Jews and Christians

Jews and Christians Linda’s point of view may seem quite radical, but is understandable. The Pharisees were hostile to Christ as they even planned for his death. They constantly accused Jesus of breaking the law and committing blasphemous acts.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Jews and Christians specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even after crucifying Christ, mainstream Jews continued to excommunicate early Christians because they branded them as enemies of Judaism. While these goings-on occurred during Jesus’ time and a few years later, Christians who adopt a similar stance today would be doing the same thing that the Jews did to them. Anti-Semitic sentiments in Christian circles do not reflect Christ’s teaching of love and acceptance of others. If Linda leaves these sentiments unchecked, then they could lead to dangerous consequences among Jews. The Crusaders murdered and oppressed the Jews i n 1096. This was a Christian group of missionaries who declared war against God’s chosen people. A dditionally, the 4th Lutheran Council of 1215 was a Roman Church that shunned and marginalized Jews. Even Martin Luther, founder of the Protestant Movement, spoke radically against the Jews and branded them liars. While Pharisees and Jews treated Jesus in a cruel way, Christians today must be careful about replicating the same behavior. Uncontrolled resentment against Judaism could lead to oppressive or even violent situations. Linda’s perceptions of Judaism and Jews are slightly unbalanced. She needs to consider the fact that, through the Old Testament, Christians can learn about God. In the book of Isaiah 46:9 as well as the first chapter of Genesis, God reveals his nature as the creator of everything.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Old Testament should not be disregarded by modern-day Christians because it is a perfect depiction of God’s love. In Psalms 8:4-8, God expresses his wish to share all he can with humanity. Therefore, Judaism is a gateway to understanding the loving nature of God. The Old Testament establishes the image of God as one who uses laws to define his relationship with mankind. This concept is not entirely alien to Christians as shown by the two laws summarized in Mark 12:29-31. Here, Christians must love their neighbors as they do themselves. More importantly, God commands them to love him with all their heart. These two commandments were extensions of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament, which are in Deuteronomy 6:5. Therefore, the New Testament enables the continuity of God’s commandments. It is a guide on how to enjoy God’s love. Ignoring the Old Testament would cause most Christians to downplay the consequences of sin. Judaism teaches Christ’s followers that sin causes sufferi ng. The Jews often suffered because they sinned (Deuteronomy 28:15-30). They also had to suffer because there was no eternal salvation for their sin. They often endured atonement for their sins in order to mend their relationship with God. If Christians understand the difficulties of using the law to earn their salvation as the Jews did, then they will appreciate Christ’s death and resurrection even more. The Old Testament proves that sin has consequences and that it was necessary to bring a Messiah to save God’s people from these penalties. Without the Old Testament, the New Testament would not have any basis or foundation. Several passages of the old Testament talk about a Messiah who will come and pay the price for man’s sins and restore his relationship with God (Isaiah 53, Ezekiel 37 and Daniel 7:27).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Jews and Christians specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More T herefore, Christians can have confidence in their beliefs about Jesus since he fulfilled Old Testament prophesies. Additionally, it shows that God had a plan for mankind. The New Testament rests on the foundation established in the Old Testament. Christians should not disregard it because they think that it is old-fashioned and outdated. Instead, they need to think of it as one half of the complete Bible. Through the unification of the Old and the New Testament, Christians can learn about God’s real nature as well his relationship and intentions for humanity. Christians ought to respect the Jews as they have a unique relationship with God. In the book of Genesis 12:1-3, God made a covenant with Abraham that he would be the father of nations and bring blessings to the world. God said that he could condemn (curse) those who condemn the Jews and bless those who do the same (Zechariah 2: 4-9). In essence, God loved the Jews and was willing to do so much to build a relationship wi th them. Consequently, Christians should recognize this unusual privilege accorded to the Jews and respect it. Condemning them or marginalizing them does not change the fact that they are still God’s chosen people. God made several promises to the Jews about the future (Zephaniah 3:2), (Isaiah 11:16). Christians cannot be certain about the moment in history when these promises will come to pass. God is yet to do much for the Jews, so instead of being vindictive, Christians should be grateful about what God has done and will continue to do for them. The Gospel as a Historical Document Some scholars believe that the Gospels are books of faith rather than historical documents. However, several facts have come forth to prove that the Gospels are historical documents with theological underpinnings, as well.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When Luke talks about why he wrote the book, he starts by affirming that it is a narrative of what eyewitnesses who lived during Jesus’ time told him (Luke 1:1). He also adds that he placed the account in order of occurrence of the events so that Theophilus would know about the truth of the Gospel. Luke thus proclaims that he was writing a historical document. He then refers to the same aspect in the book of Acts 1:1-2. Luke tells Theophilus that the first book (Luke) was a description of all that Jesus had done during his life and before he ascended into heaven. The same phenomenon can be witnessed in the book of John 21:21-24. Here, Peter asks about St. John just before Christ ascends into heaven, and Jesus responds that John bore witness to all things and would write about them. Furthermore, Peter declares his testimony as true. Therefore, one can deduce that his writings were historical because Jesus affirmed that they were true. The Gospels have names that coincided with those of the chief apostles of Christianity, such as Apostle Matthew, Mark, Luke – Paul’s companion and Disciple John. History shows that these were eye witness accounts of Jesus’ works. Peter deeply impressed his listeners by his teachings. Many of them wanted a written account of the message, so the followers selected a devout follower of Peter called Mark to write down this account. It was his authorship of the book that led to the renaming of one Gospel after him. When Peter heard about the writing, its existence pleased him. He even gave the book authority as a description of his teachings. On the other hand, Matthew wrote his account in order to compensate for departure from his people. His writings were mirror replications of what he had been preaching to them. Therefore, an oral account corroborated the written account. Luke, on the other hand, had a lot of contact with Paul, who knew about Jesus’ life accurately. Prominent individuals who had co ntact with others who had witnessed Christ’s teaching wrote the Gospels. Peter and Paul were the main source of information for the Gospels, and they had interacted with Jesus greatly. John, on the other hand, was a direct eye-witness of Jesus’ works because he was an Apostle and keen follower of Christ. Consequently, all these authors’ work should be given a historical status. One should note that it is rather difficult for a historian to write anything about the past without carrying some bias with him. Writers of the Gospel had the burden of deciding which aspects to record or leave out. Furthermore, they all had their own interpretations of the same. A historian must decide on procedures for selecting certain events. They must know the periods of history that will be the main focus of their book. Some personages may be deemed more salient than others by certain historians. In essence, whenever a writer makes a selection, then he or she expresses a bias towar ds it. Subjectivity in writing about the past is always part of the process. Therefore, one should not denounce the historical accounts of the Gospel on the basis of their lack of objectivity. Faith also plays a pivotal role because although the Gospels recorded accurate accounts of Jesus’ life, they still refer to supernatural events that characterized the savior’s existence. The presence of the supernatural does not neutralize the understanding of the Apostles regarding those experiences. Spirituality thus comes into the picture when considering the substance of the narrative. History plays a role in the actual recording of the events. Why First Century Jews Would Not Believe Jesus Prior to Jesus’ official entry into the ministry, several prophets had existed and condemned the errant ways of the Jews. One such individual was John the Baptist. He hailed from Galilee, where he went about preaching about the emergence of a new Israel. However, Jerusalem’s inhabitants often disregarded people from Galilee as rebellious against Rome. They felt their ideas were too erratic and unworthy of respect. John the Baptist had started baptizing people with water as an act of ritual cleansing. A series of disciples started following John, and they even lived communally. Many of them believed that The Messiah would come amongst them, spiritually, when eating together. John often denounced the wicked ways of King Herod. He talked ill of the marriage between Herod and a close relation because it opposed Jewish laws. As a result, Herod’s wife asked for his head using her daughter as a go-between (Mark 6:26-29), (Matthew 14). The Jewish leaders took John and killed him during Herod’s birthday. The sudden death and undignified manner in which John the Baptist died probably contributed to further disregard for persons from Galilee. Additionally, John’s claim that the spirit of the Messiah was amongst his group, may have led to furth er skepticism about any future leader who emerged from that region and claimed to have any Messianic qualities. This probably proves that Bob was right about mistrusting Jesus, who also came from Galilee. Jesus started his ministry after the imprisonment of John the Baptist, and this may also have created a lot of doubt in the minds of potential followers. Even his family members, as well as his neighbors, rejected him for trying to fill John the Baptist’s void. It is likely that several other people held the same opinion as his followers. Some of them may also have taken Jesus’ message out of context in Mathew 11:11. When Jesus commented about John the Baptist, he claimed that, among the people born of women, there was none that had been greater than John. Other Jews took this comment out of context by assuming that Jesus felt inferior to John. They may not have considered the fact that a woman did not conceive Christ, so he did not fit into the same category as the o thers. When Jesus started preaching, his message was incredibly familiar to listeners. It echoed what a cult group called the Essenes had preached. Jesus talked about the need to let go of all forms of spiritual corruption. He also criticized the wealthy and even spoke against tradesmen. In the book of Luke 6:25, Jesus spoke against them by stating that â€Å"woe to you who are well fed for you shall be hungry†. Jesus’ teachings were quite similar to the Essenes’ teachings, as well as John the Baptist’s; consequently, it is understandable if many of these followers doubted the authenticity of his affirmations. Some of the things that Jesus spoke against seemed blasphemous to conservative Jews. Since the rest of society looked up to the Pharisees, then chances are that people who heard about Jesus would have compared his teachings with what their Jewish leaders said. For instance, Jesus stated that he was the son of God and had come to fulfill the propheci es. He also condemned the Pharisees’ legalistic ways and challenged the way they fussed over every little ritual (Luke 13:15). These Jewish leaders called Jesus a traitor, and thus urged other Jews to refrain from following him. It is likely that Jesus’ bold opposition to the rulers of the day may have created opposition and doubt among the populace. Witnesses of Christ’s arrest would also have doubted his authenticity because he did not perform supernatural acts to save himself. Furthermore, he went into custody like a common criminal. Even his most devout followers ran away from him (Matthew 26:56). It is likely that some people may have doubted his messianic powers based on this event. Early Christians in the first century also had varied reports on the date of Jesus’ birth as well as other notable dates in his life. In the book of Luke, estimates indicate that Jesus birth date was in 6CE. However, in the book of Matthew, Jesus birth date came before H erod’s death, which was in 4 BCE. Therefore, these differing accounts of such a pivotal event in the Christian faith may have created a lot of skepticism among first century Jews. This essay on Jews and Christians was written and submitted by user Lina L. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Pope Benedict II

Pope Benedict II Pope Benedict II was known for: His extensive knowledge of  Scripture. Benedict was also known to have a fine singing voice. Occupations: PopeSaint Places of Residence and Influence: Italy Important Dates: Confirmed as Pope:  June 26, 684Died:  , 685 About Pope Benedict II: Benedict was Roman, and at an early age he was sent to the schola cantorum, where he became extremely knowledgeable in Scripture.  As a priest he was humble, generous, and good to the poor. He also became known for his singing. Benedict was elected pope shortly after the death of Leo II in June of 683, but it took more than eleven months for his election to be confirmed by Emperor Constantine Pogonatus. The delay inspired him to get the emperor to sign a decree putting an end to the requirement of an emperors confirmation. In spite of this decree,  future popes would  still undergo  an imperial  confirmation process. As pope, Benedict worked to suppress Monothelitism. He restored many churches of Rome, helped the clergy and supported the care of the poor. Benedict died in May of 685. He was succeeded by John V. More Pope Benedict II Resources: Popes BenedictAll about the popes and antipopes  who have gone by the name of Benedict through the Middle Ages and beyond. Pope Benedict II in Print The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the books page at one of the online merchants. by Richard P. McBrien by P. G. Maxwell-Stuart Pope Benedict II on the Web Pope St. Benedict IIConcise biography by Horace K. Mann at the Catholic Encyclopedia.St. Benedict IIAdmiring bio at Christs Faithful People. The PapacyChronological List of PopesWhos Who Directories: Chronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society The text of this document is copyright  ©2014 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is not granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission, please visit Abouts Reprint Permissions page. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/bwho/fl/Pope-Benedict-II.htm

Chinese History, Mao Zedong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinese History, Mao Zedong - Essay Example As a result, Mao urged for the overthrow of the leaders that were against the party ideals through violent means. In the 1960’s, Mao as a leader of CPC observed that the leadership of in China was against revolutionary theory and hence likely to support the ideas of those opposed to communism. The period also saw the weakening of Mao political powers due to the failure of the â€Å"Great Leap Forward†. There was also increased economic crisis because of poor policies adopted by the regime. Mao began to reassert his authority by putting into leadership those of his views to attack existing party leadership. Such people included Jiang Qing Mao wife and Lin Biao the defense minister. The period saw the advent of Cultural Revolution in august 1966. The major effect was closure of schools and urging youth to take into task the party leadership for their support of non-communist values and lack of revolutionary spirit. The movement turned violent after a short period. The stu dents were in the forefront in the violence. They had formed the Red Guards that was responsible for harassing the aged and intellect in the Chinese society. This paper focuses on the role of violence in Chinese revolution in advancing political power and control of political dissent. Chinese revolution was characterized majorly by violence. The violence played a significant role to the achievement of the goals of the revolution. The violence mainly focused on countering anti revolutionary ideas and consolidation of powers. First, the violence helped in countering ideologies that were seen as going against the revolutionary ideas. In the initial phase of the revolution, violence was used to stem out those leaders that were seen leaning to capitalist ideas. The leaders were seen as a threat to Mao ideology of having a communist society. One of the targeted leaders was

Impressionist painter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impressionist painter - Essay Example People and every human being have their own kind of expressing their feelings. Some, give some tune for love, sung songs, create lyrics of a very emotional song, and several people who are such have given the talent and have the skills of making their hands work and draw something beautiful, and even apply some colors and blends it up for the whole thing.The so-called avant-grande committed their selves to art, painting itself, as an expression of them to the situation happening their place. But others would view others work differently. Each one makes his art beautiful, most probably for himself. Making he free from depression and as he release it from his very deep heart with the help of his powerful mind.As I move on to my days in life, I also made some expressions of myself in a form of art. I feel so good about it, though it's not perfect. But how about those professionals who have made very deep meaning portraits, how are they going to look and see mine For I know what would th eir be , but let me be them and explain my impression to such art that I never had seen before.First of all, a wonderful precious thing to see will probably catch up my eyes. Leading it up to its colors, the hues, and the intense it brings. I would probably look at its wholeness and the whole picture it wanted to show the people. As I will observe it I'll take a look on the marks which the paint has started to spread, the directions of the brush on it. What makes it different from mine and from others Criticizing of it is the best thing to do. I'll beseech from its physical view up to the inner side, of its owner. Aside from the beauty of a paintwork; that was brought to the mass of people is the entire reflection of its owner who made it, this might show that the person is in vain, happy, or angry, inspired by love and family and even his sadness. Everybody can say that due to the colors he used and how bold the shades are. Mood can affect one's acts and his/her feelings, emotionally coming from his bare heart sending to the points where we use to act and even our brain reacts and as a result a product of this feeling comes out. Some paintings can be recognize as a work of an impressionist painter if the paint art is consistent with some signs to give clues about the theme of it and others which you can never tell, how it was expressed by the artist. Mainly those with experiences, identify some works not that easy for they need to judge and criticize it in different ways and aspects. There he in his self have categories and some factors to consider as to comprehend with others work of art. As far as I know our beloved popular painters such as Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa masterpiece is such a great work and to analyze others work of art you can merely say if the person who made it is an emotional individual, a naturalistic, patriotic, and spiritual. The audiences and or the people can read the message from the paintings others work can be judge and clues they give. They not just see the picture itself, its beauitiful colorblendings, the shades of a wonderful tree and a house on it, but, the message it sents, the message which does touches our souls. Critical overlooks, judgements and comments and some opinions are gained by simply viewing a masterpiece. Though such painters have the qualities on their work they also have the differences, their own uniqueness that

MPH522 - Public Health Law and Policy, Mod 4 SLP Essay

MPH522 - Public Health Law and Policy, Mod 4 SLP - Essay Example There are twenty six government agencies that offer grants, including the Department of Health and Human Services. Those agencies are as follows: There are many kinds of people that can apply for these grants. Government organizations such as State and local governments, education organizations such as independent school districts, public housing organizations, and non-profit organizations, for profit organization, small business, and others may apply. There are also grants that individuals can get when applied for the right reasons (hhs.gov) The steps to applying for a grant are really quite easy but need to be followed very specifically. Self or organization must be registered. The person who is registering must register as an authorized organization representative. Find and search for grants in the field you are looking for, download the application package, apply for the grants be sure to follow every instruction completely, track the application and stay on top of the progress. In order to register the organization you must obtain a data universal number, register it with central contractor registration, get a user name and password and AOR authorization and then track the status (hhs.gov.grant). To register as an individual, you need to enter the funding opportunity number, and complete the profile form. The budget for the Department of Health and Human Resources is approximately $911 billion for 2011. Of that money, 3% goes to CHIPS, 10% goes to discretionary, 51% goes to Medicare, 33% goes to Medicaid, 4% goes to mandatory programs, and 2.3% goes to TANF. There are many goals attached to this budgetary money like they should be as a budget is really a plan. The following goals are present to be managed in this budget. In the news there seems to be funding available. There are many articles presently out there on newly granted programs including research funding, Centers for Disease Control

Developing Patient Choice In Nhs Health And Social Care Essay

Developing Patient Choice In Nhs Health And Social Care Essay This essay investigates how patient choice in the NHS has been developed by New Labour and coalition government. I will do this by first defining the term choice and then providing some background information on the emergence of choice agenda under the 1979-1990 government of Margaret Thatcher. . I will then go on to discuss how patient choice has been developed under the New Labour and coalition governments that followed by discussing the reforms that both have implemented in relation to the patient choice agenda. Finally, I will examine the uptake of patient choice agenda. This is likely to include patient travel distances in order to access better and faster healthcare, as well as the performance ratings of hospitals, which are published online and so available to the public to use. However, people that live in certain areas in the UK tend to have a somewhat limited choice of medical care providers. Overall, choice empowers the general public, offering them the ability to make aut onomous decisions about their health-care providers and likely to improve the health outcomes of the British people. The patient choice agenda outlined above relates to offering patients a choice among various types of service providers in the NHS analogous to that of the private healthcare market . Central to it is the notion that without competition, there is no real choice, and therefore a choice among competing options is offered which is intended to improve quality and efficiency. This market discipline will motivate less competitive healthcare providers to upgrade their services to attract customers while giving customers a wider range of options (Le Grant, 2007). Thatcher Government (1970-1990) developed patient choice in order to create a dynamic market-orientated system in the NHS. She intended to introduce this form of internal market as a means of increasing efficiency and to develop the NHS into a more business-type model (Driver and Martell, 1998).Thatchers administration intended to achieve these changes though the adoption of a privatisation scheme focused on providers and purchasers . The idea of patient choice derived from the fact that GPs exercised choice on behalf of patients. Extending the choice agenda aims to eliminate or minimise the healthcare inequalities faced by less affluent patients, to whom it offers equal opportunities of services (Dixon and Le Grand, 2006). In 2005, MORI reported that 50 percent of the general public preferred to select healthcare providers outside of their local areas, which was something that the NHS had not provided for in its original manifestation (Popper, Wilson and Burgess, 2005). Thus, a large proportion of the general public clearly favours the idea of being able to select alterative healthcare providers. However, merely increasing patient choice may not successfully eliminate inequities (Oliver and Evans, 2005, p. 68). Certainly, offering choice to the general public is less likely to improve inequity if non-existent varieties exist within the uptake of choice. Wealthy patients have resources to opt for private healthcare providers if they believe that their local providers offer poor quality of services and low rating (Davies, Tavakoli, Malek, 2001). Therefore, the idea of equal access for meeting the equal needs of all people has failed. New Labour accepted the neoliberal model that had been developed by Thatchers administration during the 1980s and further developed by the Major government of the early-mid 1990s. In 1997, with New Labours ascent to power, patient choice was increased with some important reforms that promoted the patient choice agenda, including the establishment of Foundation Trusts (FTs) and the rating system (Driver and Martell, 1998). These reforms aimed to produce cheaper, better quality services by incentivising healthcare providers to compete for funding that equated to the number of patients they treated (Peck, 2003). Another reform introduced was Payment by Results, which pays secondary care providers using a standard fee tariff linked with the amount of patients treated. This reform enabled patient choice upon referral from GPs. Thus, this conception of the choice agenda served to improve waiting list times and the quality of services offered. Lastly, the government put in place a targets s ystem that measured the uptake of choice. The government also shifted the focus from competition while continuing to promote the business model by promoting partnerships between healthcare providers (Peck, 2003). In order to promote real choice, the market is obliged to offer alternative providers of goods and services (Smith, 2005). Private healthcare providers have operated within the internal market since 1948, providing their services at a standard tariff (Peck, 2003). The internal market that was operated under New Labour was less focused on competition, but rather towards promoting the efficiency and quality of services. Davies, Tavakoli, Malek (2001) argue that patients opt for private healthcare providers over public healthcare providers when they are able to because private providers offer good service quality. In general, patient choice tends to enhance competition among providers, who strive to attract customers in the way that any other private firms do. Private healthcare providers generally cover limited, mainly non-emergency services and as private businesses, are primarily focused on making profits. Therefore, private providers cost more than services offered by the NHS and hence this market attracts wealthier competitive patients (Le Grant, 2007). Middle class patients are likely to select private providers because material resources are not an issue.  [1]   In the 2010 White Paper, Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS, the coalition government set out to promote patient choice by introducing a commissioning board to the NHS. The Commissioning Board monitors the performance of primary care providers to ensure that high standards of service care are offered and that patients are involved in decision making as much as possible. The Commissioning Board is also responsible for improving equity within healthcare. Finally, the government seeks to promote patient choice though increasing competition among medical providers. Under the Foundation Trusts obtained the role as regulators that supervise tariff costs and encourages efficiency. Despite these developments, the fact remains that choice is not real possibly for patients living in certain areas of the UK (Spiers, 2008). People that live in rural area are likely to be excluded from selecting their healthcare providers. One of the reasons for this is that less affluent patients are less motivated to travel greater distances due to car ownership being lower among disadvantaged groups (Appleby and Dixon, 2004). Some people in low-paid employment are also unable to take time off from work to seek medical attention, preventing them from further exercising choice. Additionally, people travelling long distances tend to have poor attendance records for primary care appointments. A study conducted by RAND in 2008 also shows that age, gender and social class differences can serve as obstacles to people in exercising choice, while people over the age of 60, housewives and the working class tend to limit their travelling distances for providers (both primary and secondary c are (Powell, 2008). Hence, gender, social class and age are found to be important factors that determine the uptake of choice for healthcare providers. Affluent patients often have resources to purchase houses in areas near to good-quality healthcare providers. However, Popper, Wilson and Burgess (2005) argue young, affluent patients and those living in inner city areas of London are likely to opt for alternative healthcare providers, whereas disadvantaged patients with low levels of education are found to opt for alternative medical providers the least. Certainly the uptake of choice among less well-off patients would be more likely to improve if subsidised transport were offered to people and covering additional transport funding incurred by people who are not located close to alternative providers. Thus, an effort to improve these issues may encourage poor patients to travel longer distances to have their treatments.  [2]   Another factor is the lack of available information, which can prevent patients from exercising choice over medical providers (Fotaki, Roland, Boyd et al., 2008). It is believed that some people require additional support in their choice of healthcare providers. Often, less well-off patients, those with low levels of education and the elderly require supplementary assistance in order to be able to make effective choices (Powell, 2008). These types of groups are less likely to have access to the internet and friends working as medical professionals in the NHS to help them navigate the system. However, making use of internet sources have been criticised for being resource-intensive and a real problem for those who are not computer literature. Published data is a key element for choice and outlines the performance of various healthcare providers. Making use of this type of data can serve to make patients more autonomous and responsible for their own health (Davies, Tavakoli and Malek, 2001). In general, healthcare providers services are rated using ranking systems. With their reputations at stake, medical providers are motivated to improve the quality of their services in order to remain in business. Often, disadvantaged groups use performance data more than middle class people to make healthcare choice (Collins, Britten, and Ruusuvuori, 2007). A lack of available data though is a major factor preventing them from exercising their choices. The patient choice agenda aims to lead to inequality in the medical system. Appleby and Dixon (2004) claim patient choice agenda in healthcare is far more complex rather than just focusing solely on resources. Poor people tend to lack the self-confidence and knowledge to converse with healthcare providers in a medical vocabulary  [3]  . Oliver and Evans (2005) state patients poor abilities of expression create imperfect freedom of choice in decision-making amongst individuals. Hence, these issues lead to an unequal ability to navigate the system (Mandelstam, 2007, p. 109) Providing people with choice rather than voice to express tend to be more effective for less well-off patients (Barr and Fenton, 2008). The patient choice agenda offers disadvantaged groups the opportunity to be heard and promotes the necessary self-confidence to exercise choices, in parallel. Thus, choice empowers patients who are the least knowledgeable about how to use the system to their advantage. Middle class people, on the other hand, have the educational capacities, resources and skills to manipulate the system in a way that suites their interests (Spiers, 2008). Certainly, affluent patients are more proactive than less-well of patients in relation to the uptake of choice. Hence, privileged patients are more articulate, confident and persistent, which means that the system in its current form suites privileged patients over poor people. The impact of patient choice on health service delivery provides mixed views. Patient choice may improve the quality of services offered in the internal market in response to waiting list times, which it may also markedly reduce (Le Grant, 2007). GP fund-holders can improve waiting list times upon referral to hospitals and may also reduce prescription costs. An example that illustrates this capacity is found in a study conducted by the London Patient Choice Project during 2006 (Dixon and Le Grand, 2006). This study states that patients are inclined chooses for alternative providers in order to reduce waiting list times. Certainly, competition, along with large numbers of healthcare providers, may further reduce waiting list times. However, patients dissatisfied with services offered by medical providers can opt to search for alternative medical providers that meet their needs. Under the internal market, money dictates the choices that patients make, meaning that hospitals lose money if patients choose alternative medical providers (Dixon and Le Grand, 2006). Thus, healthcare providers must be responsive to consumer demands in order to remain in business, unless they are likely to face closure. Patients often empower medical experts to decide on their treatments because of the generally held view that the doctor knows best (Burge, Devlin, Appley, et al., 2004, p. 190) Often, patients shift choice into the hands of doctors, particularly in life-threatening situations. In such serious situations, medical staff are likely to decide on treatments on behalf of patients. Therefore, the choice agenda in this case is not taken into account. However, Popper, Wilson and Burgess (2005) suggest that seven out of ten patients prefer to relocate treatment choices to primary care providers. This example tells us that people like the idea of having an input in relation to deciding on medical providers. In reality, GPs are seen as the gatekeepers for making medical choices (Powell, 2008, p. 77). They act as agents for the patients, and are often empowered to select treatments on their behalf, thus undermining the ability of patients to exercise choice. This happens because of people tend to have limited skills and access to information that could otherwise inform them of the various treatment options available. As mentioned above, middle class people are often also better informed of premium treatments options, usually having better access to the internet and sources such as books and journals that inform them of the various treatments available. People with lower levels of education do not generally have access to journals and books which would allow them to make meaningful choices. The London Patient Choice Pilot study (in 2008) on the other hand, contradicts this view. This study claims that the up-take of choice among people with various levels of education has little significan ce, with only a two percent difference between people with various levels of education with regard to looking for hospitals that provide treatment (Spiers, 2008). In conclusion, middle class people benefit from the choice agenda to a far greater degree than the working class. Middle class groups have higher levels of income, which allow them to purchase houses near good-quality medical providers. In addition, the middle classes have access to information and money that enables them to travel further in order to have access to the best services. It must also be questioned as to whether patients want choice rather than just high overall quality, as most patients like the idea of a good local medical provider (both primary and secondary providers), rather than travelling longer distances to have their treatment.

Technology Against Progress Essay -- Technology Society

Have you ever wonder why you find yourself stuck in an electric breakdown not knowing what to do with your self? Or being compel to look your e-mail or Facebook account everyday day? You are not the only one, our society is depending on an omnipresent source of technology that is affecting every moment of our lives. We are using it as a way to deliver and receive information, to entertain ourselves and express our individuality. It has been growing exponentially since the dawn of time to fulfill humanity’s aspiration. Although, for the new generations, it as been affecting them negatively in crucial aspects of their lives. The lack of physical activities is the number one cause of overweight and obesity for teenagers. Research as proved that, â€Å"For adolescents aged 12 to 17, increases in overweight and obesity rates over the past 25 years have been notable; the overweight or obesity rate of this age group more than doubled, and the obesity rate tripled† (Margot Shileds, 2008, p.2). Of course, technologies might not be the only source of this issue but consider this, â€Å"For children aged 6 to 11 and adolescents aged 12 to 17, the likelihood of being overweight or obese tends to rise as time spent watching TV, playing video games or using the computer increases†. (Margot Shileds, 2008, p.2). In addition, â€Å"According to research, playing video games accelerates the speed at which dopamine, believed â€Å"reinforce behavior that produces pleasure,† is produced. Addictive drugs such as cocaine and heroin cause the brain to produce more dopamine†(Murray McArthur, 2008, p.418). As you can see, entertainment have a price; not only adolescent spend more time in front of technology apparatuses but they can become strongly addicted to them. ... ...eds, Margot. Measured Obesity: Overweight Canadian children and adolescents (2008)p.2: For adolescents aged 12 to 17, increases in overweight and obesity rates over the past 25 years have been notable; the overweight or obesity rate of this age group more than doubled, and the obesity rate tripled. For children aged 6 to 11 and adolescents aged 12 to 17, the likelihood of being overweight or obese tends to rise as time spent watching TV, playing video games or using the computer increases. Stoll, Clifford. High Tech Heretic: Why Computers Don’t Belong in the Classroom and Other Reflections by a Computer Contrarian. New York: Doubleday, 1999. Print. as quoted in: Jane E. Aaron, Murray McArthur (2010). Little, Brown Compact Handbook Fourth Canadian Edition p.418. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Press.

Why did Harold Wilson win the 1964 Election

In 1951 Winston Churchill's Conservative party, won the general election, and this would be the start of 13 years of Conservative rule spanning three prime ministers. This rule was ended in 1964 by Harold Wilson’s reunited Labour party. In this essay, I will look at the factors which led to the Labour victory.Whilst in power the Conservative government made many mistakes, a key example of a Conservative mistake would be the 1957 Suez crisis in Egypt, when its leader (Nasser) wanted to nationalise the Suez Canal, an important trade route from Northern Africa and Middle East for France and Great Britain, which would force any ships using it to pay large taxes. This led to Sir Anthony Eden having to take military action to secure the canal, and stop the nationalisation.However he could not just invade the Suez Canal, so instead he hatched up a plan with France and Israel secretly. This plan involved Israel invading parts of egypt and France and Great Britain acting as peace keepe rs, securing the Canal for themselves. The plan went off militarily perfect and the Canal was secured. However, Great Britain did this without the consent of the US and UN.The US, perhaps seeing this as Imperialism, threaten to halt economic aid unless Eden was to withdraw his troops from Egypt, of which GB was reliant on, so reluctantly Eden was forced to remove his troops. Meaning a failure to stop the nationalisation of the Suez canal and leading Great Britain isolated on the world scale, and Anglo-American relations at a low. It was now clear that GB was no longer a dominant power in the world, and could not do much without the support of the Americans and would have to stop its Imperialism.However it is likely that the crisis would have had a much less domestic impact, as the labour opposition were unable to capitalize on this Conservative failure without looking unpatriotic and Harold Macmillan was quickly able to mend Anglo-American relations in his time in power, leaving lit tle lasting effect. This realisation of the UK losing its world power status, however was accepted by Harold Macmillan, who is quoted saying â€Å"The dinosaur was the largest beast, but it was inefficient and therefore disappeared. The bee is efficient, but it is too small to have much influence.The British Empire was a dinosaur and didn't last. Britain's most useful role is somewhere between bee and dinosaur. ’’ This meant that Macmillan saw that Great Britain had to strike up a role powerful enough to have an influence, but know when to let things go and when to not get involved, it would no longer have to play the role of world policeman like it did in times of empire. This was a success of the Conservative government in acknowledging this and Macmillan viewed it as a defeat, but one from which the country could learn from like Dunkirk in 1940.Britain did learn from this, as it reduced its defence budget (which was 10% of its GDP), one significantly higher than ot her similar european countries and pushed towards decolonisation of its empire. Another key mistake of the Conservative government was its abuse of the economy, resulting in stop go economics which is expanding economy with low interest rates and rising consumer spending meaning the economy overheats with wages and imports exceeding productivity and exports meaning the economy has to go through a ‘’stop’’ phase or need for slowing down or deflation through higher interest rates and spending cuts.This lead to investors being unsure on what the economy would do, and therefore did not invest as much as other more stable economies and therefore Britain economic growth being much lower than countries like Japan, Germany and France that had only years before been devastated by World War II.This stop-go economics was caused by the government not being able to decide on a budget, and them being too often used as short term measures to buy votes in general election s, for example before elections the conservative government would reduce taxes and after they won the election, would be forced to raise them again and policy lagging behind events. This in the end led to the failure of the government to develop policies that encouraged consistently performing economies, resulting in ‘’Stagflation’’ meaning the economy felt both the impacts of industrial decline and inflation.This would have led to the people feeling worse off, and when it comes to elections, its not foreign policy that wins, its whether the government has made them richer or poorer than counts, and if it has made them poorer, it is unlikely that they will vote for that party again. Macmillian’s plan to improve the economy was to get Great Britain into the European Economic Community, or EEC, which would later become the European Union.This would make it easier to trade with Europe, increasing exports, something that was in deficit as at the time Br itain had a balance of payments issue, exporting much less than imported. This could have worked, but Macmillian failed to get entry into the EEC because France’s President De Gaulle vetoed against GB’s entry, because he felt that it would be an awkward member, and that it already had strong ties to America and the Commonwealth, and did not want them getting involved in his EEC.However it is also argued that De Gaulle vetoed against GB because he was still spiteful of the jokes made to him by British and American Generals during World War II and the occupation of France by the Nazis. In the end, this failure to gain entry, meant that Macmillians one stop pill for curing the economy was scraped and GBs balance of payments issue was not resolved. This was criticized a lot by the labour opposition, and faith in Macmillian was decreasing both in his party and the public, meaning it was likely this lead to increased numbers of labour voters.The 60s were a much more liberal decade than the 50s and a lot of the people we starting to get more left wing in their political views. Events such as the Ally Pally Potheads Rally and emergence of Hippy culture and the cultural revolution showcased this shift in beliefs. The Labour party were able to take advantage of this shifting in the spectrum, by having Roy Jenkins promise to make society much more ‘’Civil’’ by removing the death penalty, legalizing abortion and homosexuality over the age of 21 and reducing media censorship.This would have gained a lot of the younger voters and showed that the Labour Party was able to keep up with this revolution in the British culture, unlike the Conservative Party which was unable to fully understand why scandals such as the Profumo Affair and Vassal Spy Scandal were so interesting to the media and general public, leaving the conservatives looking out of touch and out dated. The Labour party was also much stronger in 1964 than it was in previouse lections. Harold Wilson was a much stronger leader than Gaitskell, and a more skilled campaigner. The split between the party of Bevanites and the Gaitskellites ,which once meant that Labour had many conflicts in ideology and therefore policies in earlier elections which caused weakness post atlee, was reduced giving the Labour party clearer directions for the future and more direct policies to vote on.This meant that the Labour party had a much better chance for winning the election than previous ones, regardless of the conservative mistakes. In conclusion, It could be argued that ‘’thirteen years of conservative misrule’’ was a factor in the Labour victory, especially since the conservatives failed at optimising the economy and dealing the the balance of payments issue and inflation, which lead the people to feel worse off, and it is how well off the people feel under a government that decides elections.But the labour party were not able to capitalize on other failures such as the Suez Crisis meaning the victory cannot all be blamed on the conservative misrule as the labour party were a much stronger and more focused opposition that was adapting to the times much better than the Conservatives this election, winning them the majority of the younger voters and therefore the election.

Free Essays on Farley Mowat, Great Teller Of True Tales

Farley Mowat, a Canadian author, has realized great success throughout the world. His vast collection of published books and articles illustrate Canadian lifestyles, cultures, and environments, as seen through the eyes of an eccentric traveler. For adults, he writes books filled with underlying documentation ranging from the rapidly diminishing populations of both animals and natives in the north, to direct attacks on the Canadian federal government. For children, he writes tales of wonderful adventures filled with the curious and vital spirit of youth. These stories also find the barren arctic as the primary setting, but concentrate more on relationships and personal growth than politics. However, Mowat still incorporates a sense of realism in his works for children which provides the readers with a basic knowledge of the northern environment, its populations, and their habits and customs. It is this element of realism which has brought Farley Mowat under the magnifying glass, into a world of controversy and debate. Mowat is best known for his portrayals of the arctic region of Keewatin, where he personally spent time with the natives and the animals in their barren habitat. The research and experiences Mowat accumulated during his arctic retreat led to his first novel, People of the Deer (1952), a story which depicts the horrible conditions of the natives and their dwindling food supplies as a direct result of the Canadian federal government’s inaction (Goddard 49). The region of Keewatin also led to further of Mowat’s most popular books such as The Desperate People (1959), and Never Cry Wolf (1963). These books continued the arsenal on the federal government’s inability to protect its natives, while beautifully depicting the natural environment of the north. For children, Mowat uses Keewatin as a setting for adventure in Lost in the Barrens (1956), and the sequel The Curse of the Viking Grave (1966). These books team up a yo... Free Essays on Farley Mowat, Great Teller Of True Tales Free Essays on Farley Mowat, Great Teller Of True Tales Farley Mowat, a Canadian author, has realized great success throughout the world. His vast collection of published books and articles illustrate Canadian lifestyles, cultures, and environments, as seen through the eyes of an eccentric traveler. For adults, he writes books filled with underlying documentation ranging from the rapidly diminishing populations of both animals and natives in the north, to direct attacks on the Canadian federal government. For children, he writes tales of wonderful adventures filled with the curious and vital spirit of youth. These stories also find the barren arctic as the primary setting, but concentrate more on relationships and personal growth than politics. However, Mowat still incorporates a sense of realism in his works for children which provides the readers with a basic knowledge of the northern environment, its populations, and their habits and customs. It is this element of realism which has brought Farley Mowat under the magnifying glass, into a world of controversy and debate. Mowat is best known for his portrayals of the arctic region of Keewatin, where he personally spent time with the natives and the animals in their barren habitat. The research and experiences Mowat accumulated during his arctic retreat led to his first novel, People of the Deer (1952), a story which depicts the horrible conditions of the natives and their dwindling food supplies as a direct result of the Canadian federal government’s inaction (Goddard 49). The region of Keewatin also led to further of Mowat’s most popular books such as The Desperate People (1959), and Never Cry Wolf (1963). These books continued the arsenal on the federal government’s inability to protect its natives, while beautifully depicting the natural environment of the north. For children, Mowat uses Keewatin as a setting for adventure in Lost in the Barrens (1956), and the sequel The Curse of the Viking Grave (1966). These books team up a yo...

Most useful tips for productivity from incredibly busy people

Most useful tips for productivity from incredibly busy people Productivity throughout the day starts with you. Time is something we never seem to have enough of but with organization and time management you can help boost productivity throughout the day. With simple changes such as wake up earlier or even make a priority to-do list you will be surprised on how much more you can fit into your day. These 5 productivity  tips from leaders and entrepreneurs can help you organize  your time throughout the day to best maximize it.  Source [ American Express Open Forum ]

Critical and Creative Thinking Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical and Creative Thinking Questions - Essay Example As I cam to an understanding that not all people are taught in the same way that I was taught, I began to wonder how God could allow so many people to get it so wrong. Somewhere, though, I had an epiphany. Maybe it wasn’t that they were all wrong, but that they just had a difference in the way that they believed. I began to come to a place where I had to believe, because I believed in a just and fair God, that the approach made toward God wasn’t nearly as important as just the belief. If this was not true, then there would only have ever been two choices in believing in God - a single approach toward God, and a single approach away from God. In understanding that variety was not a threat to the way in which I believe, it was possible to have an understanding that the way that others believed was based solely on their traditions, just in the way that I believe based on the traditions of my family and spiritual community, I was able to accept the validity of the beliefs of others and create a more harmonious way in which to live a spiritual life. I do not believe that anyone is free of prejudice. Simply making the choice of how people are judged, provides for prejudice. Even deciding not to associate with a serial killer would be a prejudice (although this would be a prudent prejudice). However, legitimately foul prejudice based on any form of looks or any form of belief is very difficult to completely shed from one’s mind. Walking through an airport, for instance, many people get a tiny twinge when someone from Middle Eastern descent is noticed, even though much has been written and reported on how very small the radical element of the Muslim faith is in percentage to the number who are not of radical and fanatical beliefs. This leads to the most important element of prejudice that must be addressed before prejudice can be eliminated. Fear is the most destructive force in the cause against prejudice. It seems to be a natural

The Native Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Native Language - Essay Example The factor responsible for the gearing up of my voice change is that I am using literature skills in my voice. Friends are the only people who can influence a person tremendously on how he or she situates his or her voice. The employment of consonants and vowels in my speech is a key factor indicating a progressive movement in my voice thus introducing a radical change in this voice. My voice simply indicates to the people the true meaning of the message I am giving them. If I am telling about a certain issue, the way I construct my sentence and the voice portrayed means a lot in terms understanding and the intensity of that certain topic (Klaiman 7). In this world, my voice hugely portrays who I am passionate that is how it describes my personality (Klaiman 7). People will tend to observe how I present my language amongst the public. This aid in respect and admiration from the people depending on the smooth flow my voice with the employment of beautiful vowels, consonants, and appli cable advanced literacy skills in the voice. According to Smith the voice of Barrack Obama simply describes even his powers in the states. One can actually feel the thrill accompanying his voice. The courage applied sentence construction and many more literature skills employed in most of his speeches. As for me, the employment of these skills will automatically lead to a powerful picture to the public. My voice is responsible for who I am in this world because it indicates the power within it as I speak.... The factor responsible for the gearing up of my voice change is that I am using literature skills in my voice. Friends are the only people who can influence a person tremendously on how he or she situates his or her voice (Klaiman 6). The employment of consonants and vowels in my speech is a key factor indicating a progression movement in my voice thus introducing a radical change in this voice. My voice simply indicates to the people the true meaning of the message I am giving then. If I am telling of about a certain issue, the way I construct my sentence and the voice portrayed means a lot in terms understanding and the intensity of that certain topic (Klaiman 7). In this world, my voice hugely portrays who I am passionate that is how it describes my personality (Klaiman 7). People will tend to observe how I present my language amongst the public. This aid in respect and admiration from the people depending on the smooth flow my voice with the employment of beautiful vowels, conson ants and applicable advanced literature skills in the voice (Klaiman 8). According to Smith the voice of Barrack Obama simply describes even his powers in the states. One can actually feel the thrill accompanying his voice. The courage applied, sentence construction and many more literature skills employed in most of his speeches. As for me, the employment of these skills will automatically lead to a powerful picture to the public. My voice is responsible of who I am in this world because it indicates the power within it as I speak. The intense of the voice quality uttered might be of a huge effect in the portrayal of a person’s real class and power. Many will simply analyze what you do via your voice (Klaiman 9). Thesis on Zadie Smith and Amys’