Sunday, December 29, 2019

The Bible Is Not A Book Of Religion - 3325 Words

The Bible is not a book of religions or rituals. Rather, the Bible is a library of 66 books—39 of which are known as the Old Testament and 27 books referred to as the New Testament—that reveals God’s divine plan of redemption, reconciliation, salvation, restoration and renewal of the whole world. The Bible can be read as a great literature, or as a history of Israel, or as a source of theological information. Though it is all of these things, none of them does full justice to Scripture as being authoritative. God has all authority, and we accept the Bible as the primary authority by which God communicates to us what He wants us to believe and to do. N.T. Wright’s book theorizes that Scripture is authoritative in that â€Å"the authority of†¦show more content†¦In doing so, we can discover that final authority is not in and of scripture itself but of the Triune God who is the Author of scripture. The second obstacle to consider is that many have dismissed scripture as a book of Israelitic Christian stories. Wright contends that these stories are told to inform us of â€Å"internal dynamics† of the past so as to engage us in the present for transformation into Christ-likeness. (p.25). Thirdly, Wright asserts that the question of scripture’s authority should not be viewed as a list of rules where God condescends to man. Rather, scripture should be received as God’s purpose to save and renew the entire world by authorizing the church—God’s agent in the world—with His mission through the work of the Holy Spirit. Thus, it is imperative that biblical scholars â€Å"see the role of scripture not simply as being [informative about or revelatory of God’s truth] but as a means of God’s action in and through us.† (p.28) Generally, most biblical scholars agree that scripture’s authority is found in the sovereign God Himself; but their doctrinal positions differ from that point. Wisely enough, Wright avoids the â€Å"locked suitcase† melee on biblical inerrancy or biblical infallibility. Instead, he focused on God’s purpose for scripture and why it is demonstrably authoritative. Scriptures are not merely human books or collections of human opinion; they are books which contain God s revelation of

Thursday, December 26, 2019

The United Nations Definition Of Sustainability - 1504 Words

The United Nations definition of sustainability is the reconciliation of environmental, social and economic demands - the â€Å"three pillars† of sustainability – for the immediate and future well being of individuals and communities. Important considerations for a sustainable project: - energy (including embodied energy) - water - waste - pollution - user health and well being Reflect the structure of energy assessment methods e.g BREEAM - the design process - the construction process - the materials used - the amount of energy such as heating, cooling or lighting needed to run the building over its life - the amount of energy such as power to workplace equipment or catering used by occupants for their activities - how efficiently this†¦show more content†¦Building Management: Design decisions need to consider user behavior so that fittings, layouts and management options help users to be energy efficient. For example, zoned metering can be ‘smart’ with information displays which help users save energy by understanding where waste occurs in unoccupied areas/times and adjust systems to work better. Some relevant questions to discuss from the start of the project include: - Who is developing policies or explanation/training for behavior in use and are they represented in the design team discussions? - Have user representatives had input to waste and recycling locations, information technology use assumptions, cleaning regime requirements and other activities relevant to a building in use? - What scenarios for future functional changes have been explored and what will that imply for demolition/ rebuilding? - Will feedback on energy use and water consumption be visible, easily understood in relation to what people are doing and thus able to help them manage their behaviour? - Has a review been planned (a post-occupancy evaluation) looking at how the building performs once occupied, so that the project provides an on going learning environment for the the owner/occupants. Flexibility/Adaptability Spaces need to beShow MoreRelatedWhat is sustainability? Essay1470 Words   |  6 PagesIs economic social and environmental sustainability achievable in today’s world? Introduction The aim of this paper is to try and give an understanding of â€Å"sustainability† to the reader and look into the various ideas surrounding the 3 pillars of a sustainable world. I am going to take you through the 3 topics in question separately before looking into whether or not sustainability is now even possible given the destruction we have already caused to the planet. I will also look into the millenniumRead MoreTaking a Look at Sustainable Woods1299 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION Sustainability is a term that describes how environmental critical systems remain diverse and productive over time. Sustainability for humans is the ability to save the quality of life that we live in the long term and this in turn depends on the conservation of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources. The term sustainability has become widespread and can be applied to almost every facet of life on Earth, from the local level to the global level and over differentRead MoreThe Concept Of Sustainable Development Essay1654 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst of these is the social-scientific definition explicated most frequently in relation to the 1987 report of the Brundtland commission.1 This report defines sustainable development as our â€Å"...ability to make development sustainable—to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs†2. The second perspective of sustainable de velopment is that of the ecological definition, which holds that it is a necessity to maintainingRead MorePolicy And Economics Of Healthcare Delivery1543 Words   |  7 PagesPOLICY AND ECONOMICS OF HEALTHCARE DELIVERY: ASSIGNMENT PART B. Health System Sustainability is attracting unprecedented global attention, particularly from organisations such as the WHO and OECD. Discuss (i) Why sustainability is becoming an important health system objective in industrialised nations; and (ii) Two policies that could potentially alleviate the economic pressures faced by modern health care systems. COURSE: MSC. HEALTH ECONOMICS AND HEALTH POLICY MODULE: POLICY AND ECONOMICSRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Sustainability Essay1658 Words   |  7 PagesCorporate Social Responsibility Vs Corporate Sustainability in India: A case study on Aditya Birla Group Supriya Agarwal Abstract: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now a burning topic in India, which became prominent and most amplified in 2013 when companies were obligated to spend two percent of profit after tax in CSR activities set by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. Although, the concept of CSR is not new in India and has evolved and developed very well from hundredsRead MoreCritically Assess The Concept Of Sustainable Development Essay1661 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst of these is the social-scientific definition explicated most frequently in relation to the 1987 report of the Brundtland commission.1 This report defines sustainable development as our â€Å"...ability to make development sustainable—to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs†2. The second perspective of sustainable development is that of the ecological definition, which holds that it is a necessity to maintainingRead MoreEssay on The Effect of Environmental Sustainability1416 Words   |  6 Pagesof developing nations, as well as those of developed nations, continue to pose a threat to our planet and its finite resource base. This in turn affects human wellbeing, as exploitative and polluting activities will in another manner negatively affect humankind globally, but especially the less developed nations. Therefore it is imperative that economic development and sustainable development cooperate together in order to allow for human development with environmental sustainability to continue farRead MoreSustainability Is The Continuance Of A Defined Behavior1625 Words   |  7 Pages Sustainability is the continuance of a defined behavior or action with the ability to maintain a balance of what and how that specific behavior is being completed (Business Dictionary, 17). As this definition is general, we can apply it using a qualitative breakdown of its importance to biology and eco logy. The importance of sustainability in biology and ecology is to ensure that the relationship in which we utilize our natural resources does not surpass the Earth’s abilities to produce those materialsRead MoreThe Concept Of Sustainable Development1638 Words   |  7 Pages‘environmental politics.’ The concept of sustainable development makes us believe that it is possible to realize economic prosperity and protect the environment at the same time (Carter, 2007). Although tradeoff may be made between ‘ecological sustainability’ and fulfilment of basic human needs (Là ©là ©, 1991), this should not be an encouraged practice because human beings will always give preference to their needs over environmental protection no matter how trivial they may be. The ultimate remedy forRead MoreThe UN Promoting Environmental Sustainability1733 Words   |  7 PagesHow does the United Nations support the millennium development goal of promoting environmental sustainability by limiting global warming in South and North America? Why did you choose this research question and why do think it is worthy of studying? I chose the question mentioned above as my research question as in my opinion this is a very interesting topic to research on, and I too believe that the United Nations has played a huge role in promoting environmental sustainability in many parts

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Chinatown ( 1974 ), Falls Under The Category Of Film Noir...

Chinatown Critique Essay The film Chinatown (1974), falls under the category of Film Noir Style. The film s basis its plot on corruption scandals, which shed light on dark secrets and very unfortunate events around the Cross’ Family, Evelyn Cross and her Father and John Cross (John Huston), who is the center figure of the plot, and a private investigator Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson). The central of the plot is a charge of conspiracy of the corruption between, politicians, Mr. Cross, and the police department corruption, that started in the less hopeless Chinatown, and now has ramifications in every sphere of L.A city. The history of the plot comes from a real-life event, The 1908 Owned River scandal and the administration of the department of water during this scandal. The film started with Gitte, hired as a private investigator by a socialite beauty â€Å"Faye Dunaway, to investigate her husband Hollis (a chief engineer), played by Darrel Zwerling. The mise-en -scene and the film are elaborated an d directed by Roman Polansky (director) and Robert Towne (screenplay). In cinematography, one of the more important elements is the mise-en-scene. Due to the fact, that it keeps the audience emotional and psychological involve in the plot. As can be appreciated in Chinatown (Polansky, 1974), in this plot Polansky utilized several elements to create in the audience a double crosser twist, through the corruption and immoral activities portrayed during the film. In general, the motion

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Feminism and Porn Essay - 1766 Words

The idea that pornography gives feminists of differing opinions this middle ground that they can meet on and see how to articulate the different desires of feminism and what they want to turn it into is one of the main reasons Catherine Lumby argues that feminists need pornography (par 60). As Lumby writes in â€Å"Why Feminists Need Porn,† chapter five of her book Bad Girls, â€Å"the notion that you can draw a cause and effect line between fantasy and social practice is disturbing and distasteful to some feminists,† (par 60). Feminists, by questioning that line, can find the need reevaluate their political position and how they relate the issues of feminism to other ideas and movements. The realization that feminists should constantly†¦show more content†¦Certain parts of her article can be seen as support for either side of the issue, but in the overall effect of the work Purcell is just trying to show the faults of both arguments and how they could each be come stronger, and how we could â€Å"engage in this research [and argument] in more sensitive and responsive ways.† (par 5) One issue that feminists should bring to the open and question is the definition of pornography. Often times anti-porn feminists argue that we can tell what is and isn’t porn easily. Yet the definition these feminists use to decide what counts as porn and whether it should be censored from the public applies to many things as Lumby points out in paragraphs nine and twelve. She draws up the movie Siren as an example of how Elle Macpherson’s nudity in the movie was widely accepted and went uncontested, but then Lumby points out how Macpherson’s shoot for Playboy was more modest than some of the shots in the film yet the photo shoot receives more flack because it’s categorized as porn (par 9). Lumby uses the shoot and film to frame the way anti-porn feminists believe that porn should be easy to spot. She brings up the point for her audience to show them the logic of anti-porn feminists and how that logic doesn’t make the strongest argument when the audience questions it. The fact that Lumby can make her audience suspicious of the strength of anti-porn arguments makes theShow MoreRelatedFeminism Is Not A Feminist805 Words   |  4 PagesAt first I thought I was not a feminist. However, after careful consideration and research into feminist ideology, I have realized that I am a feminist. Individual feminism or Libertarian feminism represents my beliefs very closely. I do believe that women have been subjugated to men and remain so in many parts of the world. We have not achieved parity with men in all areas. Government continues to regulate the choices of women in terms of reproductive issues. There are ongoing struggles at the stateRead MoreFeminism and Pornography: Differing Views1221 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"a woman’s body, a woman’s right† and as long as she is not being coerced then she has the right to do what she would like with her own body. This is where the opinions and views of sex workers themselves come in to play. Self identified feminist porn star Nina Hartley has called herself an exhibitionist and has been a positive story for pornography because it is something that she enjoys and she is confident in herself and her body. Another argument against censorship is the question of who willRead MoreThe Social World1413 Words   |  6 Pagessociological explanations to understand and draw conclusions on why the sexualisation of culture has and continues to occur today. I will explore feminism and how it has influenced sexualisation of culture today and how pornography has influenced todays pornification pro blems. One sociological explanation for this is that of a multitude of factors related to that of feminism. In the mid-1970s child abuse was brought to public eye by a group of second wave feminists also known as radical feminist if you willRead MoreFourth Wave Feminism1572 Words   |  7 PagesIs It Post Feminism Or The Fourth Wave The word feminism is defined as referring to political, cultural, and economic movements seeking greater rights and participation in society for women and girls. This word goes hand in hand with the feminist movement, which is aimed at equal rights for women. The feminist movement has had three distinct waves. The first wave took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and granted women the right to vote and practice birth control. The second waveRead More The Pros and Cons of Pornography Essay951 Words   |  4 Pagesmultibillion dollar industry (King 411). Today, with just the click of a mouse, millions world-wide are able to access pornography and see their sexual fantasies come to life (King 418). According to King, â€Å"One third of all use of the internet is connected to porn sites,† (419). With explicit sexual material nearly impossible to avoid, it may be difficult to decipher between what is normal sexual behavior and what is merely fantasy. There is belief that the sexual activities of women presented in pornographyRead MoreEffect Of The Sex Industry On Women907 Words   |  4 Pagescommercialization seem natural. For the purposes of this discussion, it should be noted that sex work covers a wide range of different practices. Most notably, it covers prostitution and the sale of sex, but it also extends to the strip club industry and the porn industry, as all three of these feed off of each other and emerge from the same broken system. The effects of the sex industry on women, however, differs across racial and class boundaries, especially in prostitution, where women of different ethnicRead MoreFemale Chauvinist Pigs : Women And The Rise Of Raunch Culture1671 Words   |  7 Pagesrepresentation in politics and the boardrooms of huge businesses for which previous generations’ feminists originally strived. Levy goes on to use successful porn star Jenna Jameson as an example of the damaging nature of porn: ‘Jameson think s that women outside the sex industry have internalized its spirit and model their sexuality on porn. She presents life in the industry as marked by violence and violation: She tells us she was beaten unconscious with a rock, gang-raped, and left for dead onRead MoreThe Industry Can Cause A Lot Of Trouble For People1681 Words   |  7 Pages3.8 GPA† (218) Despite the episteme surrounding the sex industry, working in the sex industry is a viable career choice. In her book, Roach identifies three categories of reasoning for working as a stripper: sex-positive capitalism, sex-positive feminism, and sex-positive spirituality (105). Sex-positive capitalism, the reasoning that these jobs are for financial support is the first and biggest. In all of my research money has been the biggest driving factor in why people choose a job in the sexRead MorePornography and Women Empowerment Essay2178 Words   |  9 Pagescrusader for family values, he has also detailed in his writing that In far too many families with young children, both parents are working†¦ Here, we can thank the influence of radical feminism (Santorum). Santorum in his platform targets a split in the female political interest, where pornography and feminism currently brush heads. It is time for the anti-pornography feminists to realize that what Santorum calls â€Å"obscenity† is a major front in the culture war for women’s empowerment. PornographyRead MoreThe Sexuality Of Women s Sexuality817 Words   |  4 Pagesis dirty† (Dworkin, 298). All of this ties together with her belief that pornography has not changed since its origin in Ancient Greece, with the small exception of how the pornography is produced with changing technology. This includes how women in porn are treated and valued, both in the pornography itself as well as in the culture that the media is made from. One of the major downfalls of Dworkin’s stance, from the opinion of this author, is that she cannot imagine women as actively partaking in

Friday, December 13, 2019

The Golden Lily Chapter 4 Free Essays

string(47) " He was a Moroi who’d once been Strigoi\." SONYA DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING about the mysterious encounter to the rest of the gang at Adrian’s, so I respected her silence. Everyone else was too preoccupied with dinner and the experiments to notice much else. And once they conducted the second wave of experiments, even I grew too distracted to give much thought to the guy on the street. We will write a custom essay sample on The Golden Lily Chapter 4 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sonya had said she wanted to see how Eddie and Dimitri responded to direct spirit. This was accomplished by her and Adrian focusing their magic at the dhampirs one at a time. â€Å"It’s sort of like what we’d do if we were trying to heal them or make something grow,† Sonya explained to me. â€Å"Don’t worry – this isn’t going to make them supersized or anything. It’s more like we’re coating them with spirit magic. If Dimitri’s got some lasting mark from when he was healed, I’d imagine it would react with our magic.† She and Adrian coordinated their timing and did Eddie first. Initially, there was nothing to see – just the two spirit users staring at Eddie. He looked uncomfortable under the scrutiny. Then, I saw a silvery shimmer run over his body. I stepped back, amazed – and unnerved – at seeing a physical manifestation of spirit. They repeated the process on Dimitri, with the same results. Apparently, on an unseen level, things were the same too. There was nothing notable about Dimitri’s response. All of them took this in stride as part of the scientific process, but seeing that magic actually embrace the two men had creeped me out. As Eddie and I drove back to Amberwood that night, I found myself sitting as far away from him as I could in the car, as though residual magic might leak over and touch me. He chatted with me in our usual, friendly way, and I had to work hard to hide my feelings. Doing so made me feel guilty. This was Eddie, after all. My friend. The magic, even if it could’ve hurt me, was long since gone. A good night of sleep went a long ways to shake both my anxiety and guilt, leaving the magic a distant memory when I woke and prepared for classes the next day. Even though being at Amberwood was an assignment, I’d kind of come to love the elite school. I’d been homeschooled before this, and while my dad had certainly taught tough curriculum, he’d never gone beyond what he felt was necessary. Here, even if I surpassed what my classes were learning, there were plenty of teachers ready to encourage me to push farther. I hadn’t been allowed to go to college, but this was a nice substitute. Before I could get on to it, I had to chaperone a training session with Eddie and Angeline. Even though he might want to avoid her, he wouldn’t – not with Jill’s safety on the line. Angeline was part of Jill’s defense. I settled down in the grass with a cup of coffee, still wondering if he wasn’t just imagining Angeline’s interest. I’d recently acquired a one-cup coffee maker for my dorm room, and while it couldn’t compare to a coffee shop, it had gotten me through a number of rough mornings. A yawn smothered my greeting as Jill sat down beside me. â€Å"Eddie never trains me anymore,† she said wistfully, as we watched the spectacle. Eddie was trying to patiently explain to Angeline that headbutting, while suitable in a bar brawl, was not always the best tactic with Strigoi. â€Å"I’m sure he will if he gets more time,† I said, though I wasn’t sure at all. Now that he could admit his feelings for Jill to himself, he was nervous about touching her too much. That, and a chivalrous part of him didn’t want Jill risking herself anyway. It was ironic because Jill’s fierceness in wanting to learn self-defense (rare in a Moroi) was what had attracted him to her. â€Å"Angeline was recruited as protection. He’s got to make sure she can handle it.† â€Å"I know. I just feel like everyone’s trying to coddle me.† She frowned. â€Å"In PE, Micah won’t let me do anything. After I had all that trouble starting out, he’s now paranoid I’ll hurt myself. I keep telling him I’m fine, that it was just the sun†¦ but well, he keeps jumping in. It’s sweet†¦ but it drives me crazy sometimes.† â€Å"I’ve noticed it,† I admitted. I was in the same PE class. â€Å"I don’t think that’s why Eddie won’t train you, though. He knows you can do it. He’s proud that you can†¦ he just thinks that if he’s doing his job, you shouldn’t have to learn. Kind of weird logic.† â€Å"No, I get it.† Her earlier dismay shifted to approval as she turned back to the training session. â€Å"He’s so dedicated†¦ and, well, good at what he does.† â€Å"The knee’s an easy way to disable someone,† Eddie told Angeline. â€Å"Especially if you’re caught without a weapon and have to – â€Å" â€Å"When are you going to teach me to stake or decapitate?† she interrupted, hands on her hips. â€Å"All the time, it’s hit here, dodge this, blah, blah, blah. I need to practice killing Strigoi.† â€Å"No, you don’t.† Eddie was the picture of patience and back in the determined, ready mode I knew so well. â€Å"You’re not here to kill Strigoi. Maybe we can practice that at a later time, but right now, your priority is keeping mortal assassins away from Jill. That takes precedence over anything else, even our lives.† He glanced over at Jill for emphasis, and there was a flash of admiration in his eyes as he looked at her. â€Å"Seems like decapitation would kill Moroi just the same,† Angeline grumbled. â€Å"And besides, you did have a Strigoi problem last month.† Jill shifted uneasily beside me, and even Eddie paused. It was true – he had had to kill two Strigoi recently, back when Adrian’s apartment had been Keith’s. Lee Donahue had led the Strigoi to us. He was a Moroi who’d once been Strigoi. You read "The Golden Lily Chapter 4" in category "Essay examples" After he was returned to his natural state, Lee had wanted desperately to become a Strigoi again. He was the reason we’d learned that those restored by spirit seemed to have some Strigoi resistance. The two Strigoi he’d called to help him had tried to convert him but ended up killing him instead – a better fate than being undead, in my opinion. Those Strigoi had then turned on the rest of us and inadvertently revealed something unexpected and alarming (if not to them, then to me). My blood was inedible. They’d tried to drink from me and been unable to. With all the fallout from that night, no one among the Alchemists or Moroi had paid much attention to that small detail – and I was grateful. I was terrified that one of these days someone would think to put me under a microscope. â€Å"That was a fluke,† said Eddie at last. â€Å"Not one that’s likely to happen again. Now watch the way my leg moves, and remember that a Moroi will probably be taller than you.† He did a demonstration, and I cast a quick look at Jill. Her face was unreadable. She never talked about Lee, whom she’d dated briefly. Micah had gone a long way to distract her on the romantic front, but having your last boyfriend want to become a bloodthirsty monster couldn’t be an easy thing to get over. I had a feeling she was still in pain, even if she did a great job at hiding it. â€Å"You’re too rigid,† Eddie told Angeline, after several attempts. She completely relaxed her body, almost like a marionette. â€Å"So, what? Like this?† He sighed. â€Å"No. You still need some tension.† Eddie moved behind her and attempted to guide her into position, showing her how to bend her knees and hold her arms. Angeline took the opportunity to lean back into him and brush her body suggestively against his. My eyes widened. Okay. Maybe he wasn’t imagining things. â€Å"Hey!† He leapt backwards, a look of horror on his face. â€Å"Pay attention! You need to learn this.† Her expression was pure angelic innocence. â€Å"I am. I’m just trying to use your body to learn what to do with mine.† So help me, she batted her eyelashes. Eddie moved back even farther. I realized I should probably intervene, no matter what Eddie had said about handling his own problems. An even better savior came when the school’s thirty-minute warning bell rang. I jumped up. â€Å"Hey, we should go if we want to get to breakfast in time. Right now.† Angeline gave me a suspicious look. â€Å"Don’t you usually skip breakfast?† â€Å"Yeah, but I’m not the one putting in a hard morning’s work. Besides, you still need to change and – wait, you’re in your uniform?† I hadn’t even noticed. Whenever Eddie and Jill trained, it was always in casual workout clothes – just like he wore now. Angeline had actually come out today in an Amberwood uniform, skirt and blouse, that were showing the wear and tear of a morning’s battle. â€Å"Yeah, so?† She tucked in her blouse where it had started to come undone. The side of it was smudged with dirt. â€Å"You should change,† I said. â€Å"Nah. This is fine.† I wasn’t so sure, but at least it was better than the jean shorts. Eddie did leave to put on his uniform and never came back for breakfast. I knew he liked his breakfasts, and since he was a guy, he could change clothes pretty quickly. My guess was he was sacrificing food to stay away from Angeline. I heard my name called as we entered the cafeteria and caught sight of Kristin Sawyer and Julia Cavendish waving to me. Aside from Trey, they were the two closest friends I’d made at Amberwood. I still had miles to go in ever being socially savvy, but those two had helped me a lot. And with all the supernatural intrigue my job involved, there was something comforting about being around people who were normal†¦ and, well, human. Even if I couldn’t be fully honest with them. â€Å"Sydney, we have a fashion question for you,† Julia said. She tossed her blonde hair over one shoulder, her usual sign that what she was about to say was of utmost importance. â€Å"A fashion question for me?† I was almost ready to glance back and see if maybe there was another Sydney standing behind me. â€Å"I don’t think anyone’s ever asked that.† â€Å"You have really nice clothes,† Kristin insisted. She had dark skin and hair, as well as an athletic air that contrasted with Julia’s more girly nature. â€Å"Too nice, actually. If my mom were ten years younger, cool, and had a lot more money, she’d dress just like you.† I didn’t know if that was a compliment or not, but Julia didn’t give me a chance to ruminate. â€Å"Tell her, Kris.† â€Å"Remember that counseling internship I wanted next semester? I scored an interview,† Kristin explained. â€Å"I’m trying to decide if I should wear pants and a blazer or a dress.† Ah, that explained why they were coming to me. An interview. Anything else they could have pulled from a fashion magazine. And while I could admit that I probably was the authority on such practical matters†¦ well, I was kind of disappointed that was what I’d been summoned for. â€Å"What color are they?† â€Å"The blazer’s red, and the dress is navy.† I studied Kristin, taking in her features. On her wrist was a scar, the remnant of an insidious tattoo I’d helped remove, back when Keith’s shady tattoo ring had run rampant. â€Å"Do the dress. Wait†¦ is it a dress you’d wear to church or to a nightclub?† â€Å"Church,† she said, not sounding happy about it. â€Å"Dress for sure then,† I said. Kristin flashed a triumphant look at Julia. â€Å"See? I told you that’s what she’d say.† Julia looked doubtful. â€Å"The blazer’s more fun. It’s bright red.† â€Å"Yeah, but ‘fun’ isn’t usually what you want to portray at an interview,† I pointed out. It was hard to keep a straight face with their banter. â€Å"At least not for this kind of job.† Julia still didn’t seem convinced, but she also didn’t try to talk Kristin out of my sound fashion advice. A few moments later, Julia perked up. â€Å"Hey, is it true Trey set you up with some guy?† â€Å"I†¦ what? No. Where’d you hear that?† Like I had to ask. She’d undoubtedly heard it from Trey himself. â€Å"Trey said he’d talked to you about it,† said Kristin. â€Å"How this guy’s perfect for you.† â€Å"It’s a great idea, Syd,† said Julia, face as serious as if we were discussing a life or death matter. â€Å"It’d be good for you. I mean, since school started, I’ve gone out with†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused and silently counted out names on her fingers. â€Å"†¦ four guys. You know how many you’ve gone out with?† She held up a fist. â€Å"That many.† â€Å"I don’t need to go out with anyone,† I argued. â€Å"I have enough complications already. I’m pretty sure that would add more.† â€Å"What complications?† laughed Kristin. â€Å"Your awesome grades, killer body, and perfect hair? I mean, okay, your family’s a little out there, but come on, everyone has time for a date now and then – or lots, in Julia’s case.† â€Å"Hey,† said Julia, though she didn’t deny the charge. Kristin pushed forward, making me think she was more suited to a legal internship than a counseling one. â€Å"Skip homework for once. Give this guy a shot, and we can all go out together sometime. It’d be fun.† I gave them a forced smile and murmured something noncommittal. Everyone has time for a date now and then. Everyone but me, of course. I felt a surprising pang of longing, not for a date but just for social interaction. Kristin and Julia went out a lot with a larger group of friends and love interests and often invited me on their outings. They thought my reticence was because of homework or, perhaps, no suitable guy to go with me. I wished it were that simple, and suddenly, it was as though there was a huge chasm separating me from Kristin and Julia. I was their friend, and they had welcomed me to every part of their lives. Meanwhile, I was full of secrets and half truths. Part of me wished I could be open with them and able to confide all the woes of my Alchemist life. Heck, part of me just wished I really could go on one of these outings and let go of my duties for a night. It would never work, of course. We’d be out at a movie, and I’d probably get texted to come cover up a Strigoi slaying. This mood wasn’t uncommon for me, and it began lightening as I started my school day. I fell into the rhythm of my schedule, comfortable in its familiarity. Teachers always assigned the most work over weekends, and I was pleased to be able to turn in all that I’d done on my plane rides. Unfortunately, my last class of the day derailed all the progress of my mood. Actually, class wasn’t the right word. It was an independent study I had with my history teacher, Ms. Terwilliger. Ms. Terwilliger had recently revealed herself to be a magic user, a witch of sorts or whatever those people referred to themselves as. Alchemists had heard rumors of them, but it was nothing we had a lot of experience with or facts about. To our knowledge, only Moroi wielded magic. We utilized it in our lily tattoos – which had trace amounts of vampire blood – but the thought of humans producing it in the same way was crazy and twisted. That was why it was such a surprise when Ms. Terwilliger not only revealed herself to me last month but also ended up kind of tricking me into wielding a spell. It had left me shocked and even feeling dirty. Magic was not for humans to use. We had no right to manipulate the world like that; it was a hundred times worse than what Sonya had done to the red lily on the street. Ms. Terwilliger insisted I had a natural affinity for magic and had offered to train me. Why she wanted this, exactly, I wasn’t sure. She’d gone on and on about the potential I had, but I could hardly believe she’d want to train me without a reason of her own. I hadn’t figured out what that might be, but it didn’t matter. I’d refused her offer. So, she’d found a workaround. â€Å"Miss Melbourne, how much longer do you think you’ll be on the Kimball book?† she called from her desk. Trey had picked up â€Å"Melbourne† from her, but unlike him, she seemed to constantly forget that wasn’t my actual name. She was in her forties, with mousy brown hair and a perpetually cunning glint in her eyes. I looked up from my work, forcing politeness. â€Å"Two more days. Three at most.† â€Å"Make sure to translate all three of the sleep of spells,† she said. â€Å"Each has its own nuances.† â€Å"There are four sleep spells in this book,† I corrected. â€Å"Are there?† she asked innocently. â€Å"I’m glad to see they’re making an impression.† I hid a scowl. Having me copy and translate spell books for research was how she taught me. I couldn’t help but learn the texts as I read them. I hated that I’d been ensnared, but it was too late in the school year to transfer out. Besides, I could hardly complain to the administration that I was being forced to learn magic. So, I dutifully copied her spell books and spoke as little as possible during our time together. Meanwhile, I simmered with resentment. She was well aware of my discomfort but made no attempts to alleviate the tension, leaving us in a stalemate. Only one thing brightened those sessions. â€Å"Look at that. It’s been nearly two hours since my last cappuccino. It’s a wonder I can function. Would you be kind enough to run to Spencer’s? That should finish us out for the day.† The last bell had rung fifteen minutes ago, but I’d been putting in some overtime. I was already closing the spell book before she finished speaking. When I’d begun as her assistant, I’d resented the constant errands. Now, I looked forward to the escape. Not to mention my own caffeine fix. When I reached the coffee shop, I found Trey was just starting his shift, which was great – not just because he was a friendly face, but because it meant discounts. He began making my order before I even placed it since he knew the drill by now. Another barista offered to help, and Trey gave him meticulous instructions on what to do. â€Å"Skinny vanilla latte,† said Trey, grabbing the caramel for Ms. Terwilliger’s cappuccino. â€Å"That’s sugar-free syrup and skim. Don’t mess it up. She can sniff out sugar and 2% milk a mile away.† I suppressed a smile. Maybe I couldn’t reveal Alchemist secrets to my friends, but it was nice to know they at least knew my coffee preferences backwards and forwards. The other barista, who looked to be our age, gave Trey a droll look. â€Å"I’m well aware of what skinny means.† â€Å"Nice attention to detail,† I teased Trey. â€Å"I didn’t know you cared.† â€Å"Hey, I live to serve,† he said. â€Å"Besides, I need your help tonight with that lab write-up from chem. You always find things I miss.† â€Å"It’s due tomorrow,† I chastised. â€Å"You had two weeks. I’m guessing you didn’t get much done in your cheerleader study session.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah. Will you help me out? I’ll even go to your campus.† â€Å"I’ll be up late with a study group – a real one.† The opposite sex was banned from our dorms after a certain hour. â€Å"I could meet you on Central Campus afterward if you want.† â€Å"How many campuses does your school have?† asked the other barista, setting down my latte. â€Å"Three.† I reached eagerly for the coffee. â€Å"Like Gaul.† â€Å"Like what?† asked Trey. â€Å"Sorry,† I said. â€Å"Latin joke.† â€Å"Omnia Gallia in tres partes divisa est,† said the barista. I jerked my head up. Not much could have distracted me from coffee, but hearing Julius Caesar quoted at Spencer’s certainly did. â€Å"You know Latin?† I asked. â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Who doesn’t?† Trey rolled his eyes. â€Å"Only the rest of the world,† he muttered. â€Å"Especially classical Latin,† continued the barista. â€Å"I mean, it’s pretty remedial compared to Medieval Latin.† â€Å"Obviously,† I said. â€Å"Everyone knows that. All the rules became chaotic in the post-Empire decentralization.† He nodded agreement. â€Å"Although, if you compare it to the Romance languages, the rules start to make sense when you read them as part of the larger picture of the language’s evolution.† â€Å"This,† interrupted Trey, â€Å"is the most messed-up thing I’ve ever seen. And the most beautiful. Sydney, this is Brayden. Brayden, Sydney.† Trey rarely used my first name, so that was weird, but not nearly as weird as the exaggerated wink he gave me. I shook Brayden’s hand. â€Å"Nice to meet you.† â€Å"You too,† he said. â€Å"You’re a Classics fan, huh?† He paused, giving me a long, considering look. â€Å"Did you see the Park Theatre Group’s production of Antony and Cleopatra this summer?† â€Å"No. Didn’t even know they performed it.† I suddenly felt kind of lame for not having known that, as though I should be up on all arts and culture events in the greater Palm Springs area. I added by way of explanation, â€Å"I only moved here a month ago.† â€Å"I think they have a couple performances left in the season.† Brayden hesitated once more. â€Å"I’d see it again if you wanted to go. Though I’ll warn you – it’s one of those reinterpreted Shakespeare productions. Modern clothes.† â€Å"I don’t mind. That kind of reinterpretation is what makes Shakespeare timeless.† The words rolled automatically off my lips. As they did, I suddenly had one of those epiphany moments where I realized there was more going on than I’d initially thought. I replayed Brayden’s words. Between that and Trey’s enormous grin, I soon had a startling realization. This was the guy Trey had been telling me about. My â€Å"soul mate.† And he was asking me out. â€Å"This is a great idea,† said Trey. â€Å"You kids should totally go see that play. Make a whole day of it. Grab some dinner and hang out at the library or whatever it is you do for fun.† Brayden met my eyes. His were hazel, almost like Eddie’s but with a little green. Not as much green as Adrian’s, of course. No one’s eyes were that amazingly green. Brayden’s brown hair occasionally picked up glints of gold in the light and was cut in a no-nonsense way that showed off the angles of his cheekbones. I had to admit, he was pretty cute. â€Å"They perform Thursday through Sunday,† he said. â€Å"I’ve got a debate tournament over the weekend†¦ could you do it Thursday night?† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Could I? There was nothing planned, so far as I knew. About twice a week, I took Jill to the home of Clarence Donahue, an old Moroi who had a feeder. Thursday wasn’t a scheduled feeding night, though, and technically I wasn’t obligated to go to experiment nights. â€Å"Of course she’s free,† Trey jumped in before I could even answer. â€Å"Right, Sydney?† â€Å"Yes,† I said, shooting him a look. â€Å"I’m free.† Brayden smiled. I smiled back. Nervous silence fell. He seemed as unsure as I was about how to proceed. I would have thought it was cute, if I wasn’t so worried that I looked ridiculous. Trey elbowed him sharply. â€Å"This is the part where you ask for her number.† Brayden nodded, though he didn’t look like he appreciated the elbowing. â€Å"Right, right.† He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. â€Å"Is it Sydney with a y or i?† Trey rolled his eyes. â€Å"What? I’m guessing the former, but as naming conventions become increasingly untraditional, you never know. I just want to get it right in my phone.† â€Å"I would have done the same thing,† I agreed. I then told him my phone number. He looked up and smiled at me. â€Å"Great. I’m looking forward to it.† â€Å"Me too,† I said, and actually meant it. I left Spencer’s in a daze. I had a date. How on earth did I have a date? Trey hurried out to me a few moments later, catching me as I was unlocking my car. He still wore his barista apron. â€Å"Well?† he asked. â€Å"Was I right, or was I right?† â€Å"About what?† I asked, though I had a feeling I knew what was coming. â€Å"About Brayden being your soul mate.† â€Å"I told you – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know. You don’t believe in soul mates. Still,† he grinned, â€Å"if that guy isn’t perfect for you, then I don’t know who is.† â€Å"Well, we’ll see.† I balanced Ms. Terwilliger’s cup on top of the car, so I could drink from my own. â€Å"Of course, he doesn’t like modern Shakespearean interpretations, so that might be a deal breaker.† Trey stared at me in disbelief. â€Å"Seriously?† â€Å"No,† I said, giving him a look. â€Å"I’m kidding. Well, maybe.† The latte Brayden had made me was pretty good, so I was willing to give him the benefit of a doubt on the Shakespeare thing. â€Å"Why do you care so much about my romantic life anyway?† Trey shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Already, beads of sweat were forming on his tanned skin from the late afternoon sun. â€Å"I don’t know. I guess I feel like I owe you for everything that went down with the tattoos. That and all your homework help.† â€Å"You don’t really need my help with that. And the tattoos†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned, as an image of Keith beating on the glass flashed through my mind. Keith’s vampire blood ring had resulted in high-inducing tattoos that had wreaked havoc on Amberwood. Trey, of course, didn’t know about my personal interest in the matter. He just knew I’d gotten rid of those who were using the tattoos to unfair advantage in sports. â€Å"I did it because it was the right thing to do.† That made him smile. â€Å"Of course. Still, it’s saved me a lot of grief with my dad.† â€Å"I should hope so. You don’t have any competition on the team now. What more could your dad want?† â€Å"Oh, there’s always something else he thinks I could be the best at. It’s not just football.† Trey had hinted at that before. â€Å"I know what that’s like,† I said, thinking of my own father. A moment of silence fell between us. â€Å"It doesn’t help that my perfect cousin’s coming into town soon,† he said finally. â€Å"Makes everything I do look completely lame. You got a cousin like that?† â€Å"Er, not really.† Most of my cousins were on my mom’s side, and my dad tended to shy away from her family. â€Å"You probably are the perfect cousin,† Trey grumbled. â€Å"Anyway, yeah, there’re always these expectations in the family†¦ always these tests. Football’s given me some respectability for now.† He winked at me. â€Å"That and my awesome chem grade.† That last comment wasn’t lost on me. â€Å"Fine. I’ll text you when I get back tonight. We’ll make it happen.† â€Å"Thanks. And I’ll give Brayden a talking-to so he doesn’t try anything on Thursday.† My mind was still full of Latin and Shakespeare. â€Å"Try what?† Trey shook his head. â€Å"Honestly, Melbourne, I don’t know how you’ve survived this long in the world without me.† â€Å"Oh,† I said, blushing. â€Å"That.† Great. Now I had something else to worry about. Trey scoffed. â€Å"Between you and me, Brayden’s probably the last guy in the world you have to worry about. I think he’s as clueless as you are. If I didn’t care about your virtue so much, I’d actually probably give him a lecture on how to try something.† â€Å"Well, thanks for keeping my best interests at heart,† I said dryly. â€Å"I always wanted a brother to watch out for me.† He studied me curiously. â€Å"Don’t you have, like, three brothers?† Oh no. â€Å"Er, I meant figuratively.† I tried not to panic. I rarely slipped up on our background story. Eddie, Adrian, and Keith had all been passed off as my brothers at some point. â€Å"None of them are really that concerned about my dating life. What I’m concerned about, though, is getting into air conditioning.† I opened my car door, and a wave of heat rolled out. â€Å"I’ll talk to you tonight and help you with the lab.† Trey nodded, looking like he wanted to get back inside as well. â€Å"And I’ll help you if you have any more questions about dating.† I hoped my scathing look told him my opinion on that, but once he was gone and I was blasting the car’s air conditioning, my arrogance faded. Anxiety took its place. The question I’d asked myself earlier repeated in my head. How on earth was I going to get through this date alive? How to cite The Golden Lily Chapter 4, Essay examples

Monday, December 9, 2019

Business Law Antitirust Essay Example For Students

Business Law Antitirust Essay Thesis Statement: Technological advancement will restructure business law in America. 3. Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 2.Do antitrust laws pertain to todays technology III. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law A. The Honorable Thomas Penfield Jackson 1. Plaintiffs failed to prove an unlawful tying arrangement in violation of Section One of the Sherman Act 2. Plaintiffs failed to prove that Microsoft entered into unlawful exclusive dealing agreements in violation of Section One of the Sherman Act 3. Microsoft had no duty to pre-disclose information Because the field of Business Law is so great, this paper will examine a single aspect of Business Law, that of antitrust action. Specifically, as it is applied to Microsoft, antitrust litigation is raising eyebrows in both the legal and business worlds. There is a hue and cry that antitrust laws as they exist today have outlived their usefulness when applied to cyber commodities and artificial intelligence. This paper will present those opposing viewpoints and attempt to answer the question: are laws wrought in the industrial age applicable to todays technology? And if so, is the antitrust challenge to Microsoft the tip of the iceberg in Business Law reformation? Antitrust law attempts to ensure that market competition is protected from an organization or cartel with a monopoly on a given product. Much of antitrust enforcement tries to create a balance between the benefits of coordination and consolidation, such as efficiencies that reduce price or improve quality, and the detriments of market power that can lead to higher prices or reduced innovation. Corporate trusts grew rapidly in the US from 1880 to 1905, creating the atmosphere for President Theodore Roosevelt to launch his now famous trust busting campaigns. The era of antitrust legislation stems from the Sherman Act of 1890. The antitrust laws were based on the constitutional power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce. It declared illegal every contract, combination, or conspiracy in restraint of interstate and foreign trade. The Sherman Act makes monopolization illegal. The two elements of monopolization are: (1) the possession of monopoly power in the relevant market and (2) the willful acquisition or maintenance of the power as distinguished from growth or development as a consequence of a superior product, business acumen, or historical accident. 1 The Sherman Act was designed to eliminate restraints on trade and competition. It is the main source of antitrust law. While the Sherman Act provided protection against monopolies, Congress determined that it wasnt quite comprehensive in its self. It was supplemented in 1914 by the Clayton Antitrust Act, which prohibited exclusive sales contracts, inter-corporate stockholdings, and unfair price-cutting to freeze out competitors. The Clayton Act of 1914 makes price discrimination illegal, forbids tying arrangements involving only goods and makes anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions illegal. The Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts were made to promote competition between companies making similar products.2 To assure the effectiveness of these laws, the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 established the body of overseers that govern unfair and unlawful trade practices. The provision surrounding unfair price cutting was strengthened under the terms of the Robinson-Patman Act of 1936. 3 There have been many amendments to these laws over the years. An early federal success came with the Supreme Court decision of 1911 that forced the giant Standard Oil Company to split up into independent entities. 4 Antitrust action declined in the 1920s, but was vigorously resumed in the 1930s under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Antitrust legislation held firm for several decades. The Tunney Act of 1974 established public notice and judicial oversight procedures regarding consent decrees entered into by the government to settle antitrust cases. 5 antitrust enforcement was again de-emphasized in the 1980s under Presidents Reagan and Bush. The growth of huge conglomerates that control multiple companies has hindered the enforcement of antitrust legislation. .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 , .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 .postImageUrl , .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 , .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0:hover , .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0:visited , .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0:active { border:0!important; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0:active , .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0 .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u857ec3b5532858d91f36be75c9135ee0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ww1 From Begining To The Us Enters Essay With growing unpopularity, antitrust laws have been criticized for hindering the ability of US corporations to compete internationally. There has also been extreme impact on US shores. The Microsoft Antitrust Suit has not only rocked the company, but the entire computer industry, the stock market, and the US justice system as well. Back in 1975, an intense, visionary man who co-owned a small firm in a budding industry imagined a future where people at every .

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Common Law In Jurisdiction Of New Zealand â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Common Law In Jurisdiction Of New Zealand? Answer: Introducation Given the transcendent and wandering attribute of water, which in many respects is akin to elements such as wind and light, legal regimes have been reluctant to accord private property rights to running water.[1] This paper discusses the extent to which water is considered as property under English Common Law in the jurisdiction of New Zealand. The first part of the article examines the legal position of water as property under Common Law. The second part of this paper investigates the extent to which water is property under statutory law and the third part deals with the manner in which New Zealand Courts have dealt with the issue. The fourth part of the paper comprises a comparative analysis of how various countries have dealt with the above question. Background In 1983, the Poroti Springs of New Zealand ran dry and as a result, the koura died, the eels vanished and the watercress ceased to grow.[2] Consequently, the kaitaki locals belonging to the sacred Northland Springs effectively lost their traditional source of food and their life force (mauri). The persons culpable for the above were the Whangarei City Council, who, being unable to access the springhead since it was on Maori territory, decided to drill directly into the aquifer upstream. The result was that so much water was sucked out that, even though the water was seemingly unending, it eventually ran out.[3] With this, Kirsty in her article explains that the battle for water and the arguments for water rights in New Zealand have reached boiling point. Who owns water? Is water capable of being owned? The following discourse is an attempt at answering the questions. The Concept of Property with respect to Water Rights Water rights, in many jurisdictions, have long been considered as an ancillary constituent of land tenure rights. Under this conception, the right to utilize water is usually dependent upon the existence of a right of tenure in land.[4] Water rights, in contrast to land rights, have ranked much lower in popularity profile. This is partly due to the fact that although water is requisite for the most productivity in land, water rights are not necessarily so. Taking the example of agricultural land for instance, for temperate zones, rainfall is usually sufficient to water crops and as such, the need for irrigation is obviated. Water rights are therefore unnecessary in such a case. The cased is different in urban and semi-urban regions as land receives treated water through piped water supply systems. Although the supplier needs to hold water rights for the water he abstracts from the natural source, the users in urban houses depend on the statutory duty owed to them by the supplier and not on water rights. In general, people who dwell in urban areas are usually less concerned with water rights save for huge industrial enterprise operators such as power plants and factories. Such enterprises usually have their own water rights. It is important to note at the foremost that the term water rights must be distinguished from rights to water, which is a putative human right contained in legal instruments.[5] Water rights instead refer to the extraction of water from the natural environment for use. Essentially, water rights are legal rights to dam, use or abstract water from a natural source. Further, however, to the entitlement to a mere quantity of water, the flow of that water is also a salient attribute to water rights.[6] Natural sources of water include lakes, rivers and streams. A natural source would also include water that is dammed from a river, a reservoir and a pond or swamp. Mush of the historical record has focused on the rights of abstracting water from these natural sources. Furthermore, groundwater is another kind of natural source of water important to the present discourse that has special features in the legal regime. It is important to note in passing that water rights are usually and mostly obtained to abstract water for the purposes of domestic and industrial use such as irrigation, drinking, power plant cooling among other uses. With respect to the legal form of water rights, they are created by operation of law, although this varies across jurisdictions (as seen below in the comparative analysis section where the Western States of the USA use the prior appropriation doctrine).[7] In the modern world, water rights are created based on legislative instruments given by governmental agencies charged with the responsibility of managing water resources.[8] Legislation variously describes such instruments as concessions, consents, authorizations, permissions and licenses. With regard to the substance of water rights, they are said to be usufructory or administrative use rights.[9] Are water rights, therefore, property rights? They arguably are water rights despite the fact that they come into being by permit from regulatory or administrative procedures.[10] Intellectual property rights, after all, are also created by administrative procedure, such as patents and trademarks. What is important to note is that although water rights are obtained through administrative or public law based on statute, they possess numerous private property rights attributes (similar to rights in land tenure). Before underscoring the above attributes, it is important to note that modern water rights that are based on statute are pinned on the hydrologic cycle concept. This is the idea that the natural state of water is usually in continuous motion. In effect, therefore, other issues affecting watercourses cannot be isolated from the issuance of water rights and are usually considered together.[11] Accordingly, numerous activities may negatively impact on the flow and quality of water and necessarily, on the water rights existing. These include, but are not limited to extraction of minerals from the water, alterations to banks and beds and diversions of the water. In order for a regime of administrative rights over water to be established, a state must bring the waters under its control. This is achieved through a plethora of varying legal means such as taking water resources under the sovereign right of a state, vesting of water in the presidency on the peoples behalf and by declaration of ownership by the state.[12] The implication of such ownership and control of water is that it applies to all water resources within a countrys jurisdiction including rainwater, groundwater and surface water. This, as contrasted with land tenure rights, hence, excludes the notion that water can genuinely be privately owned. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that water laws essentially provide certain exemptions for uses that would normally necessitate water rights. Sometimes, these entitlements are termed as rights in legislation. For instance, Article 13 of the Albanian Water Law states that the right to freely use surface water for domestic use, livestock watering and drinking belongs to everyone provided that such use does not exceed household and individual needs. In making these entitlements factors such as volume of water to be used and the kinds of activities are considered. Taking the example of Spain, such uses are categorized as common uses and involve watering livestock, bathing, drinking among other domestic uses.[13] In the Saskatchewan province of Canada, exemptions are made based on the size of the parcel that needs watering. At this point, it is important to compare land tenure rights with water rights in order to further clearly understand to what extent water is considered as property. The differences between land rights and water rights obviously emanate from their physical attributes. Land is fixed and immovable while water is mobile, fluid and therefore fugitive in nature. Consequently, land rights are easily conseptualised, established and administered from a legal standpoint compared to water rights. Security A key purpose of tenure rights in general is to confer upon the right holder, a level of legal security to secure favourable conditions for the utility of the resource. For land, the duration of a term may either be limited (as is the case for leases) or unlimited. With water rights, however, the trend in modern times is to limit the time, although certain jurisdictions entertain indefinite durations in water rights.[14] These rights are known as use rights. As will be discussed below in the next section, ownership of flowing water has never been deemed as feasible in the traditions of European water law. With regard to duration of water rights, authorities are required to strike balances between lengthy and short periods in order to maximize on income and investment. For ordinary projects, the term may range from 15-20 years while for colossal projects, the terms may range from 50 to 70 years.[15] With regard to enforcement of water rights against third parties, it is generally difficult to ascertain who is interfering with the water and as such the duty usually lies on the state rather than the rights holder. As regards enforcement against the government, water legislations usually contain regulations. However, it is important to note that water is fluid and not as immovable as land. It is subject to climatic changes and weather. Hence, water legislation will normally contain waivers in cases of force majeure. Also issues such as public interest may sometimes override personal property rights in water.[16] Substance There is never absoluteness in legal rights and water and land are not an exception. In general, holders of land tenure rights usually enjoy the most rights and the fewest obligations. In water rights, however, modern water rights legislation usually contain provisions that require the continued use of the same. Failure to abide by these rules may lead to forfeiture of the rights.[17] Specific use is another key obligation in water legislation. This means that once water rights are obtained, they are supposed to be used for a specific parcel of land.[18] Administration The only similar attribute between land and water administration regimes is that both utilize registers. Otherwise, water rights administration is complex. Since land is fixed and movable, measuring and monitoring it is a fairly easy task. Measuring water rights on the other hand is a relatively complicated exercise that requires continued activity. To ensure that water rights are substantive in con tent, water rights administrations are required to monitor not only the quantities of water in watercourses but also the quality (with regard to solid and liquid waste). Therefore, for administrations to effectively allocate water rights, careful and rigorous planning and continuous monitoring of river and lake basins is required. Common Law As noted earlier in the introduction, Common Law has not acknowledged, in the corpus running of water, private property. [19] The Common Law position is that no individual owns water that is naturally flowing. At Common Law, the rights of land owners to take and utilize water flowing under or over their land (which had not yet entered a lake or waterway), were subjected to certain restrictions.[20] Also, Common Law took cognizance of the rights of riparian landowners to take and utilize water in lakes and waterways.[21] This kind of water is not susceptible of ownership by an individual until the same has validly been taken under the said Common Law rights. That water then becomes the property of the person who takes. The Common Law Doctrine of Riparian Rights The doctrine of riparian rights is basically anchored upon the premise that any individual with ownership and occupation to land that borders a natural stream acquires rights to use the water. Such rights are usually referred to as riparian rights.[22] The riparian owner acquires those rights by virtue of their occupation of the said land. It is noteworthy that riparian rights are appurtenant to, incidental to or attached to riparian land. This was the position that was firmly settled in the case of Chasemore v Richards.[23] For riparian rights to actually accrue to a proprietor, it is essential for the land to be in actual contact with the watercourse, whether vertically or laterally. In the case of Attwood v Llay Main Collieries Ltd[24], Lawrence, J held that the defendants land was too far away from the river bank to sustain riparian rights claim. The learned judge held that whether a land parcel sustains a riparian tenement is a question of fact which is determined on a case by c ase basis. Justice Lawrence further held that although the riparian rights of a proprietor whose land banks upon a tidal river exist jure naturae, it is imperative for the land to be in contact with the river during its ordinary high tides.[25] A proprietor may only attain riparian rights where the water is in a natural watercourse which flows in an ascertained and defined channel ex jure naturae, either below or upon the ground surface.[26] It follows, therefore, that the doctrine of riparian rights has no application in certain circumstances, which are enumerated as follows.[27] Firstly, the doctrine has no application where the surface water flows over an undefined region. Secondly, where there is percolation of underground water through the strata in unidentified and unknown channels, then riparian rights do not accrue. Lastly, a plain and artificial watercourse whose origin and purpose of being built is not known and has gained the character of a natural watercourse over time does not attain riparian rights.[28] In Embery v Owen, Parke B gave a classical dictum that amply defines the context and substance of riparian rights in the following words: The right to have a stream flow in its natural state, without diminution or alteration, is an incident of property in the land through which it passes; but flowing water is publici juris, not in the sense that it is a bonum vacans, to which the first occupant may acquire an exclusive right, but that it is public and common in this sense only, that all may reasonably use it who have a right of access to it, and that none can have any property in the water itself, except in the particular portion which he may choose to abstract from the stream and take into his possession, and that during the time of his possession only. But each proprietor of the adjacent land has the right to the usufruct of the stream which flows through it. With respect to riparian entitlement, every riparian owner is entitled to the stream water on the banks of the river upon which his property lies in the natural flow of the river without sensible increase of diminution and without sensible alteration to the waters quality or character.[29] The implication of this is that a riparian owner may take legal action against persons who pollute the water that runs through his land. The other implication is that statutory bodies that are aware of the pollution and fail to warn the riparian owner may be liable.[30] Indeed, rights go hand in hand with obligations so that those rights do not occasion injury to others. Accordingly, riparian owners also owe obligations, as was held in the case of Mason v Hill.[31] In that decision, Lord Denman stated that the proprietor of a land through which a stream flows has the right to utilize it in a manner that is not inconsistent with other equal proprietors above or below. Hence, the quality and quantity of the water must not be diminished by the riparian proprietors either below or above the stream. With regard to exercise of riparian rights, Common Law recognizes that a riparian proprietor has the right to use, divert or abstract for ordinary or extraordinary uses. In general, ordinary use of the water relates to domestic utility while extraordinary use relates to damming[32], irrigation[33] and manufacturing[34]. It is important to note that at Common Law, lakes are treated same as waterways. Where the land that surrounds a lake is owned by a single owner, then the lakebed is owned by that landowner. Where several landowners abut a lake, it is presumed that the lake bed is owned ad medium filum aquae by the various riparian owners.[35] This general presumption does not seem to apply to New Zealand lakes since the Courts have not clearly established the same. Commentators have expressed doubt as to whether the ad medium filum aquae presumption applies to lakes in New Zealand.[36] However, with regard to water that flows in waterways, the Common Law position is that water in a l ake cannot be owned by anyone. In summary, the above section has enumerated the riparian rights doctrine in a bid to explain the extent to which water is property. From the above, it may be deduced that a riparian owner is entitled to having the water flowing down to his property and enjoying the water in its natural state. The next section discusses statutory law with respect to the extent to which water is considered as property in New Zealand. Statutory and Case Law In New Zealand, all rights to water under Common Law were extinguished by virtue of statutory law and the sole right to discharge into, divert, use, dam and take natural water was forthwith vested in the Crown.[37] Section 354 of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) further reiterates the above position. This position was also affirmed in the authoritative pronunciation of Glenmark Homestead Ltd v. North Canterbury Catchment Board.[38] Sections 14 and 15 of the RMA provides for restrictions on the taking, using and discharging into water unless it is permitted as of right. The law prohibits taking, using and discharging into water save by express authorization of resource consent or other regional rule or plan.[39] It is important to note that the above provisions do not alter the position that no individual can own water itself. The RMA vests unitary authorities and regional councils with the primary responsibility of management of New Zealand freshwater. Hence, those provisions g ive the said bodies power to allocate the use of water among various competing uses such as irrigation, recreation, environmental utility and hydropower usages. The overall effect of the Act is to prevent over-allocation of water as a resource. These bodies give water permits that are usually given consideration in order of who applies.[40] Once a water permit has been issued, a subsequent one cannot issue if the effect thereof would reduce the amount of water required to satisfy the previous consent.[41] Hence, once a catchment is fully allocated, newcomers must either acquire the water permit by transfer of the same of wait out for the current permit to expire. Customary versus Crown Rights to Water In New Zealand, the Maori aver that they have existing customary or aboriginal title to water and that neither statutory nor Common Law abolishes those rights.[42] The New Zealand Court of Appeal has affirmed how the doctrine of Aboriginal title under Common Law applies. Cooke, P of the Court observed that Aboriginal title is a succinct expression that covers rights enjoyed by the indigenous inhabitants of a state over water and land up until it is colonized. The colonizing authority, upon acquiring the territory, whether by annexation, cession, or settlement, acquires radical title that stems from sovereignty. In the case where that authority colonizing is the United Kingdom, then the title is vested in the Crown. However, where there are no special circumstances that displace that principle, that title is subjected to native rights that exist.[43] In other words, the Crown, by virtue of its sovereignty, can extinguish Aboriginal title to water and where that title has not been abol ished, customary title continues to exist provided the relevant communities continue to observe their customs. Indeed, Aboriginal title is recognized by Common Law. However, the specific incidents or attributes of that customary title is dependent not on Common Law but on the indigenous communitys traditions. The extent and type of traditions are matters of fact and are determined on a case by case basis.[44] Accordingly, although ownership of flowing water is not recognized under Common Law, this does not mean that it does not acknowledge customary title, which is similar to ownership. In summary, from the above, ground and surface water is publicly owned in New Zealand. However, for one to divert, discharge, dam or take the water, consent is required. There have been ongoing reforms by the government to review freshwater policy. The government has mandated Regional Councils to set up frameworks and limits for the management of watercourses. Comparative Analysis The United States of America (Oregon) In the United States State of Oregon, the prior appropriation system is used for the apportionment of water for consumption.[45] First come, first right are the words that are used to characterize the system. The system vests in the appropriator a water right temporary in priority, and accords seniority to older rights and junior status to those established more recently.[46] In and of itself, a water right is considered as property but ownership of the water is not a constituent of these rights. A private person only obtains ownership of the water after it is captured. The general rule in the US is that once a person lawfully captures water, it becomes the property of that person subject to the States police power.[47] Before it is captured, surface water from all supply sources is the publics property. Accordingly, contrary to popular belief, all the water in Oregon is not owned by the public. Consequent to the lawful capture of water, it becomes the property of the captor, who is entitled to sell or resell it provided the sale or resale is subject to the conditions of capture or appropriation. Since water that has been captured is the property of the captor, the government must follow the due process of just compensation and the law in the event it seeks to deprive the property owner.[48] This means that the State has the power of regulating how the water is used no matter who the owner is. In flowing streams, the public owns the surface water and have certain rights to utilize the water for common fisheries, transportation and navigation. Public rights are termed as jus publicum and the state holds them as public trust. The law of percolating ground water is more difficult. In Oregon, such water is the property of the surface owner as long as it remains grounded.[49] Such water is regulated by the police power of the State of Oregon.[50] In Australia, legislation vest in the Crown the right to control, use and flow water. These legislation provide for the domestic utility of water where the public has access, redefines and declares riparian rights, establishes licensing schemes for utility of water and proscribe the taking or diverting of water without license.[51] The Courts in Australia have held that native title to water is not necessarily extinguished by legislation although the Crown has supervening rights by virtue of the legislation.[52] The Australian situation differs from the one in New Zealand since the right to use, divert, take and dam water is solely vested in the Crown by virtue of section 354 of the WSCA. The Australian legislation does not contain the word sole. Conclusion This paper has discussed the extent to which water is seen as property. At the onset, the article has established that due to the fugitive attribute of water, ownership over it is difficult to establish. However, this paper has determined that in many jurisdictions, water rights are usufructory in nature, meaning that they are largely use rights and therefore limited. Evermore, this study has found that in the Western States of the American jurisdiction, water captured becomes the property of the captor based on the prior appropriation doctrine. In conclusion therefore, water is property to the extent that permits or rights are obtained over it or in some instances, to the extent that it has been captured. While water rights are fairly complex, they must necessarily be categorised as property rights due to their ability to confer legal rights upon their holders. References A Wisdom, The Law of Rivers and Watercourses, 2nd ed (Shaw Sons Ltd, London 1970) Atkins, H and Wilson, K. Water in Crisis: Improving Water Allocation and Water Pollution Policy in New Zealand. Resource Management Journal (April 2007) pp. 18-22 Bartlett, R. Native Title in Australia. 2nd edn. (LexisNexis Butterworths, Australia 2004). Cloran, William F. The Ownership of Water in Oregon: Public Property vs. Private Commodity.Willamette L. Rev.47 (2010): 627 Forbes, Urquhart Atwell.Coulson and Forbes on the law of waters, sea, tidal and inland, and land drainage. Sweet Maxwell, 1952 G Bates, Environmental Law in Australia, 3rd ed (Butterworths, Sydney 1992), at p 34 Gibbs, Meredith, Blake Dawson, and April Bennett. Maori claims to ownership of freshwater. human Resource Management Journal(2007): 13-18 Hobday, S. Coulson and Forbes on the Law of Waters.Sea, Tidal and Inland and Drainage (6th ed, 1952) Hodgson, Stephen.Land and Water--the Rights Interface. No. 84. Food Agriculture Org., 2004 Kalinoe, Lawrence Kuna. Water law and the nature of customary water rights in Papua New Guinea. (1998) p.1 Kirsty Johnston, The War for Water: A Battle at Boiling Point (22 May, 2017). Available at https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1objectid=11859193. [Accesses on 11th September, 2017] Pita R Sharples, 'Speech: Sharples Federated Farmers AGMSpeech' (4 May2007) S Clark and I Renard, The Framework of Australian Water Legislation And Private Rights (Australian Water Research Council, Melbourne 1972), Vol 1 at pp 51-55 Sax, Joseph L. "The constitution, property rights and the future of water law."U. Colo. l. Rev.61 (1990): 257. In the American water rights context, Joseph Sax opines that although they are created by permit, they are undoubtedly property rights Schroder, M. On the Crest of a Wave: Indigenous Title and Claims to the Water Resources. New Zealand Journal of Environmental Law. Vol.8 (2005): 1-54 W Howarth, Wisdoms Law of Watercourses, 5th ed (Shaw Sons Ltd, Crayford 1992) Statutes Albanian Water Law Constitution of South Africa German Water Law Ground Water Act of 1955, OR. REV. STAT. 537.505-537.795 (2009) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966 and General Comment 15 on the Covenant Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967, New Zealand Water Resources Act of 1963, England and Wales Cases Aoraki Water Trust v. Meridian Energy Limited [2005] NZLR 268 Attwood v Llay Main Collieries Ltd [1926] 1 Ch 445 Bailey Co v Clark, Son Morland [1902] 1 Ch 649 Belfast Ropeworks v Boyd (1887) 21 LR Ir 560 Chasemore v Richards (1859) 7 HL Cas 349, 11 ER 140 at 153 Dakin v Cornish (1845) 6 Ex 360 Embrey v Owen (1851) 155 ER 579 Glenmark Homestead Ltd v. North Canterbury Catchment Board [1978] 1 NZLR 401 (CA) John Young and Co v Bankier Distillery Co Ltd [1893] AC 691 Mason v Hill (1833) 5 B Ad 1, 110 ER 692 Te Runanga o Te Ika Whenua Inc Soc v Attorney General [1994] 2 NZLR 20, 23-24 (CA [1] S Clark and I Renard, The Framework of Australian Water Legislation And Private Rights (Australian Water Research Council, Melbourne 1972), Vol 1 at pp 51-55. [2] Kirsty Johnston, The War for Water: A Battle at Boiling Point (22 May, 2017). Available at https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1objectid=11859193. [Accesses on 11th September, 2017]. [4] Hodgson, Stephen.Land and Water--the Rights Interface. No. 84. Food Agriculture Org., 2004. [5] See Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966 and General Comment 15 on the Covenant. See also Article 24 of the Constitution of South Africa. [6] Supra note 4, at p.14. [7] Supra note 4, at p.15. [8] Water Administration is the term that is mostly used to refer to those bodies. [9] Supra note 4, at p.16. [10] Sax, Joseph L. "The constitution, property rights and the future of water law."U. Colo. l. Rev.61 (1990): 257. In the American water rights context, Joseph Sax opines that although they are created by permit, they are undoubtedly property rights. [11] Supra note 4, at p.16. [12] Supra note 4, at p.18. [13] Supra note 4, at p.18. [14] See the Water Resources Act of 1963, England and Wales. [15] Supra note 4, at p.21. [16] Supra note 4, at p.21. [17]See the German Water Law. [18] Supra note 4, at p.27. [19] Kalinoe, Lawrence Kuna. Water law and the nature of customary water rights in Papua New Guinea. (1998) p.1. [20] Gibbs, Meredith, Blake Dawson, and April Bennett. Maori claims to ownership of freshwater.Resource Management Journal(2007): 13-18. [21] Ibid. [22] Supra note 16, at 99. [23] (1859) 7 HL Cas 349, 11 ER 140 at 153. Where Lord Wensleydale held that, The subject of rights to streams of water flowing on the surface has been of late years fully discussed, and, by a series of carefully considered judgements, placed on a clear and satisfactory footing. It has been settled that the right to the enjoyment of a natural stream of water on the surface, ex jure naturae, belongs to the proprietor of the adjoining lands, as a natural incident to the right to the soil itself, and that he is entitled to the benefit of it, as he is to all the other advantages belonging to the land of which he is the owner. He has the right to have it come to him in its natural state, in flow, quantity and quality, and to go from him without obstruction, upon the same principle that he is entitled to the support of his neighbours soil for his own in its natural state. His right in no way depends upon prescription or the presumed grant of his neighbour. [24] [1926] 1 Ch 445. [25] W Howarth, Wisdoms Law of Watercourses, 5th ed (Shaw Sons Ltd, Crayford 1992), at pg 68. [26] Hobday, S. Coulson and Forbes on the Law of Waters.Sea, Tidal and Inland and Drainage (6th ed, 1952), at p.130. [27] See Wisdom, A. The Law of Rivers and Watercourses, 2nd ed (Shaw Sons Ltd, London 1970), at p 85. [28] See Bailey Co v Clark, Son Morland [1902] 1 Ch 649. [29] See John Young and Co v Bankier Distillery Co Ltd [1893] AC 691 at 698. [30] G Bates, Environmental Law in Australia, 3rd ed (Butterworths, Sydney 1992), at p 34. [31] (1833) 5 B Ad 1, 110 ER 692 at 698. [32] Belfast Ropeworks v Boyd (1887) 21 LR Ir 560. [33] Embrey v Owen (1851) 155 ER 579. [34] Dakin v Cornish (1845) 6 Ex 360. [35] Forbes, Urquhart Atwell.Coulson and Forbes on the law of waters, sea, tidal and inland, and land drainage. Sweet Maxwell, 1952. [36] Schroder, M. On the Crest of a Wave: Indigenous Title and Claims to the Water Resources. New Zealand Journal of Environmental Law. Vol.8 (2005): 1-54. [37] See the Water and Soil Conservation Act 1967, New Zealand, section 21. [38] [1978] 1 NZLR 401 (CA). [39] See 14(3) (b)-(e). [40] Atkins, H and Wilson, K. Water in Crisis: Improving Water Allocation and Water Pollution Policy in New Zealand. Resource Management Journal (April 2007) pp. 18-22. [41] See Aoraki Water Trust v. Meridian Energy Limited [2005] NZLR 268, at para. 62. [42] Pita R Sharples, 'Speech: Sharples Federated Farmers AGMSpeech' (4 May2007). [43] Te Runanga o Te Ika Whenua Inc Soc v Attorney General [1994] 2 NZLR 20, 23-24 (CA). [44] Supra, note 5 at p.6. [45] Cloran, William F. The Ownership of Water in Oregon: Public Property vs. Private Commodity.Willamette L. Rev.47 (2010): 627. [46] Ibid. [47] Ibid. [48] Ibid, at p. 669. [49] Ibid, at p. 628. [50] Ground Water Act of 1955, OR. REV. STAT. 537.505-537.795 (2009). [51] Bartlett, R. Native Title in Australia. 2nd edn. (LexisNexis Butterworths, Australia 2004), at p. 632. [52] Ibid.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Theological Ethics free essay sample

The questions are in red, and the answers are in black Question 1 The nature of Theological Ethics is often misunderstood. Describe some common misunderstandings concerning what theological Ethics involves. Also provide a valid definition of Theological Ethics (33 marks) (600 words) Answer Theological ethics basically is a combination of all ethical concerns and most ethics are action based. Theological ethics encompass various religious beliefs and ideals; forever the term theological refers mainly to the Christian beliefs and understandings. This is not to say that other religious or philosophical beliefs and ideas are wrong, we should certainly look at them to gain knowledge of other cultures and religions ideas of morality in order for us to understand how and why various societies and people act in certain ways. Most people believe that theological ethics are taken directly from the Bible and it is either right or wrong according to the scriptures. There are people who believe that Christianity is the only religion and eek to convert as many people as possible to Christianity, however although they are passionate about their cause they can actually land up doing more harm than good in the zealousness as their passion can often be misguide and misconstrued by other faiths causing conflict. We will write a custom essay sample on Theological Ethics or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are various misconception one being that Witnessing is converting people to the Christian religion. This is certainly not true because Christians cannot convert people, only God can cause a change of mind and heart. Also nowhere in the Bible does it say the Jesus says the Christians must convert people to his religion. He says to share the good news and to and ask people to follow him Secondly it is wrong to tell people that they are morally corrupt if they do not believe in the Christian God. All of humanity has moral standards based on various beliefs, followings and laws. Most people are taught right from wrong at an early age and carry this on throughout their lives. They are not sinners and do not need to be saved by embracing someone elses religious beliefs. Therefore Christianity is not morally superior to other religions and the non-religious. There are those who believe that Christianity is the only true religion and all other religions must therefore be false. This is impossible to prove. Religions are all different in their belief and practices and not one can decree that one is truer than the others. History would show that Christianity in the past has in fact practiced oppressing and defeating others which actually casts a rather bad light on Christianity being more truthful than other religions. The most common misconception, no doubt involves the threat that those who do not believe, will be dammed. They are threatened with words form people who say things like If you die today without being saved, you will spend eternity in hell. Only Heaven or Hell. Putting the fear of God into people by forcing people to become Christian so that they can escape the place called hell in order to get into a place called heaven is not what it meaner to follow Christ. It seems that Jesus has a clear message for people to follow, and that is to be his witnesses, and love and honor and respect ones fellow human beings. Question 2 Outline and evaluate the ethical approaches or theories of any two of the allowing: 0 Aristotle 0 Augustine of Hippo 0 Existentialism 0 Kant 0 Karl Birth (33 Marks((600 Words) Answer For this question, I have chosen to evaluate Aristotle and Kant. Most ethical theories are action- based, however Aristotle ethics are not. Philosophers like Kant would as ask What ought I to do in this situation? , while Aristotle would ask What kind of character do I want to have? Therefore Aristotle ethics are is character-based, I. . Character is the basis of action. Aristotle simply says that an ethical man will automatically know what is right or wrong in a situation ND will if necessary adjust his thinking bases on whatever situation he may find himself in. However Aristotle does explore his conception of goal of the ethical life, which is demoniac, or human wellbeing. He believes that in order to lead an ethical life you need to have both moral and intellectual virtue. Quite simply r eality is seen in the categories of either accidents or substance. There is a theoretical science which has the purpose of obtaining the truth and the productive science which makes things useful and beautiful. Logic, the basis for Aristotle ethics, is the study f these sciences, and logic therefore teaches one how to reason and gain knowledge. For Aristotle ethics is a discipline that is to do with practice. Therefore he says that some practices are good for us and they enable us to fulfill our nature. Right is therefore determined by actions that result in a good ending and wrong would result in bad ending. Aristotle believes that ethics takes us to the highest good, I. E. Happiness. If we have good moral virtue we form a good character which leads us to become exceptionally virtuous as a person and in our day to day lives. The question would be What is the best person to be? 2 Virtue cannot exist if there is no ability to make the right choices that also must avoid both excess and defect. Emmanuel Kant bases morality on rational principles of duty rather than on the consequences of our actions. He believes that the existence of God cant be proven, however for the purpose of morality it must be assumed as necessary. Religion is therefore defined the individuals obedience for their own moral duty. He has a very critical system of philosophy which states that the individual is supreme, and those communities, and also religions must be rejected in favor of the individual needs. I. E. Not for the good of mankind, but for self- preservation. A person must do what reason requires at a minimum, not having inconsistent or self-contradictory policies. Morally Kant believes we are all equal. No one is privileged. The only things which any person can be held accountable for are those this which are under our own control. We cannot control the consequences of would be What ought I to do? People can have courage and virtue etc. But still to be good person. In order for a person to be morally good, he must have a good will. Just because a person has natural or social advantage like wealth and education or virtues like friendliness and courage it does NOT mean that they are a good person. One of Cants ideals basically implies that you should treat people the way you would want to be treated, which is certainly a moral ethic to follow where you are religious or not. These philosophers both differ in their philosophies, however many of their theories are adopted as moral ethics in society today. Question 3 Moral formation upends on the influence of internal and external factors. Describe how these factors have contributed to your own moral formation. Answer The Oxford dictionary definition for morality is:- noun (plural moralities) [mass noun] principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior:the matter boiled down to simple morality: innocent prisoners ought to be freed 0 [count noun] a particular system of values and principles of conduct:a bourgeois morality 0 the extent to which an action is right or wrong:the issue of the morality of the possession of nuclear weapons But how as individuals do we attain our own moral code or code of ethics and can it be modified based on circumstance, but still stand up to modern ethical norms? As children we are taught right from wrong by our parents, families and society as a whole. This is the acceptable level of morals held by the people in our lives. There morals may have been determine by different or the same factors as ours, but I find that each person although accepting of the norm of ethics will generally take them and adjust them to fill their lifestyles. I think I work on a background or sub- unconscious moral code. Situational awareness is needed daily. Your morals will determine how you act in a given situation We all know it is morally wrong to lie, however I found myself lying to protect other people. We had an armed robbery in our home while I was hosting a book club. We were held at gunpoint by four men and everyone except me was cable tied together and we rob of Jewelry and handbags, TVs and laptops were taken too. I was asked if there was anyone else in the house and all moral dilemmas went out the window I LIED and said no knowing that my arent were in their section of the house which is blocked off from the main house. Then I was asked, Where is the money and where is the safe, and again I LIED, and Somehow they believed me and left a short time later. The scary part for me was that everyone else had believed me too. Knowing that I could lie so blatantly, would they ever believe anything I said again or would they applaud the moral stand that I took. I still wonder. But I know this, if it happened again I would do exactly the same because for me at the time it was the right Imorally right thing to do. Where is that oral line? In a TV show the other night the character said they r would not hesitate to murder someone if they thought it was necessary to protect their family. I wonder about that, would I do the same if I really needed to protect myself or someone I cared about. I respect life and personal liberty and I am not one to hurt even insects if I dont need to, but I do what needs doing. I think that is what anyone or any animal at all for that matter would do. Further, I could never trust someone who could not. I dont question ethical morals as I believe that everyone is entitled to their own levels.