is forested. Brazil boasts of having the largest portion of the world’s largest rain forest, the Amazon. This has however changed over the last couple of years as deforestation continues to make way for agriculture and illegal logging (U.S. Department of State, 2011).

The main ethnic groups in the country are whites, mulatttos (both white and black races) and blacks. It also has smaller ethnic groups such as the Japanese, Arabs and Amerindians. Most of the people in the country speak Portuguese and it is the country’s official language. Christianity is the dominant religion in the country, and more than seventy percent of the people are Roman Catholics. Some of the people belong to traditional protestant religions and others practice traditional religions, which originated from Africa. The cultural practices in the country are a mixture of different world cultures from Portugal, South America, Europe, African and some countries in Asia. Like most countries in Latin America, Brazil ranked high in uncertainty avoidance, scoring 76 points. This is an indication that the people do not feel comfortable taking risks or being in situations that are not familiar. The country is mostly a collective society. It ranked 38 in individualism/collectivism. The country was ranked average in power distance and masculinity/femininity (Maley, 2009).

Brazil is a federal republic with a federal government, made up of the executive, legislative and the judiciary. The president is the chief of state and acts as the head of government. He is elected by the people and he serves for only one term. The president appoints the cabinet and the ministers in the judiciary, with approval from the senate. The country’s GDP rate is 2.1 trillion dollars with an annual growth rate of 7.5%. It is rich in natural resources such as wood, bauxite, hydropower, iron ore and manganese. The government has put up measures to manage the environment through conservation units, forest concessions and designated indigenous land, and it does so at the national, state and municipal levels (U.S. Department of State, 2011). This has reduced deforestation and has saved a large part of the forest. The government is taking advantage of the country’s rich natural resources and it looking for viable options to introduce biofuels in the country. It has utilized its large sugarcane production to this effect and has produced ethanol for use as a form of energy.

The country has invested many resources into research and it is encouraging the scientific community to research on agriculture and technology, remote sensing and medical research. Agriculture accounts for 6% of the GDP and close to 40% of the exports are agricultural products. Some of the agricultural products produced in the country include sugarcane, coffee, tropical fruits, soybeans, cocoa and corn among other products. The country is also rich in animal products and it has the largest commercial herd. Beef, poultry and pork are major products in this sector. The services sector is the largest in the country and it accounts for 66% of GDP. The main services are in telecommunications, banking, commerce and energy. The industry sector is involved in the production of steel, chemicals and petrochemicals, commercial aircraft and machinery, vehicles and auto parts among other items. The country has developed offshore fields, providing it with the oil it needs (BBC, 2011).

The country’s major markets are the US, China and Argentina. The country has grown tremendously over the past few years and the rates of unemployment have reduced considerably. This has been enabled by the increased exports and different development social programs, control of inflation, a floating exchange rate and the use of good fiscal policies. Most of the country’s population lives in the urban areas. The two major cities are Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and they hold more than thirty million people. The standards of living in the two cities are the highest in Brazil as people often migrate there in search of employment. There is a wide disparity between the rich and the poor although the government is seeking ways of addressing the problem. A third of the people in the major cities live in the slums, or favelas, as they are commonly known (BBC, 2011).

Managers often strive to have a good working relationship with their employees. The business culture in the country is hierarchical and employees are expected to show respect to their seniors. The employees are expected to follow orders and to restrain from arguing with their employers. Teamwork is practiced in Brazil but the members take time in knowing each other and understanding their particular roles and responsibilities. When communicating, most people use gestures and making eye contact is very important (World Business Culture, n. d.). When seeking employment in Brazil it is important and mandatory for one to have a work permit. The employer usually applies for the work permit on behalf of the employee in the ministry of labor and employment. The process of applying the permit usually takes two months and the permit is valid for two years. Having personal contact is important in Brazil especially if a person is considering working there. Brazilians take their time before doing business with a person. It is usual to find members of the same family working in the same organizations as Brazilians prefer to work with people who they can trust. Although English is becoming more widely used in the country, Portuguese remains the main language and one has to strive to learn it or have someone to interpret for them. Knowing the language is important as it increases the person’s chances of fitting in with the community (Prospects, 2011).

The work culture is less formal than in the US but that does not mean that it should not be taken seriously. They prefer to talk about informal matters such as enquiring about one’s health and other social issues before the main business agenda begins. They prefer to have a formal look especially at the work place. Even when one is dressing casually, he or she is expected to be neat and smart especially if there is any kind of business that will take place. Although many Brazilians embrace color, it is usually recommended that one should stick to neutral colors when working. When dressing it is important to remember not to mix any green and yellow colors. The people respect these colors, as they are the colors in their flag. As in most places, courtesy is important and necessary regardless of whether a person is in a business environment or in a social place. It is custom to see Brazil women kissing each other on the cheeks as a way of greeting. Men will usually give each other a firm handshake or a pat on the back. This is sometimes extended to foreigners depending on the length of time that he or she has been there. Brazilians are keen on rank and names and using a person’s first name especially in business environment is not appreciated. Titles are respected and it is common for people to use titles such as doctor and professor especially if the person they are addressing has a higher status (Thomson, 2011).

Brazil is a country of many opportunities and challenges. Despite the major accomplishments and changes that have taken place in the country, poverty remains a big challenge. This has led to the increase of crime especially drug related crime. The country is the second largest consumer of cocaine and it produces cannabis (CIA). This has contributed to increased levels of crime as drug lords operate major cartels in the country. Cannabis that is destined for Europe passes through the country and this creates yet another challenge for the government, which is working towards eliminating drugs in the country. Every country faces different challenges and Brazil has shown that it is committed to improving the living conditions of its people and developing the economy.

References

BBC (2011). Brazil country profile. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1227110.stm

CIA (2011). South America: Brazil. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html

Maley (2009). International business: business in Brazil. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/cmaley/international-business-brazil-slides

Prospects (2011). Brazil: Job market. Retrieved from http://www.prospects.ac.uk/brazil_job_market.htm

Thomson, S. (2011). Doing business in Brazil. Retrieved from http://www.maria-brazil.org/business_in_brazil.htm

US Department of State (2011). Background note: Brazil. Retrieved from http://m.state.gov/md35640.htm

World Business Culture. Doing business in Brazil. Retrieved from http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-in-Brazil.html

 

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Reflection Paper

            Developing Christ-like traits is an important need for Christians today, but to many it is far from the accomplishment level due to various challenges. Today, many philosophers and theologians each bear their own view of what a Christian ought to be like, thus enhancing confusion to various followers. Philosophers such as Ayn Rand have contributed largely to such digressions since he has managed to draw off people from the real Christian characters. This is through the institutions of erroneous philosophies that argue against teachings of Christ. Wright in his book outlines the character of a Christians after conversion and the virtues that should accompany such practices (57). Many people assert their belief in Christ yet their character and decisions are contradictory to their professed positions. Wright offers commendable guidance to such issues by outlining the character that Christians should evidence after complete conversion.

Looking at a Christian life today, one realizes that it has changed its meaning with most people thinking that Christianity is based on doing the right thing only, while the truth is that an accompanying character is mandated. With this erroneous approach, many people view Christianity as a lifestyle laden with unachievable rules that hinder followers from having an enjoyable life. Due to this, a majority of people today do what they feel is right rather than what they know is right. Wright refers to Colossians chapter 3 as the manual that guides Christians in developing a Christ-like character that reflects the savior’s present state in heaven (78). Just as Christ in heaven is sitting on the right hand of God, so should Christians think about heavenly things other than chasing material wealth just as everybody else does. Christians should seek to be at the same position as Christ is.

Egocentric tendencies have forced Christians into conforming patterns with everybody seeking economic progress and forgetting that God is the source of wealth. Very few people permit God in their activities and earthly possessions and this has led to changes in recognized Christian virtues. Most Christians do not recognize the Sabbath day anymore and work all week long. In developing a commendable character, we ought to follow Christ’s illustration. As human beings, we are not perfect and often have desires that deny a Christian pattern of living. The body always evidences contradictory desires from set ethics by always seeking physical satisfaction (Wright 74). Following this, people’s feelings always contrast with the truth. For instance, one may wake up feeling that doing something is right as long as it comes from the heart. Most people believe that this is a reflection of one’s true self. However, such feelings could be wrong and end up hurting others.

Wright reminds us of this fact and asserts that we should do act on what we know is right rather than what we feel by considering the difference between feeling and thinking. By sacrificing our feelings, only then can we focus on what is the right. In this way, an individual is able to seek spiritual satisfaction that helps build a Christian character considering that feelings are one of the factors that lead to sin, for instance sexual feelings. More so, in sacrificing our feelings we are able to consider others and help them other than being selfish. Looking out for others is also a way of developing Christ-like habits.

Christianity characters are based on the fruit of the Holy Spirit that comprises of nine virtues that Christians should always seek to possess. The fruit contains love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. All these are required for a Christian in developing Christ-like behaviors that he practiced on earth. As a fruit develops from the seed only, so should a Christian’s character be with the seed of conversion. Considering Jesus is the vine while we are the branches, we draw our lives from him, and the fruit thereby noted from the relation should be acquired from the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit helps us in developing an acceptable character even within the present period.

Ayn Rand’s philosophy contradicts this approach as she considers selfishness as a virtue. Rand says that no man should live for the other, and instead each man should be concerned of what is best for him and not for others. Today many people pursue wealth accumulation and such that the rich and selfish continue in their affluence, even if it means acquiring the additional from poor individuals. Wright compares Rand’s teachings to those that Jesus advocated in terms of selflessness and caring for others. In addition, many people engage in self-interests without considering that others may be hurt (Wright 188).

It is therefore important to keep God’s constant presence in terms of our thinking considering how human beings are imperfect and thus prone to making many errors. Keeping God constantly during thoughts ensures that one continues to develop a Christ-like character that God wants us to have as opposed to erroneous human views as noted by Ayn’s views. Keeping God constantly in thought means that an individual is able to make decisions that are in congruence with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Without keeping God constantly in our thoughts will definitely lead into a drawing away from Christian virtues. Many Christians who fall away from the Christian virtues are those who weaken constant fellowship by rejecting God in terms of thought and one’s plans. Having God actively present in all our thoughts ensures that we always have a second thought to any decision thus preventing us from engaging in actions that do not comply with Christian virtues. For this reason, for one to develop a Christ-like character, it is important to keep God constantly in our thoughts or in fellowship. 

Works Cited

Wright, N. After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters. San Francisco: HarperOne. 2010. Print.

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Animal and Plant

The Deer

The deer that can be found in North America are usually categorized in two groups; that is the whitetail deer and the mule deer. Whitetail deer are common in all parts of North America. The whitetail deer is scientifically referred to as Odocolileus virginianus while the mule deer is known as Odocolileus hemionus. Various distinctive features are used to identify the deer. For instance, the whitetail deer has a reddish-orange tail in the summer period that turns to brownish-grey in autumn whereas the mule deer has a reddish-orange tail in summer while in autumn it turns to silver-grey. In addition, the whitetail deer has a significant, triangular tail that is brown at the apex and white below. When it senses danger, the animal will lift up its white portion of the tail, thus warning other deer of the impending danger (Wegner 19).

The Northern America deer vary in body size. The mule deer usually outweighs its whitetail counterpart. Winter periods in the North provide water during the summer period and this leads to the availability of good pastoral fields where the deer can easily access a high calorie diet. Deer are herbivorous and their feeding habits vary with the changing seasons. Deer normally feed on green leaves, grass, corn, and fruits from trees and low vegetation. Like many mammals, the deer’s feeding time is usually early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Deer are fond of occasionally chewing on orchard trees and ornamental shrubs (Leach 71).

The mating season of the deer is considered to be starting in the month of October and ending in the month of December. The cycle is primarily managed by females due to hormonal changes that cause females to separate from their families in a bid to secure breeding areas. In this period, the female deer marks various territories to attract male deer. Note that, a female deer normally mates with many males before actual fertilization is ensured. The gestation period covers between one hundred and ninety-six days to two hundred and one days. Depending on various conditions such as the age of the doe, as well as external factors such as health, nutrition and climate, the number of fawns will vary anywhere from one to three (Alsheimer 45). These fawns will live with their mother until she is ready to mate and bring forth the next batch. The deer depends on natural camouflage to escape predators during the growth period. The fawns normally reach a maximum growth size between three to five years (Townsend 86).

A good deer habitat is largely characterized by forested and bushy regions. However, this ranges with species nature. For example, the mule deer prefers open land habitat with less vegetation cover while the whitetail deer is normally found in areas of largely covered with plantations for camouflage purposes against predators. The mule deer is found in places with steep open grasslands and sparse vegetation but as for the whitetail deer, it prefers an area that is covered with diverse grasslands and large woodlands. Deer are quite active during early morning and evenings periods as they rummage for water and pasture. Deer moving periods are usually in the spring and autumn periods. Travelling increases in autumn as mating phases approach. In addition to habitat factors, deer have special ways of protecting themselves from predators. For instance, the whitetail deer uses the white part of its tail to warn other deer of any impeding harm (Alsheimer 56).

The most social group within the deer family is the adult doe, especially one with young fawns and offspring. When a doe matures, she is able to leave the family group and look for a mate in order to procreate her own fawns. During this process, the siblings are left as independent herbivores within the summer period. After the birth of fawns, the doe is allowed to return to her siblings and in this period reunite them with her new fawn between the months of September and October. After some time, the siblings separate for the more mature ones to start their own lives. At first, deer were rare species on earth that almost faced extinction due to various activities such as hunting and poaching, among others. Such episodes of near extinction necessitated the institution of various controls.

The deer have various ways of responding to other species. For example, the whitetail deer can use it large tail to inform other deer of potential danger. In addition, the animal possesses different scent capabilities that allow the tracing of other deer as well as identifying predators. The whitetail deer does not have eyesight and it relies on scent for the location of enemies. Deer interact with other herbivores during feeding and watering periods but they tend to flee from predators. The mule uses its horn for protective purposes against known enemies (Walrod 28).

Sunflower

Sunflower can be considered as one of the few crop species whose true derivation is North America. Scientifically it is referred to as Helianthus annuus (Chrispeels and Sadava 45). The sunflower plant produces sunflower seeds that are quite useful to humans in terms of health maintenance. Sunflower seeds are grayish-green or black in color. Sunflowers were first grown by the natives of America as a source of nutrition. Later on, it was noted that their seeds provide a significant percentage of oil and it these therefore became a primary constituent of polyunsaturated oil. Among the other components that can be identified in the seeds, include vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, and selenium, among others (Chrispeels and Sadava 65). These nutrients have various health advantages. For example, vitamin E aids in the reduction of diabetic complications and a reduction of the colon cancer. Magnesium is a fundamental constituent for a strong bone structure and vitality while selenium aids in the restoration of cells and tissue that have been injured or worn out. Although sunflower seeds are valuable to human health, excessive consumption can be harmful. It can cause symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, diarrhea and double vision (Chrispeels and Sadava 69).

The reproductive process of the sunflower begins with a seed and the first thing to appear once a flower begins to grow is a green shoot that eventually becomes the stem. This happens after fertilization between the male and the female parts of the sunflower. A mature stem supports leaves of the sunflower plant. These leaves absorb the sun’s energy for photosynthesis. The roots of the flower gather nutrients and water from the soil, combined with energy from the leaves and used to supply the stem with growth nutrients (Evans 57). The sunflower gathers energy with its natural inclination toward the sun. The plant requires approximately four months since its inception towards attaining full maturity. Provided with the right humidity and temperature conditions, a sunflower will tower over other plants to reach up to six or seven feet. After attaining full height, the sunflower heads turns downwards for the provision of stability.

Sunflowers mainly grow in semi-arid areas regions. The plants survive in low temperatures between seventy and seventy eight degrees Fahrenheit. Sunflowers require areas that are not waterlogged in order to gain momentum for full and stable maturity. They grow best in regions where there is plenty of sunshine in order to gain enough energy required to facilitate photosynthesis after germination. Sunflowers are also best grown in areas where there are enough factors for enhancing pollination such as bees and crawling insects among others. The plants also require areas that are not infested with pest and weeds (Tagliaferro 86).

Normally, it is advised that farmers should use mulch such as grass and compost manure in order to help with the germination process and facilitate enhanced growth for sunflower seed in terms of period length. Suitable growth soil necessary for the sunflower germination and growth has to contain enough nutrients in order to enhance the growth of various flower parts of the plant. Sunflowers seeds are harvested once the head of the flower acquires a black color from the initial green hue. Once the seeds are harvested, they should be stored in small covered jars and kept in a cold and dry storeroom to prevent them from heating up and losing their nutritional value (Evans 107).

The sunflower can be used in various ways to benefit humans, especially with regard to health. Nutrients available in the sunflower seeds are utilized in medical research to create curative medications for various illnesses, such as strengthening of bones, destroying of worn out cells and controlling prostrate cancer. Sunflower extracts are also resourceful in factories since they are employed in the making of soaps and detergents, production of agrichemicals, plastics, fabric softeners and lubricants. Due to its light color and digestible fatty acids, the sunflower plant has been used in the production of cooking oil. Sunflower is also considered as a meal since it is rich in nutrients such as proteins.

Sunflower seeds in the food pyramid are classified in the same category such as peanuts and cowpeas due to its formation and structure. The grouping of sunflower seeds in the food structure with other seed does not mean that they have the same nutrient components but that the can be grown in the same manner as well as the same pollination stages like the other seeds categorized in the given food pyramid. Sunflower plants serve many functions in Northern America. Apart from being regarded as a source of food, they can be used for compound beautification. Planting sunflowers helps in the ecological preservations. Due to the extensive nature of the plants roots, they can penetrate deeply into polluted water and extract harmful waste such as uranium, zinc and lead and therefore should be assessed before any form of consumption (Evans 75). 

Works Cited

Alsheimer, Charles. Quality Deer Management. Minnesota: Krause Publications, 2002. Print.

Chrispeels, Maarten and David Sadava. Plants, genes, and crop biotechnology. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartelett Publishers, 2003. Print.

Evans, Richard. The sunflower. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2005. Print.

Leach, Michael. Animal neighbours: Deer. New York: The Rosen Publishers, 2008. Print.

Reneau, Jack and Eldon Buckner. Records of North American White Tail Deer. Missoula: Boone and Crockett Club Publishers, 2003. Print.

Stefoff, Rebecca. Deer. Washington: Bisson Publishers, 2007. Print.

Tagliaferro, Linda. The Life Cycle of a Sunflower. New York: Capstone Publishers, 2007. Print.

Townsend, Robert. Deer. Minnesota: Capstone Press Publishers, 2007. Print.

Walrod, Dennis. Making the most of your deer. Texas: Stackpole Publishers, 2004.

Wegner, Richard. Deer & Deer hunting . Hannover: Stackpole Publishers, 1992. Print.

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Finding Valid Solutions to Social Problems

            A problem is anything that impedes the well-being of the society making it impossible for the community to achieve or accomplish some goals. Social problems are conditions that have negative effects on a person or the entire community as a whole. These conditions include diseases, drug abuse, crime, and sexual orientations to mention but a few. Every problem causes the need to find a solution to arise. Solving social problems can be tackled in many ways one of them being scientific problem solving method. Scientific study done on human behavior has contributed greatly to the solution of different social problems

Crime is one of the major social problems experienced all over the world and the most common. An occurrence of crime in a particular area has many negative impacts to the terrified residents causing fear and a sense of insecurity. However, these acts are carried out by people who are just members of the society like everyone else only that they have chosen a different lifestyle. This kind of approach is very important in trying t understand why criminals act as they do and the force that drives to do so. Fighting this vice goes further than dealing with criminals in a reactive manner (Trinidad & Guardian, 2011). Looking at the factors causing them to contemplate this kind of actions is a sure way of dealing with the issue in totality.

Criminal behavior is not an instant intrinsic feeling that builds up in a person but rather a slow development of deviant behavior. This has been associated with self-denial, stress mostly due to lack of economic power and living in congested areas with poor housing. These are in other words conditions of high levels of poverty. People living in such cnditions are prone to fall into the temptation to acquire wealth through violence. According to Trinidad & Guardian (2011), serious law offenders have been found to have high levels of a hormone called Cortisol that is responsible for stress.

Because of that, low levels of neurotransmitter serotonin responsible for communication between the brains.            Transcendental meditation (TM) has been found to be effective in creating psychological changes within the brain as well as the nervous system (Trinidad & Guardian, 2011). This decrease the levels of blood lactate and cortisol hence increase in serotonin. TM has been used widely to rehabilitate prisoners. Living without fear is a situation that all of us would wish for. To achieve this however requires us to rehabilitate the prisoners and the society with this simple method.

Drug abuse is the use of drugs without the doctor’s prescription and not for the intended purpose. This behavior grows into a habit that becomes very difficult and almost impossible to stop. A perfect example for this predicament is the use of tobacco whose illnesses claims many lives. Tobacco is a highly addictive drug that contains nicotine an alkaloid and the addictive agent of tobacco. Many people who smoke tobacco are aware of its effects and repercussions but still they cannot help themselves out. Among the many smokers who wish to quit everyday, only a handful of them manage to rid themselves out of this trap.

Nicotine addiction has been researched about and this has brought about pharmacological and behavioral solutions to overcome their addiction (Leshner 2011). NIDA a national institute on drugs abuse in an attempt to fight smoking came up with nicotine replacement therapy the most notable being the nicotine chewing gum. This saw a good number of smokers give up smoking and this was a major step taken. Addiction is a condition that administering medication alone cannot yield much result. A deliberate change in ones behavior is the main agenda and it can be done through social support networks and pharmacological treatments. Following these treatment increases the chances fore an addict to quit smoking if a deliberate effort is accorded to the process.

Behavioral treatments in this case of nicotine addiction are the only hope for rescue of the victims. Research however is being carried out about nicotine to establish its addictive process and how it influences smoking trends. Like other drugs that are abused, nicotine alters the brains pleasure circuit leading to the brains malfunctioning and abnormality. Addiction is a scientific process and the reveres of it can only be a scientific undertaking involving the behavioral treatment.

Another concern and very sensitive social problem is the issue of sexuality and particularly the are of sexual preferences. This issue has been at the helm of discussion since the inception of the rights of gay people. Unfortunately, the community has grown bigger and even wider gathering influence in the international arena. The involvement of same sex marriages is a feature that has been condemned by almost the whole world unanimously. Nonetheless, people have come in support of these abnormal practices. However, many feel that gayism is filthy and unhygienic but the gay community, which grows by the day still insist on their right and freedom to choose their preference.

Heterosexuals are the normal attraction of the opposite sex commonly referred to as being straight. This is the normal intention from creation but pervasiveness has seen the introduction of other forms of preference that are shameful to our societal setting. This is un avoidable as it happens to all our teenagers as they grow up and they are trying to explore their own sexuality. This is a growth and development issue and just guidance and direction is all they need to choose the right and descent path of sexuality. It is important such guidance to be given at an age so that as they grow it is in their mind that this is the way to go regardless of the influence and peer pressure to go otherwise.

Mostly, this kind of rebellion is due to psychological problems like fear and timidity. If this signs are seen on a child, immediate action has to be taken to boost the child’s self-worth and acceptance. Make the child feel loved, as the feeling of not being loved is the primary reason why a child can become more reserved and thus a chance to contemplate ways to draw attention to them. They may end up making a pervasive decision since they have no grounds on what is considered taboo and what is acceptable. Any idea that comes along is good to go for them and that is where the trouble begins for such innocent and young teenagers.

Taking time to understand the predicaments that awaits the young people is necessary as many grownups leave the youth to make their own mistakes. Guidance should be offered and they be left to make a decision out of the good counsel of parents and elder folks in the society. In addition to all that, sexuality must be incorporated in school curriculums so that the young people can be taught about their sexuality to avoid the confusion they are subjected to while trying to find themselves out. Special attention must be paid to every move they make in making any decision that would compromise their dignity in regards to sexual preferences. Other than the normal exhibit of sexual interest, other preferences are abhorrent and are not taken well by the society.

The last but not least social problem I want to discuss is the issue of terminal diseases like HIV/AID and Cancer. These two ailments have affected the society in a big way for such a long time considering the fact that these are both illnesses that lead to death. HIV/AIDS is one of the largest causes of deaths especially in the developing countries. This disease destroys the victims’ immune system leaving him vulnerable to even the least of infections. A simple infection as a flu can lead to death to a person infected with HIV/AIDS. This infection has led to many deaths consequently many children are left orphaned, with homes destabilized as they loose their loved ones.

Since this infection affects the immune system and destroys it, the only way one can survive after being infected by the deadly virus is to make an effort to boost your immune system. This has been made possible by the introduction of Anti-Retrovirus tablets that help improve ones immune system (Mooney, Linda. A., David Knox & Caroline Schacht 2011). This is a relief to the families of people infected by the virus since they have a new lease of live through this life support medication. Families now no longer have to loose their loved ones as soon as they are diagnosed with the virus.

It is possible to say with certainty that science has a big role to play in solving every aspect of social problems and one cannot undermine that fact. In fact, scientific approaches in handling social problems are proving to be offering a long-term if not a permanent solution.  All the problems that affect people are scientific problems that cannot be handled otherwise but by employing scientific solutions. Having seen this I therefore suggest that leaders in government and administrators in schools focus there energy and resources to scientific researches and invest greatly on these kinds of projects. By doing this, half of our societal problems will have been dealt with comprehensively.

This therefore is my plea to the government not to lookdown on research as it unravels the causes of events and their effects. And as the saying goes, knowing your enemy makes it easier for you to fight him, knowing the cause of our social problems would make it very easy to fight and avoid their negative impacts against us.

 

Works Cited

Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. “Proven scientific solution to crime.” 28 Sep 2011.Web:2011.

Leshner, Alan. “Addiction Research Can Provide Scientific Solutions to the Problem of Cigarette Smoking.” 28 Sep 2011. Web: 2011.

Mooney, Linda. A., David Knox & Caroline Schacht. “Understanding Social Problems” 28 Sep 2011. Web: 2011.

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Evolution of Islamic Law

Islamic law (Sharia) refers to the regulations followed by Muslims and is obtained from the Koran. The Koran includes the holy teachings of the religion, which Muslims believe that it was revealed to Prophet Muhammad by Allah. In the past, the Islamic law did not exist under the authority of the government body that was non-existent within the given period. However, when Islam was established in the nineteenth century, Muslims adapted to new social formations, including the government. Pre-modern Islamic law was restricted because it did not hold any powers as noted within the current state (Hallaq, & Hallaq, 2009). Government administration was very small and was only established in urban areas. In such instances, the government was responsible for issues such as tax and land possession.

As a result, people had no identification of their citizenships since they were unregistered at birth. They would travel from one place to another liberally since there lacked establishment of borders, nationalities and passports. As people lived far from land rulers, they were not influenced by the given authorities (Hallaq, & Hallaq, 2009). Leaders would use the taxation strategy equitably on the people so that they could instill complete control over them. With time, most individuals decided to manage themselves by being in charge of their own matters. They did not require rulers since they believed that the mechanisms used were influenced by the internal systems that were established over the centuries by local communities. They preferred customary law since it allowed self-regulation similar to the Sharia was considered to be of the same significance. However, it did not contribute to the formation of the Islamic government.

The Muslim community started forming its own regulations by appointing people who were skilled in dealing with legal matters to carry out functions that contribute to the development of the Islamic legal system. They appointed four kinds of people to be involved with the construction, development and running of the Sharia.  Sharia is the principle law utilized in the Islamic religion. The four recruited persons included the Mufti, Author-Jurist, adjudicator and the regulation professor. Other members involved included court witnesses, notaries and governors. However, responsibility offered to governors did not have much impact in the formation of the system. The Muftis played many different roles including enabling uninterrupted and flowing adaptability of the Islamic law. They acted as private legal experts in charge of the moral and the legal aspects of the Islamic community. The Muftis were spread in terms of sections and each ensured the institution of the given roles without involving the ruler’s interests. The Mufti was also responsible for giving a fatwa, which was a lawful solution used to address a question. The laws did not allow him to charge anyone for consultation and so it was affordable to any class of people, whether poor or rich (Hallaq & Hallaq, 2009).

Questions brought to the Mufti by people who were part of the Islamic community and were only those that proved to be complex to judges. The first Muslim legal expansions were a product of the problem-solution movement. After some time, these solutions were brought together, improved, structured and later used in writing the regulation books. Mufti also addressed that the law based on a situation backed up by facts. Because of the supreme legal power given to the Mufti, his statements were also allowed to contribute in solving problems in law courts. Such decisions were recognized as respected statement rules known as the fatwa. A person who did not succeed in getting a fatwa in his favor was not allowed to go appeal the case but it instead resulted to dismissing the initial claims in order to go for unofficial mediation (Hallaq & Hallaq, 2009). The Muftis were regularly consulted on complex cases even if they were located far away, from where the case took place. For example, a mufti who stayed in a far Western country such as Spain would be communicated to by a judge from Egypt through a letter containing questions on court disputes.

The fatwa authority was decisive; however, one fatwa could be ignored if another fatwa belonging to a judging opponent had a more reasonable ruling. The Mufti could not dismiss a fatwa in his favor, unless he had an authority of a higher rule than that of another Mufti. From this information, it is evident that a fatwa is an outcome of legal skill, superior knowledge because the more educated the Mufti is, the more reliable, and acceptable his fatwa is to the court and the community. A Mufti’s knowledge capability was determined through his actions but such were not limited to academic qualifications. The role played by fatwa differentiates how judges in the Muslim Court of Law in the past failed to publish their decisions in a way that the modern system practices. As a result, law in the past was established from juristic writings derived from answers given by Muftis instead of models from established law courts (Hallaq & Hallaq, 2009).

In legal practice, fatwas, especially those that represent new legal expansions on older problems were published instead of court decisions. They were edited in a way that inappropriate details such as names of places and date details were removed. They ensured that the information contained precise legal methods. After the editing process was done, the finalized fatwa was incorporated in solid legal literatures. However, a major part of Islamic legalities was not written by the Mufti, but by the author-jurists who depended on fatwas written by dignified Muftis for advanced legal knowledge. The work of author-jurists expanded from writing short specialized agreements to bigger works, which were expanded modified continuations of the previous short works. For example, a small legal document that contains the law would be expanded to a large dimension of two hundred pages.

With time, there was a raised concern that the author-jurists were having trouble with integrating the appropriate points they were going to use in forming the law. Cases that were outdated and irrelevant to the community were disqualified. The remaining issues were categorized as belonging to the latter jurisprudents who had detailed them as a response to the emerging problems within the community. The fatwas that were used to form content of the latter policies answered the same needs. Most of the works completed by the author-jurists were used as a standard reference by students studying Islamic law as well as for consultation purposes when an individual was being appointed to the judiciary system. In addition, since the influence of the law depended on Mufti’s opinions and the author-jurists’ writings, the judge was not given the right to hold the same level of knowledge, not unless he was a Mufti or an author-jurist (Hallaq & Hallaq, 2009).

One of the significant duties of a Muslim judge, also known as the Qadi was to give a ruling on several disputes, which is a similar task carried out by a modern judge. The Qadi provided services to the community that he belonged. This is because the qualifications of being a Qadi required one to familiarize himself with his community and the local customs that were definitive in the decision process. The Qadi was also responsible for supervising several activities in his community such as the construction of mosques, hospitals and streets. He was also in charge of ensuring that support was given to orphans and the needy. Additionally, he was required to present himself in marriages for women who did not have male relatives. The Qadi also acted as an intermediary in issues that were legally unfocused; he mediated and enabled reconciliations between married couples and listened to family related issues involving the division of property.

Muslim jurists and theologians believed that being reasonable was a gift from God and that one should take the opportunity of using such gifts as assigned. Islamic legal bodies depended on the aspect that while their purpose was to utilize such abilities to the fullest, the amount of reasoning had to go beyond what they acquired from their mental facilities. From this concept, they believed that human beings do not know everything about the world and so trying to be controlling was an evidence of arrogance (Hallaq & Hallaq, 2009). Jurists believed that Allah was the creator of the Universe and therefore, without him, it was impossible for the legal system to understand the world completely. In addition, they believed that healthy thinking should be dependent on Allah as the source of wisdom, through the interpretations of the Quran.

This blend between reasoning and revelation became the ultimate foundation of the Islamic law. From this blend, Muslim jurists continued with their reform work and came up with the theory of law that included the purpose of its combination. They depended on the statement that the Quran was the most holy source of law evidencing topics of how Allah revealed himself to human beings and about how the believer of the Quran should handle himself in this world. This human conduct was significantly used to influence the law. The jurists also believed that Allah used a human being who had an excellent personal conduct, known as Prophet Muhammad, to establish his desired rule within the world (Kung, 2002).

Muhammad was a chosen messenger of Allah and he understood his purpose more than any other Muslim did. Muhammad lived everyday of his life serving God’s purpose. His biography was used to develop the second main source of the law after the Quran and was known as the Sunna (Kung, 2002). The Sunna contained details of an account of what Prophet Muhammad had accomplished. Through this, the Prophet’s decision process acted as the base for the present Islamic law. Muslims use methods of narrating the document Sunna document in approaches known as the Hadith. The Sunna contributed many legal factors including promoting the right to own private property. However, this right was not completely established until the significance of Hadiths became completely known.

Quotes from the Hadith where Prophet Muhammad was constantly in conversation with regard to certain matters were used. For example, in the instance where Prophet Muhammad stated that one who planted without seeking permission in another person’s land did not have the right to own the crops but only the salary obtained from the amount of labor put in. In addition, he also stated that one who attempts to steal one foot of land would be punished by Allah on the ultimate judgment period (Kung, 2002). These two statements had a very significant influence in the implementation of property ownership. Therefore, Sunna and Hadith excerpts as opposed to the former law systems are presently utilized as the basis for Islamic law.

 

References

Hallaq, W. B., & Hallaq, W. B. (2009). An introduction to Islamic law. Cambridge, UK: CambridgeUniversity Press.

Kung, H. (2002). Tracing the way: Spiritual dimensions of the world religions. London, UK:

Continuum.

 

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Extending school by an extra year

            Over the years, the debate on the schooling period has been going on and on in many academic circles all over the world. Some feel that the time that is offered is far much less than what is needed to achieve what the students are expected to achieve. However, a good number of academicians think otherwise. It may be considered by some that increasing or decreasing time may not necessarily affect one’s grades, whether positively or negatively. Therefore, we need to think about how we use the limited time that we have and view learning as a full time activity. This can be made possible by taking advantage of the technological advancement.

While time is important in gaining and making use of any form of knowledge, it is also important to note that it is a resource in short supply. In my opinion, there has never been enough time to achieve anything but a lot has been made possible regardless of the limited time. Humanity is a race against time and unless we manage it wisely, we shall never truly win. Other than time, I believe there are other major factors that hinder achievements in schools greatly. Before even looking at the issue of time, I think we should focus our attention to these factors that are directly responsible for poor performance in our schools. Interestingly, one realizes that psychological and emotional issues are the major source of anguish in schools.

Success is not a one-time understanding of a particular subject but rather a lifelong process of getting relevant information and applying skills to situations. My view therefore is that information and knowledge cannot be attached to a specific period in one’s lifetime. That is why the limited-time approach might be quite false and unfruitful. In my opinion, adding more hours in class will not necessarily lead to more success, as most people would tend to believe. Looking at countries that are better in the whole world academically like Korea and Finland, students spend far much less time in class compared to other countries including ours. This is a clear indication that the question is not of time but of quality.

In addition to the time spent in school, I would consider changing what people actually learn in order to improve the current education. Have we considered reviewing the content of the information given in our academic systems? Is the content relevant to the current world of innovation or not. Those are the concerns that should be of main concern to come up with a lasting solution if this debate is intended to find one. While it is unavoidable that more time is required in schools, it must not be more of the same as before. This means that students will have more time occupied in relevant learning. This however does not require additional time as many people think. All that is needed to achieve this is by allocating enough time for actual learning.

                I therefore want to emphasize that the debate is not about the number of years one has to go through schooling but on the quality of the information given and its importance in the modern world. The knowledge acquired must be of assistance in coping with the daily challenges in such a dynamic world. What the students learn in school should help them make balanced decisions and come up with ways to conquer the many challenges they face. Setting longer school years or maintaining the current curricular will not be the solution to our problem of low quality education hence it wont help us to attain the desired level of excellence. In my opinion, quality should supersede quantity especially where the potential of the student is concerned. It has been thought that there is more than enough room to improve the quality of education. However, this has to be a joint effort by all of us from the students to the teachers, parents and the government. That is the only way out if we are to make our country the best in offering quality education. If we want to see our youth become the world’s most educated generation, let us review the content of our knowledge.

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Book Review

The author of this book illustrates the life of Calvin, his experiences academically and his theology and most important Calvin’s turbulent relationship with the city of Geneva emphasizing that both man and the city had an impact on each other. There are various issues that have been discussed in the book and these may include the theology of Calvin and the structure of the Geneva government and politics[1].

Generally, the author focused on the social and cultural influence that was created by Calvin through his religious ideas during his lifetime and practical structures developed in place while at Geneva. For instance, Calvin’s refining of the French language through his exegesis and significant arguments concerning ideas of religion. In addition, Calvin’s use of documented medium to spread the reformation, the application of foreign capitalization in order to maintain Geneva at the time of siege by the house of Savoy is also emphasized. The book also discussed some concepts concerning the work of ethics implying that God gave all people a unique job to carryout. Calvin therefore influenced not only Geneva but also France and the rest of the Western culture. The main position of the author was the financial ideas, social work ethics, and theology of Calvin concerning predestination that offered the foundation for the growth of Marxism and capitalism.

According to theme of the author, which is the idea of reformed theology, it shows reformed theology illustrating God as the one who chooses people but not people choosing God. In addition, it is argued the people chosen by God will come to Him and they will not be cast out. This argument is true because God is able to select any person whom He can use to spread His message to the rest of the world. For instance, the story shows Calvin was a humble man chosen by God to in order to make a positive impact in the entire world. God chooses people to serve Him according to His own goodness and wisdom but not depending on the bad and goodness typical of a person. This means God’s pursuit of people is not conditional therefore; reformed theology puts faith after regeneration. Therefore, all human beings owe their lives to God because came on earth in form of a human being to save His people from sins hence all the glory and honor belongs to God and not to human creatures.

According to book, religion was the main force that led to the French civil wars. For instance, the growth of Calvinism increased the killings of the French kings yet it never attempted to put to an end the spread of Calvinism. A good number of Calvin’s followers tried to implement much of his thoughts especially on politics despite their difference in the later political convictions from the Geneva reformer. Through the conclusions and explicating of the bible, Calvin’s political though is significantly presented where he is not perceived as an authority in the fullest but as a leader for those who share his discourse of the biblical authority. This thus, demonstrates Calvin as an inspiration to others and a hero[2].

Through Calvin, western culture was shaped because he promoted liberty where he emphasized the role of Calvinist churches in the New England emphasizing its role in the promotion of democratic government, education, and culture. These are some of the thoughts of calving concerning political aspects, which lead to the achievement of liberty in western culture[3]. The political and theological system demonstrated in the story came to be a significant justification fro the practice of the division of races. For instance, basing not on liberty, but rather on order and submission to leading authorities, these ideas aimed at preserving the societal order in ,western cultures albeit a racist order within a diverse and potentially explosive political and cultural environment.

However, on the other hand, Calvin’s thoughts demonstrate him as a theological dictator with ruthless and enforced principles in a city with a large number of police officers, many pliable judges, many prisons and many scaffolds. Through his movements, a good number of lives were lost. The era of Calvin is linked with that of Adolf Hitler where in his acts as a compulsive neurotic led to the transformation of people perception of God from loving to cruel and hateful is. Calvin is also known to have misled people and hindered them from attaining growth in their spiritual walk and better relationship with God.

By reading this story of McGrath, one gets the idea Calvin was the originator of the schimasmatic system of Presbyterianism. In addition, the developer of a repulsive theological concept referred to as predestination that leads to reduction of human beings into the low levels and God to the level of a tyrannical dictator, which should not be the case. The idea of Calvin that the church and the state should be separate is not right because in most cases, the church always acts as a guide to the state. Unfortunately, Calvin shows these two should be separate because they both have their own ordained aspects of influences. For instance, it is assumed the church has no power to impose penalties for civil offenses. I disagree with this because the church has a duty to ensure civil offences are punished.

Through the story of McGrath, Geneva managed to become a safe place especially for the Protestants refugees both from France and all over the western cultures. For instance, an institution to provide instructions to people in reformed theology was established where people were trained and instructed to go back home in order to spread the Gospel and build more churches. As a result, the influenced managed to spread the doctrines worldwide.

 

Bibliography

Linder, Robert. The reformation Era. New York, NY: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008.

McGrath, Alister E., A Life of John Calvin: A Study in the Shaping of Western Culture. Oxford: Blackwell, 1990 2000.

McGrath, Alister E. A life of John Calvin: a study in the shaping of Western culture. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 1993.

 

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There are diverse characteristics of an entrepreneur. First, confidence and believing in one’s elf is crucial. An entrepreneur should have confidence of what he or she in addition to being serious and focused. Many entrepreneurs fail to perform better in business because they lack belief in self. Secondly, he or she should be a good leader who can lead a team towards completing a common goal (McDaniel 96). An entrepreneur understands that he or she cannot build a successful business without integrating effort from like-minded people. Thus, a good entrepreneur is the one who works and assigns task to team members. This is crucial because it enables work to be accomplished efficiently with a creative touch for future success of the business. Thirdly, an entrepreneur is one who takes risks on new opportunities. He or she may take risks in order to achieve new opportunities for better success in business. A good entrepreneur is the one who makes decision by risking on some things in order to gain new business opportunities. Fourthly, he or she is creative because this helps one to formulate solutions to problems arising along business operations. Lastly, he or she is disciplined and can be accountable enabling one to learn from mistakes. An entrepreneur is disciplined always and whenever he or she makes a mistake once, he or she becomes careful not to repeat it twice.

I have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur because of the following reasons. First, I am confidence and believe in myself. When one is confident and passionate about personal goals, he or she will succeed in any business whatever the obstacles or the challenging the situation may become. Another reason is because I have my own business in U.S and I have worked with my dad’s company for many years thus acquiring the skills necessary to make a successful entrepreneur. The experience that I have gained from working with my dad’s company as well as my own business will make me a successful entrepreneur. Additionally, I undertook business studies while in college to completion. While in college, I studied diverse things about business operations and what a good entrepreneur needs to posses in order to become successful in business. Thus, I think with the educational experience in business, I believe that I have the characteristics, which will make me qualify as an entrepreneur.

There are essential things one needs to learn about business before taking the leap. First, have a clear vision and plan. Sinha (122) reiterates that before diving into business, one needs to have a clear vision and plan. This is because a vision acts as a guide on what to be done to enable the business to become successful. One should know exactly what he or she wants in business and the ways to turn knowledge into income. Secondly, communicate and include others on board by valuing opinions and suggestions from subordinates and team members. A successful business is mainly build on a pool of ideas from varying people. People help one in making wise decisions while facilitating one to explore diverse issues viewed from different perspectives thus becoming successful in business. Additionally, self-motivation and self-discipline is crucial. Before taking a leap in business, one needs to exercise self-discipline and self-motivation in order to ensure that the work is done perfectly. This is vital because it helps one to learn on the way he or she is going to handle flexibility in business.

 

Work cited

McDaniel, Bruce A. Entrepreneurship and Innovation: An Economic Approach. Armonk, N.Y:

M.E. Sharpe, 2002. Print.

Sinha, Sanjay K. Economy and Entrepreneurship. New Delhi: Shree Publishers & Distributors,

2008. Print.

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