Medieval Weapons Essays - Projectile Weapons, Medieval Warfare

Medieval Weapons Medieval Weapons were (are) very dangerous. They Can kill, puncture, wound, hurt, or anything else. All weapons From the Middle Ages were looked upon as frightening and crucial Tools to kill. From a small dagger to a large cannon; all weapons Would kill, no doubt about it. A lot, in fact most of the weapons were used for siege and Defense against castles. Castles were the most integral part of the Middle Ages. They held the king, the servants and anyone else Important. If you wanted land or money, a castle was the perfect Place to hit. Movable Towers were just one thing used to lay siege on These castles. Not necessarily a weapon itself, it held Weapons...knights and peasants. Knights and (or) peasants carried many weapons depending On what specialty they had. Some carried bows-and-arrows, others Maces, some swords, some knifes, etc. A mace was a metal ball with metal spikes welded on the Ball. A chain was attached to a wood stick onto the ball. The Mace would not kill only torture. Other siege weapons included the ballista, a HUGE Crossbow- like slingshot that could send a huge tree trunk 3 football fields Long. The ballasta was manly for breaking down castle walls, or for scattering A heavily guarded area. The most commonly used weapon was the sword. It was a long metal Object that was very sharp on both sides. The sword could actually cut the Sheet metal on modern day cars. Imagine this power through your neck! Next to the sword, the "soldiers" held a small dagger in a pouch on Their belt. This was used to finish people off, as a last resort, or sometimes Even suicide missions. Trebuchet, the name strikes fear in people's eyes, a HUMONGOUS Slingshot that could send a big monkeys boulder 2 football fields. This Weapon could be used to demolish castle walls, or could even be used to kill Hundreds of people on the battlefield. Anyway used, it was a big dangerous Weapon. Medieval Warfare and Weaponry In the Middle Ages, the nobility of many cultures had large fortifications built to house a small town as well as themselves. These fortification were called castles, and they were so well defended that some historians have called it the most formidable weapon of medieval warfare (Hull 1). As one can imagine, conquering such a colossal structure cost much money, even more time, and many lives. There were three main ways to infiltrate a castle; each no more common than the other two. The first way to conquer to castle is known as the siege. In a siege, an army would bar passageways into the castle, and continue to pound away at the castle's defenses until it was vulnerable to a final attack. In this form of assault, the attacking party did not have to approach the castle, as was required in a storm, the second way to attack a castle. In a siege, large projectiles from catapults often bombarded the ramparts of the castle. Hunger, plague, or actual weapons such as Greek fire arrows killed off the defenders of the castle. Greek fire was a mixture comprised of highly flammable substances that was agonizingly hot. Bits of cloth were dipped into the Greek fire compound and wrapped it behind the head of an arrow, and then lit on fire. Yet another common tactic in the siege was undermining. Undermining was the digging of tunnels underneath towers. However, the purposes of such subt erranean activity were not for passage, but to create instability in the towers and in the end cause their disintegration. The second, more certain form of attack upon a castle was the blockade. To blockade a place was to preclude all entry and departure from the site. In doing so to a castle, one limited their food supply, for a castle, unlike a manor, could not survive unless contact with the outer world could be attained. However, starving a castle out was costly in both money and especially time. For a long while an army waited for the castle to deplete their resources, the army itself had to continue to supply themselves with such resources and the soldiers were to be paid for their vigilant act. Although it was costly and lengthy, blockade did work. Richard the Lionhearted's stronghold, the Chateau-Gaillard, which was built in only a year along the Seine River, was sacked on March 6, 1204 by

buy custom Perfume Magazine essay

buy custom Perfume Magazine essay The advertising power is stunning and Perfume magazines are part of the mass medium that plays various roles concerning the perfume industry. This is because the industry is a multimillion dollar venture as a lot of new perfumes are launched and brought in yearly and customers by no means appear to be exhausted of buying the products. Most men and women are fond of using perfumes as part of their daily tidying up habits. The magazine media involves in the perfume industry in order to manipulate the sensitivity of people on given products in the industry (Paul 23). According William (55) the perfume magazines also help the perfume companies in branding the new invention of products so that they can reach out to the users. They mostly use successful approaches like finding famous people to support in branding the product. Through the use of such approaches, the consumers can easily notice the products and go for them and therefore the perfume companies will easily be able to market and sell their fragrances. The magazines also use special shapes of containers like that of a form of a womans figure with attractive colors. The approach can also be suitable as even those that may create perfumes that have scents that are not so good will still do well because the celebrity backing. This will be of great help to the perfume companies as most producers are never creative concerning such matters The perume magazines are behind the successful stories of most perfumes as they are being depended on by most manufacturing companies. The sales representatives of the magazines issue free samples to the consumers while in the supply rooms and the hooked up ones will later buy the products thus an income to the company (William 33). Not only do the magazines help in marketing the fragrances but they also help the consumer with knowledge concerning the product. Information such as how the product is supposed to be used or applied, the quantity to apply, how often and also the details of the content of the products are provided. The information may also include the price at which the product is sold so that by the time the consumer decides to buy the perfume or the fragrance, he or she will be totally sure of the product. The manufacturing companies may also use the perfume magazines to let the public know about the offer or discount on their products at a given period and how long the offer will last (Diane 44). The interviews with famous people are also included in the magazines. An example of such magazines is the Esquire magazine which is published every month and meant for the market of men under the age of 45. It focuses on shopping, entertainment, gadgets, fashion and health. The articles featured in the magazine comprise of interviews with well-known actors, capitalists or politicians of the moment. There are two main social illustratioons of masculinity in the magazine. Cool cosmopolitan is the first man who is emotionally isolated but rather controlled body. He symbolizes the existing hegemonic perfect masculinity that the magazine sponsors. He is secure and brave in the face of hardship but depends more on intelligence than strength. He is skilled at using the apparatus of modernity (all the most recent knowledge and gadgets but is never a nerd. The man is a soft operator confidently placed within the up-market accessories and fashionable labels culture of consumer (Mayer 99). He may also be viewed as a controlled and scheming risk taker emerging in the movies and fiction of twentieth century famous culture like James Bond. The next most common masculinity image is The Action man frequently revealed as the outdoor kind, a sportsman or an explorer. He depends mainly on his bodily potency, agility and ability for him to overcome his surrounding or get success. The passion with personality, perfume and clothing, bodily and sexual look are the main themes in the magazine. The location of self-esteem is stiff in a background of materialist use in which ladies and gentlemen work mainly as consumers. Practically all the social representation of masculinity and femininity are positioned within linked to features of consumer culture whether it is perfume selling in advertisement or support of films and books in dialogues. So far in the same magazine, sexual woman is the most leading social representation of femininity (Richard 201). Buy custom Perfume Magazine essay

Week4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week4 - Essay Example The above firms’ intellectual properties are patents, trademarks and other trade secrets like product design more so in relation to Covidien. These go a long way in protecting the companies’ production and innovations. BioMarin is heavily guarded by these intellectual properties as it deals with a tighter environment which is about chemical compositions, discoveries and developments. Factors considered in determining intellectual properties range from the type of products or services that the firms deal in and the nature of the industry according to Lindberg (2008). As earlier mentioned BioMarin is in the drug manufacturing arena which has stiff intellectual property rules and regulations. Each brand’s trademark needs to be well guarded as well as its chemical composition. For Covidien, the design of the surgical products is more important to patent. This is because a design is there for all to see and another firm may adopt it altogether if not lawfully guarded. Intellectual properties are quite expensive to acquire and maintain. This is more so in respect to health related products. Lindberg (2008) states that huge amount of time and resources are poured into research so as to come up with a unique product and to have such a product patented and inserted as a trademark. In the current global market place and intensified competition, stiffer environment is in the offing for entrepreneurs wishing to start operations. Firms are facing challenges which there before were not as huge as today making the contemporary market place a huge challenge to overcome. One of these is stiffer laws on copyrights, patenting and other intellectual property factors says Reynolds (2007). Due to increased competition firms are finding it prudent to have their products protected and this has become a huge requirement. As mentioned earlier, the entrepreneur will need to cough more and spend more time in these

ASDA Case Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ASDA Case Analysis - Assignment Example The company had acquired loans to facilitate its expansion and it was therefore necessary for the organization to develop new measures to ensure profitability. The management was unable to ensure that the new stores were profitable. Communication between employees and the management is a serious issue for any organization. There was a breakdown in communication between the management and lower level employees in the organization. The management structure in an organization can limit communication and ASDA had placed a structure that prohibited effective communication. 2. The organization faced serious management issues ranging from lack of motivation for workers to poor financial decisions. According to the motivational theory, employees can only perform when they are given flexibility and the chance to succeed. At ASDA, creativity from the employees was continuously repressed and they lacked the ambition to succeed in the work place. In addition, leadership theories such as transactional theory suggest that leadership is about focusing on the set goals and motivating employees to achieve these goals. At ASDA, these problems created a vacuum, which in turn brought about uncertainty. The financial crunch at the time and bad management were therefore responsible for the issues at ASDA. The goal setting theory states that organization should set goals. The management should therefore have set clear goals to avoid the issues. Strategies adopted by Hardman introduced a dictatorial culture in the organization that inhibited creativity from the employe es. 3. It was clear to Norman that the culture in the organization needed an overhaul so that it could accommodate all employees and attract new customers. In addition, the shareholders needed to trust the organization once more. To achieve this, it was important to change employee attitude at ASDA. This should have been

The Efficacy of non-invasive ventilation in the acute exacerbation of Research Paper

The Efficacy of non-invasive ventilation in the acute exacerbation of COPD Patient - Research Paper Example Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease best known as COPD, is actually a group of lung diseases that together block airflow to the lungs making it hard to breathe. The two most common diseases that constitute this disease are chronic bronchitis, inflammation of the bronchial tract mucosal lining, and emphysema, gradual destruction of the alveoli at the end of the bronchioles (Huang and Ghio et al., 2012). These may also be accompanied by asthma. Chronic bronchitis causes coughing and sputum production, which may scar and damage the airways. Alveoli damage by emphysema reduce oxygen uptake thus causing breathing problems for the patient. The combination of the destruction these two diseases cause irreversible damage to the pulmonary system, but the good thing is that there is treatment available that can help reduce the symptoms of the disease. One of them is through non invasive ventilation, otherwise known as NIV in short. This paper will be looking at this form of therapy and its ef ficiency in the treatment of COPD. It will discuss its use and advantages it the clinical setting. Being a pulmonary disease, its symptoms are generally ignored or just taken in passing for something else. COPD can cause breathlessness/dyspnea, coughing, excessive production of mucus/phlegm and fatigue. Some of these symptoms, breathlessness and fatigue, are hard to point out or see because they are sensations that are experienced by the patient and do not manifest physically (Barnes, 2009). Only the person experiencing the symptom can describe them and talk about how badly they make them feel as opposed to the production of sputum and coughing which manifest physically. Unfortunately, once these symptoms, among others begin to manifest the patient may discard them as simply smoker’s cough or fatigue from being unfit. These are to be considered as signs

How may the Christian faith inform the debate over euthanasia?

How may the Christian faith inform the debate over euthanasia? How may the Christian faith inform the debate over euthanasia? The concept of â€Å"free will† is one of the defining characteristics of Christianity and therefore the ability that Christians possess to make choices about their lives is sacrosanct. It is also pertinent to note in introduction that Christians believe that death is not the end of life but the beginning of life with God and as a consequence it can be argued that from a Christian point of view death is not to be feared. On the other hand it can be argued that it may be better to die in peace and with dignity than to live with terrible pain which is likely to transfer in the form of extreme anxiety to your friends and relatives. It is submitted that in order for euthanasia to take place it is necessary to engage the assistance of a third party. This is the fundamental difference between euthanasia and suicide. One essential problem with this, in terms of Christianity in particular, is that the sick individual may not have the right to ask another person to help take his or her life. The sixth commandment is straightforward:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thou shall not kill. On the strength of this first touch analysis euthanasia appears to contradict the Christian faith. Many Christians would argue that the suffering party must have faith and trust in God and in the future that he has for him or her. The Bible informs and guides Christians as to the moral and religious decisions they must take as they live their life. Although it is true that the Bible does not expressly state that euthanasia is wrong it does stipulate, as stated above, that thou shall not kill and another commandment sets down the rule that one should love ones neighbour. At first sight these fundamental rules imply that euthanasia is contrary to the Christian ethic. However, the rule love thy neighbour was addressed by Jesus himself in his answer to the Pharisees, the chief religious sect of the day, when He was questioned about the greatest commandment in the Law. The Pharisees had strenuously classified all the various laws and accorded them relative degrees of importance and their aim was to test Jesus. His answer was glorious in its simplicity: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Therefore, Christianity dictates not just that we are to love our neighbour, but that we should love our neighbour as we love ourselves. It is submitted that this would appear to open the door to euthanasia on the grounds of pure Christian dogma, because there are many among us that would choose a dignified death for ourselves rather than deteriorating life in great pain. However, despite these putative interpretations of the words of Jesus Christ himself, the present day thinking of the mainstream Christian church appears to oppose assisted suicide in all its forms. Christianity and Euthanasia The modern majority or mainline Christian attitude to issue of assisted suicide is relatively straightforward. Euthanasia is opposed. As is the case with regards to the abortion issue, most Christians would agree that it is wrong to take the life of another human. Christians believe in the sanctity of life from the moment of conception until the intervention of natural death. Something in excess of sixty passages of scripture in the Bible refer to the sanctity of life, in particular the aforesaid Thou shalt not kill. Christians believe that God is the giver and taker of life. As a consequence they believe that God’s will in matters of life and death takes precedence over any desire that man may express. The fact that the so-called right to die movement would change laws so that doctors or relatives could directly and intentionally terminate another persons life flies in the face of this basic Christian belief in God’s authority. The Christian view is that God has endowed mankind with certain unalienable rights, and that that the first and most important of these is the right to life itself. From a Christian perspective all other God-given human rights are worthless, unless the right to life is held supreme. There is an argument that everyone has a right to do with their own body as they see fit, but the majority Christian view appears to be that this is not persuasive. Although euthanasia might be seen to be a private, victimless act it is not committed in a vacuum and Christians believe that the act would have far reaching â€Å"spill-over† effects for society at large. Given that euthanasia affords one person the power to engineer the death of another person it is a public matter which, in line with mainline Christian thinking, could well result in abuse and/or the steady erosion of care for the most vulnerable people. It is a Christian belief that today’s society values only healthy and comfortable life and faith dictates that this is a narrow-minded attitude. Christians assert that God’s plan to make us whole is such as to ensure that we experience all aspects of life, from good to bad in health and in sickness, from the springtime and opportunity of youth to the austerity and trails of the winter that old age inevitably brings. Christians argue that modern medical treatments for pain reduction offer most dying patients effective relief which renders the avoidance of pain as a reason for mercy killing nugatory as a medical or moral argument. It is submitted that it is central to the Christian ethos that God has a reason for everything that man can experience, including pain and suffering. Christians would contend, for example that many people given time to contemplate as they ail on their deathbed have been brought closer to Christ, and that the experience of seeing someone in such a position may bring the observer closer to Christ. It is a trite observation that the terminally ill and often, merely the elderly, may be concerned about becoming a burden to their family or to the greater community and those with responsibility for delivering care may come to resent the time, effort and expense entailed in the discharge of their duty. However, the Christian perspective on this is very clear, and steels the debate on euthanasia generally. The Christian view is well articulated by Gilbert Meilaender in the following extract:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Learning not to resent the claims on our time and energy is likely to be the work of a lifetime. If we decline to learn the lesson, however, we cease to live in the kind of community that deserves to be called a family, and we are ill prepared to live in the community for which God has redeemed us a community in which no one stands on the basis of her rights, and all live by that shared love Christians call charity† Christians may also contend that ‘quality of life’ should not to be measured by physical health but only by a person’s relationship with God. The natural inference is that sickness is an irrelevant consideration and one which should not be used as a justification for killing. Euthanasia, unlike abortion, is referred to, albeit tangentially, in the Bible. There are two such instances in the Old Testament. In Judges Abimelech pleaded with his armour-bearer to put him to death after he had been hit on the head by a millstone because he did not want to suffer the shame of being killed by the woman who had dropped the stone on him. In the second reference in Samuel, Saul, the first king of Israel, asked to be put to death after he had attempted suicide:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I am still alive. So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive.† The Amalekite narrator of this story is then put to death by David, Sauls successor and the point is made that Saul had contradicted the word of God and lost the right to lead his people as a consequence. In neither instance is the notion of euthanasia treated with approval, but no specific lesson is clarified. The Roman Catholic Perspective It is submitted that the Roman Catholic Church opposes the practice of euthanasia. Roman Catholics apply the principle of Natural Law to assisted suicide just as they do in the case of abortion, where a similar prohibitive stance is taken. As a consequence Catholics believe that all life is regulated and ordered by God and that all events (including episodes of great suffering) occur just as God intends. The Roman Catholic Church thus teaches that euthanasia runs contrary to Gods will on the rationale that such human intervention in the process of death is unnatural. Indeed assisted suicide is deemed to constitute a sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church sets down the following implacable principle:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus an act, or an omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in a order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder greatly contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.’ This stance is softened to a small degree by the provisions made in 2278 and 2279 of the Catechism. 2278 Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of over-zealous treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; ones inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected.  2279 Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted. The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity. As such it should be encouraged. However it is submitted that these provisos, while well rationalised and well founded, do not alter the fact that in terms of general principle the Catholic church stands fore square against the concept of euthanasia. Current Fears of Christianity: From the Right to Die†¦ to a Duty to Die? In March 2004 Lord Joffe introduced the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill into the House of Lords. The Bill aims to empower competent adults suffering a terminal illness to obtain medical assistance to die at his or her own considered and persistent request. In simple terms, the Bill aims to legalise voluntary euthanasia in the United Kingdom. In October 2005 leaders of the primary faiths of the United Kingdom sent a joint letter to both Houses of Parliament in an attempt to set out their position against the legalisation of any form of euthanasia prior to a scheduled debate on the proposed Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill in the House of Lords. As indicated above, signatories to the letter included not just Christian leaders but leaders of other faiths. The Bishop of Southwark of the Church of England the Rev. Tom Butler was joined by, among others, His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, the Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks, Principal of the Muslim College and Chair of Muslim Law Sharia Council Sheikh Dr M.A. Zaki Badawi, General Director of Evangelical Alliance UK Joel Edwards and the Archbishop of Cardiff of the Catholic Church in Great Britain Peter Smith. The letter stated that:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We, the undersigned, hold all human life to be sacred and worthy of the utmost respect and note with concern that repeated attempts are being made to persuade Parliament to change the law on intentional killing so as to allow assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia for those who are terminally ill, The central message of the letter was, as has been discussed above, that the very sick are often vulnerable and they may well feel that they are a burden to their family and friends. The signatories to the letter wanted to make the point that legalising assisted suicide and euthanasia might have the effect of putting pressure on such individuals to ‘do the decent thing’ and request early death for the sake of the convenience, economic well being and happiness of those left behind. The letter warned that the so-called right to die could thus evolve subtly over time to become an unspoken duty to die in which considerations such as those described above could come to exercise undue influence over the decision-making process. The religious leaders argued in the alternative that the focus should be on improved palliative care, stressing that medical science is taking great strides in relieving the range of symptoms endured by those suffering from a terminal illness and emphasising the increasing sophistication of support systems for families. Moreover the letter suggested NHS reforms and innovations to buttress these developing areas. After a full debate in the House of Lords on 10 October 2005, Lord Joffe tabled a further Bill to introduce so-called physician assisted suicide. The Christian Charity CARE (Christian Action Research and Education) has launched a high-profile campaign, known as the Life Valued campaign, to oppose this suggested legislation. CARE Chairman Lyndon Bowring has proffered a biblical foundation for the campaign. He stated: ‘We have been given a duty to be God’s stewards†¦ It’s right to care for creation – and even more so to care for the pinnacle of his creation†¦Stand with those in Parliament who are speaking out in God’s name for the sanctity of human life.’ Concluding Comments It appears that the majority view among the modern custodians of the Christian faith, or at least the view that is most forcefully expressed, is that euthanasia is to be opposed in all its forms as contrary to the fundamental tenet of the sanctity of human life. There is a view that the rule that one must love one’s neighbour as oneself can be interpreted to mean that an act to limit the suffering of another could be justified because the same decision might well be taken on one’s own behalf and in one’s own interests. Moreover the rule that thou shalt not kill, which appears to set down a clear and simple prohibition, must also be subject to contextual interpretation. If the rule is to be followed to the letter then the Christian practice of killing animals for food must be thrown into question. In the words of Jesus: ‘Thou shalt not kill any living thing, for life is given to all by God, and that which God has given, let not man taketh it away.’ Ho wever, this rule must surely be subject to caveats since even Jesus Himself fed his followers with fish. It could be argued that killing to relieve suffering is a far higher motive than killing for food, given in particular that it is possible to survive without consuming animals. Indeed the words expressed by Jesus are impossible to follow to the letter, because even plant life is living matter. We cannot eat rocks or sand and we cannot survive on thin air, therefore there simply must be room for the practical interpretation of the sixth commandment. It follows that if we can justify killing to fill our dining table, we can surely justify killing to alleviate pain and suffering, where such is motivated by nothing but love and compassion for the victim. This is a personal conclusion. Although it is one drawn direct from the stated words and actions of Jesus Christ Himself, it is conceded that it is not the majority view of Christian church today. The principle of the sanctity of human life is one of the highest of human civilization, and it is easy to see why guardians and proponents of the Christian faith wish to strive so hard to protect it from erosion in any and all circumstances. In a perfect world this commentator would agree with this view but this is not a perfect world and there are no perfect rules at least it is submitted there are no rules perfect in application in every conceivable instance. Two thousand years ago, when Jesus delivered his teachings and the Christian faith was born, medical science was in its infancy. In those days terminal illnesses progressed at a far more rapid pace and the fraught questions that now confront twenty first century society, which has acquired the technology to prolong life over long p eriods, were seldom if ever posed. As a consequence, it is perhaps a pregnable exercise to seek moral or ethical guidance from teaching and faith established in an age that predates the issue now under debate and cannot possibly accommodate it. In plain terms, the Bible is a contemporary text. It simply was not written with the issue of euthanasia, in the context of twenty first century technological progress, in mind. The foregoing analysis illustrates the depth, sensitivity and difficulty of the issue of euthanasia. Such is only amplified when one considers religious perspectives, such as the Christian teachings and ethical framework discussed in this paper. The Christian faith can be applied to inform and enrich the debate on euthanasia in multifarious ways, and it can in theory be invoked with force by each opposing camp. Given the difficulty in interpreting God’s word, perhaps it is time for man to take sole responsibility for the decision, and perhaps it is man’s justification, not a faith-based rationale that should prevail. That is not to say the decision should not be guided by Christian principles, the question of euthanasia is one deserving of the utmost good faith and scrutiny, but perhaps mans’ ultimate assumption of responsibility is part of God’s overarching plan. This could be said to be the flowering of the free will that, in the Christian tradition, He gifted to us. One thing is certain: it lies within God’s power to intervene to guide the debate on euthanasia to His favoured conclusion. In the face of a morally and ethically challenging issue such as assisted suicide, Christians can draw solace and sustenance from that fundamental belief. BIBLIOGRAPHY The Bible Authorized version of King James ‘England Faith Leaders Lobby Parliament Against Euthanasia’, The Christian Post, October 10, 2005: http://www.christianpost.com/article/europe/550/section/england.faith.leaders.lobby.parliament.against.euthanasia/1.htm Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [HL] 8 January 2004, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200304/ldbills/017/2004017.htm Dramatic Launch for Anti-Euthanasia Campaign, Christian Action Research and Education, 29 November 2005: http://www.care.org.uk/Publisher/Article.aspx?id=31154. Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm Pro-Abortion Madness: The abortion lobby has abandoned its rationales amid pro-life gains, Ted Olsen, Christianity Today, September 2004, Vol. 48, No. 9, Page 82. Christian Thinking About Advance Medical Directives, Meilaender, G, Christian Century 113 S 11-18 1996: 854-857.

Missionaries Are to Blame in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay

Missionaries Are to Blame in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart      Ã‚   The burden and calling to reach out and help others, enfold many people in society throughout the world. Rich or poor, young or old, black, red or white, the motive is helping those with a need. As Chinua Achebe points out in his book, Things Fall Apart, though there is the aspiration to lend a hand, it can sometimes become deadly, and even fatal to the lives of people. Although the missionaries try help convert the Ibo village of Umuofia to Christianity, their presence in Africa is harmful to the lives and culture of the Ibo.    The men that come to Umuofia destroy the cultural balance of faith and religion that encompasses the native people in Africa. People in Umuofia depend strongly on the ancestors and gods in their culture. It is their tradition and their beginning, from which they govern their lives. Even the priestess that serves the god Agbala, "...was full of the power of her god, and she was greatly feared" (16). Without the stronghold of customs and traditions, only chaos exists. Peace, trust, and knowledge are thrown off when the new religion of Christianity is introduced. When the missionary explains that:    "All the gods you have named are not gods at all. They are gods of deceit who tell you to kill your fellows and destroy innocent children. There is only one true God and He has the earth, the sky, you and me and all of us" (121).    Decisions, opinions, and beliefs become uncertain and doubt appears. Cultural values, that ware held for generations, are pitted against the missionary's sermons. Although the missionaries come with the desire and intention to help the underdeveloped Ibo village reach its pote... ...e senseless and heartless government, which ruthlessly destroys the peaceful atmosphere in the villages. Africa will only reach its potential when everybody realizes the importance of preserving the cultural traditions.    Works Cited and Consulted: Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart.   London: Heinemann, 1958. Decheta, Buchi. European Imperialism. London: Heinemann, 1980. Evans, Jennifer. "Cultures and Resistance." African Literature Today.   Trenton, New Jersey: African World Press, 1987. pages  Ã‚   Hidoo, Rose.   Culture in Chains: Abandonment in the Work of Selected West African Writers.   Owerri, Nigeria: Black Academy, 1994. Nnolim, Charles E.   "The Missionaries." Approaches To the African People: Essays in Analysis. London: Saros International, 1992. Okonkwo, Juliet.   "The Cultural Rape of Africa." African Quarterly 15.1-2: pages.