Native American Vision Quest Essay

Vision Quest: A vision quest is a rite of passage in Native American cultures and more specifically the Oji-Cree. It was undertaken by a person when they reached puberty. The vision quest comprised of going to the wild for about ten days to fast. This took place either at the top of a hill or if need be a platform built in a tree. During the vision it is expected that at least one or more spirits would take pity on the individual and become his or her protector in the ordeal as well as a source of spiritual power for life. The carrying out of the vision quest was normally for males only in some Native American cultures; however for the Oji-Cree both males and females participated in this quest. During the vision fast power could be obtained and subsequently enhanced by fasting. During the course of the vision quest an individual would also receive his or her secret name from their spirit protector. The vision quest constituted for half of the spiritual rituals the Oji-Cree would undertake the other half being the shaking tent ceremony. The historical significance of this ritual was it was undertaken by individuals to provide power for themselves. Power was important as the Oji-Cree believed that power was inherent in every living thing and object, thus making it a important part of their way of life. Torah: The torah or also known as the law are the first five books of the Bible. It contains the essence of Judaism as well as ethical teachings and basic guidance. The Torah also contains the Ten Commandments which were given to the Hebrews by the Prophet Moses. The books that make up the Torah are Genesis (creation), Exodus (departure), Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Although sometimes it may contain The Prophets and usually the Psalms and other writings however some Hebrew scholars omit the Psalms and other writings. In the Christian faith the Torah is known as the Old Testament. The Torah provides modern day Jews with a explanation of what occurred in the time of the biblical Hebrews, events such as the conquest of Canaan and the exploration into the promised land are written in the Torah. The Torah is an integral part of the Jewish faith and is a corner stone in the teaching and spreading of the Jewish faith. Complimentary religious texts include the Mishnah and Talmud. In addition to providing the Jewish faith with guidelines and commandments the Torah also allowed for the academic interpretation of Hebrew teachings. These studies and interpretations were carried out by men called Rabbis which means teacher or my master. The Torah had increased significance during the Greek occupation of Judah as it became the foundation for the law of Judah in an attempt to preserve Jewish religion. The Torah also saw translation by the hands of the Greeks later on as the Greeks were fascinated by Judaism. This translation was named the Septuagint (in Greek it was Septuaginta) which meant seventy, seventy being the number of translators needed. Qur’an: The Qur’an is the central religious text of the Muslim faith. Islamic adherents believe that the Qur’an is the verbatim word of God. It`s origins start when the Prophet of the Muslim faith Mohammed was approached by the angel Gabriel during the month of Ramadan on Mount Hira. This was a repeat experience as it happened in later points in his life. In light of the fact that he was illiterate, he recited the teachings he had heard from Gabriel and by extension God to his followers who wrote them down. Similar to the Torah and the Bible the Qur’an was a written copy of oral tradition. However while the Torah and the Bible had multiple authors, Mohammed was the sole individual who dictated the Qur’an. In Arabic the word Qur’an means reading or recitation and it is generally believed that the Qur’an was to be the final message of God to humanity, making Mohammed merely the vessel from which this was sent. The Qur’an is tremendously significant to Muslims as in their eyes it is more than just a Holy Book, they see it as divine thought in written form consisting of the very mind and essence of God being communicated through Mohammed to humanity. It is a similar concept to the Christian concept of Logos, which is the Word of God being incarnate in Jesus Christ. The Muslim equivalent of Logos would be the Qur’an. Like the Christian`s Bible and the Hebrews Torah the Qur’an provides the framework of the Muslim faith as well is integral to the carrying out of the religions tenants. The Qur’an has influenced many events across history and can be considered the finest piece of literature in the Arabic Language. Sunni: Sunni is one of the sects of Islam, the other being Shi’a . Sunni is also the majority sect in Islam. The origins of the Sunni sect are intertwined with the Shi’as’ in an event known as the Shi’sm. The origins of Shi’sm derive from the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed named Ali. Most historians believed that Ali was the first male to embrace the Prophet’s message of Islam. His adherents also believed that he was he rightful successor of the Prophet and that he had been chosen by the prophet as the political and spiritual leader of Islam. The Sunnis were the faction who did not believe that the Prophet had selected Ali to succeed him. This clash of beliefs caused a schism with Islam and saw the creation of Sunnis and Shi’ites. While this schism was centuries ago it has significant implications in the modern day setting especially in the Middle east. In Iraq a part of the current warfare which is occurring is between the two groups. While Sunnis are a majority in most of the Muslim world, Iraq is predominantly Shi’a. The President of Iraq Saddam Hussein belonged to the Sunni faction and represented the minority rule over the majority in the country. While the Sunni faction differs from the Shi’a on terms of succession and other doctrine both groups agree that Allah is one and Mohammed is his last prophet. Regarding Islam, Sunni is often referred as the orthodox version of the religion. Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gita is a 700 hundred verse Hindu scripture. It is a veda or a old sacred book of Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gita is an epic poem describing classical Hinduism and was composed approximately near the end of the pre-classical age and beginning of the classical age of Hinduism. Its writing form is as a narrative of a great battle and is a section of a larger work known as Mahabharata, which was created much earlier in time. The premise of the Bhagavad Gita is :Prior to the battle a great warrior, Ajuna hesitates to fight. His charioteer, Krishna teaches him that it is his purpose and destiny to fight. Ajuna’s charioteer turns out to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu or in Hindu culture an avatar. The Bhagavad Gita is a compilation of centuries of developing worship, mediation and thought. The text consists of developed concepts of classical Hinduism touching on several points such as the gods Vishnu and Shiva and the concepts of karma, dharma, reincarnation and cases. The dimensions of the Bhagavad Gita are 18 chapters and 700 verses found in the Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita was spiritually important as it served as a source of spiritual knowledge as well as serves to reveal the purpose and goal of human existence. Master K’ung: Master K’ung or more commonly known as Confucius is one of the most important Chinese philosophers. He is traditionally hailed as the father of philosophical school of Confucianism. In addition to his capacity as a philosopher Master K’ung was also traditionally known as a was a thinker, political figure and educator. Master k’ung was said to have lived from 551-479 B.  C, his teachings were transferred orally by his students, emphasizing a way of life called ren. Ren was defined as right living and was achieved through li or ethical propriety, good manners and traditional ritualistic practices. According to his teachings family was seen as the central vehicle to cultivate these attributes. Master K’ung’s thoughts became available in a book known as the Analects. Master K’ung’s journey consisted of him leaving his life behind and wandering with a band of disciples until he found internal peace. While claims are unlikely, Master K’ung is attributed with works known as the Five Classics. These classics consist of the Shu Ching or Classic of History (writings and speeches from ancient Chinese rulers), the Shih Ching or Classic of Poetry (300 poems and songs), the I Ching or Classic of Changes (the description of a divinatory system), the Ch’un Ch’iu or Spring and Autumn Annal (a history of the state of Lu from 722 to 484 BC) and the Li Ching or Classic of Rites (a group of three books on the Li the rites of propriety. In addition there was also a now lost sixth book called the Yueh Ching or Classic of Music. Maste K’ung had a tremendous legacy which effected the world, as millions around the world would apply his wisdom and thoughts even in this day and age.

Importance of Participation

This is a vital issue today that what is the purpose of electing the political parties to form the government. If we look the entire democratic process it completely gives the picture of non people oriented leadership establishments in political leadership, getting education, starting business doing any social services. The democracy's look is capitalist. Till we change this look and understand the democracy has given the first right to common people and that right is representative right and now we have to think how this right should be used by the common people to lead the society entering into the political institutions.The representative right is now used by the wealthy classes in our society and they able to build the political parties and in maximum cases they constituted the constitutional framework that gives the political parties to come in front of the common people through election commissions registration process. If we seriously look into the function of election commiss ion they should limit themselves to act for preparing the people's mandate giving programme and listing the voters, but they are doing some extra job given to them by the political leadership who want to remain in seat of power.The democracy is the rule of the common people first using the representative right from the constitution directly   and forming the political institutions to workd for the people. After five years the election commission make the arrange ment for asking people to vote to these institutions which has been formed directly taken the representative right through the constitutional provision to establish the people's leadership in the political institutions. We have to change the capitalist huge social money costly system in people oriented simple and meaningful process.Which could bring social unity among the world community and the capitalist people also feel for the society and remaining in the society and earning they mustnot ignore the social needs afteral l society is supporting them to get the profit  and taxes are not the only answer because taxes is to be collected to run the administration properly because present world social system, social centralised imagination is not thought about so every welfare programmes has been taken by the state and the result is that they unable to fulfill the people's desire.So change the democracy and  all political parties should correct the constitution of their country to include the people's commission provision to provide the people their first democratic right of The Representation   to form the political institutions in this way we can control the society and unite the people  for better purpose. Peace, security and prosperity would come through the social system  supported to political system.

Public Health Care Policy Essay

The bill I have chosen to examine is bill H. R. 1983: States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act. This bill was sponsored by Barney Frank from Massachusetts. This bill calls for a rescheduling of marijuana and to defer each states ruling on its’ medical use. This bill would change federal laws to prohibit arrest or harassment of patients prescribed marijuana in any state that the state law allows. There would be minimal cost in implementing this bill as the federal government is spending a large amount of funds to enforce this law as well as hold prisoners in facilities. Currently there is a conflict between some state and federal laws on the subject of medical marijuana. According to PopVox.com there are currently no organizations opposing this bill, while it lists several organizations endorsing it. Currently the organizations endorsing this bill are the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, Marijuana Policy Project, the Drug Policy Alliance, Americans for Safe Access, Americans For Forfeiture Reform, and WinLiberty. This bill, in my opinion, will affect the health care economy greatly. If this bill passes it will, in essence, create a new drug for the medical world. Currently, patients that are prescribed marijuana are in danger of getting arrested or harassed by the federal government whether the patients state laws allow it or not. This bill will give power to the state. If this bill passes, it will bring a new drug to the arena of medical drugs without the cost of developing the drug. Most new drugs that enter the market are patented to give incentive to pay high costs for research and development, while marijuana has already been created, researched, and developed. The barrier to entry will be low as marijuana is low in cost to grow and is in high demand. If H.R. 1983 passes, the public living in states that allow medical marijuana will be free of fear of punishment of the federal government, which will lower the â€Å"price† of being prescribed marijuana in allowing states. The demand for marijuana would increase and lead to an increase in supply. It would enable the market to balance itself out to the equilibrium of supply and demand. Since there is no patent on the drug, barriers to entry would be minimal. With the cost so high to sell and buy marijuana for any use, other substitutes for marijuana are able to increase their prices. The demand is high for pain management, appetite enhancers, as well as anxiety medicine leading to high prices for drugs such as Valium, Vicodin, Lortab, Percocet , and others which marijuana has been shown to be used for substitutes. If the government would allow states to rule on the legality of marijuana, the drug would become easier to buy and sell in certain states. This would lead to lower barriers to entry and cost of selling bringing prices down for all marijuana substitutes. Currently, the federal government is artificially holding back the supply of the drug and the buyers, leading to dead weight loss. This policy will allow those who would like to supply the drug but don’t want to pay the high price to enter the market and lower the price that consumers have to pay to buy marijuana. The government will also save money currently being spent on enforcement of marijuana control. I believe the government is being asked to pass this bill because consumers, sellers, and the government benefit from this bill being passed; lower costs for all three, lessening dead weight loss, and increasing income toward the government in sales tax. The losers in this bill could possibly be suppliers of marijuana substitutes. They will be forced to lower their prices to compensate for higher supply of their drugs substitute. There could possibly be many externalities of the legalization of marijuana. With marijuana having a lower cost, cigar and cigarette smokers could move to smoking marijuana instead of tobacco. Fines may be created for driving under the influence of the drug as we have with alcohol. There would be more research toward marijuana for the health risks and benefits. Based on my analysis of this bill, I see more positive effects than negative. There would most likely be other externalities that have not been listed, and there may be other issues of drug control that would have to be implemented. In my opinion, giving the states’ rights to legalize or enforce control is a cheaper more efficient way to manage the market for marijuana.

Management of Risk and Protection of Vulnerable Individuals in Health Essay

Management of Risk and Protection of Vulnerable Individuals in Health and Social Care - Essay Example The goal has shifted to creating frameworks for action upon which the responsible agencies are called to work in consultations to assure coherent policies in protecting vulnerable persons from risks of abuse as well as effective and consistent responses from circumstances ascertained from concerns of formal complaints and anxiety expressions (Heaslip and Ryden 65). The primary aim of agencies includes preventing abuse in areas possible and establishing preventive strategy progression. Agencies require an assurance that there are robust procedures in place to deal with any incident of abuse. Circumstances for which exploitation and harm occurs is popular for the extreme diversity and membership of at-risk groups. The problematic issue is the identification of subsequent steps in making responses to such diversity (Young 121). The healthcare policies ascertain that service availability and existence of illness symptoms is substantiated in explaining the application of services. Service s can be availed even without the use and may be utilized in a manner that is not established in the performance (Larkin 87). People can seek the help of various problems above others without seeking help from the reflection of intended services provision. Scoping reports identify mismatches between patients’ needs and professional expectations to the service uptake patterns. The description of problems for the delay, as well as non-uptake for health services, appears to have a link to the underlying social deprivation structures and specific membership for cultural groups (Leathard, Goodinson-McLaren and McLaren 87).

How Did Japan's Successful Adaptation to the Challenges of Western Imp Essay - 1

How Did Japan's Successful Adaptation to the Challenges of Western Imperialism and China's Failure Complete - Essay Example Similarly for China, to revive an economy that was devastated by the ravages of a long civil war, and turn it into one of the fastest growing economies by the end of the century was a truly laudable achievement. Japan moved from a limited democracy with a semi-divine monarch before world war II, to a thriving progressive one by the last decade of the twentieth century. China, on the other hand, transformed from a communist form of government at the end of the civil war, to a more modern form of socialism using reform and an opening of its markets by the end of the century. At the beginning of the twentieth century, western powers like Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium had grown rich and powerful through the acquisition of colonies in Asia and Africa. Japan sought to imitate western imperial powers by acquiring foreign territorial possessions because of the power and prestige associated them. The frequent provocation by western powers, their racial prejudices towards Asian people; as well as its own concerns for its territorial and economic security, led Japan into a series of wars in China as well as other South Asian countries. This was done mainly to increase its sphere of influence and to secure much-needed markets for its goods. The disastrous results of trying to imitate western imperialism saw Japan reduced from a dynamic Asian empire in the 1930s and 1940s to a small group of islands in a western dominated order by the end of WWII. The result of the second world war changed Japan’s fortunes. Devastated by the atomic bomb and over-populated due to the return of its people from   Manchuria and Korea, a starving Japan was forced to accept free food from America. The impact of this on the Japanese people was naturally profound and resulted in a steely determination to return to a position of power in the new world order. Japan had to begin over again the process of developing industry and self-sufficiency. One advantage it had was its talent pool in terms of educated people in the field of science and technology. Another was its strong belief in free enterprise and its expertise in managing industry in such an environment.  

Place in Our Secular and Scientific World for Religion Term Paper

Place in Our Secular and Scientific World for Religion - Term Paper Example Religion is the ultimate truth and will be followed until science is able to explain absolutely everything in the universe. Philosophers have also had some religious views when it came to science. In their time, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were highly regarded for their wisdom and philosophies. Neither of them as followers of the prevalent pagan mythologies of the time. All of them felt the existence of a greater being, an absolute being, which is above human eccentricities and the weaknesses of Greek gods and goddesses. Of course, they had heated arguments about the nature of this Supreme Being and his creations. These Greek philosophers have left behind teachings that are similar to those of Jesus Christ. (Lindsey). Aristotle’s Unmoved Mover has been a part of his explanations of many physics and metaphysics phenomena.   Of this Unmoved Mover, he says, â€Å"God  has no matter, which means that there can only be one God since it is a matter that differentiates one fo rm or definition into many manifestations of that one form or definition.  His work in physics led to a worldview bringing his followers back to God, pronouncing him as the designer of our clockwork world. His study of the celestial mechanics convinced of the presence of a God as the ultimate creator of science.   Since God has no matter, then God is one not only formally or by definition but also numerically.   In addition, there can be only one unmoved mover, because there is only one heaven:   continuous motion is one motion since such motion is a system of moving parts.† It was Aristotle’s belief that anything that has an absolute pattern or design has to be created; it cannot happen accidentally and needs a reason or case for creation. The Unmoved Mover is the first cause. ("University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ")

History of the Multinational Oil Market Literature review

History of the Multinational Oil Market - Literature review Example This research will begin with the statement that there are many relates to oil discoveries from American explorers. They encountered oil deposits in some forms. Also, there is the early discovery of oil in the Middle East. On a 1775s map of the English Middle Colonies, Louis Evans located deposits along the eastern seaboard. The oil was used for many purposes. Before the Industrial Revolution, the main usage was for kerosene. The regular oil lamps were upgraded to kerosene lamps and in 1859 Samuel Downer, Jr. patented â€Å"kerosene† as a trade name and licensed its usage. In the same year, a 69 feet deep was drilled at Titusville, Pennsylvania ( U.S.) to tap oil. This was the beginning of the operations of the first oil corporation. As whale oil increased in price because of the scarcity of that mammal, the rock oil industry boomed in the United States. The success of the Titusville’s oil-well stimulated consumers to increase the use of oil. The purpose of this article is to provide a historical overview of the multinational oil market and explain how it influences the political relationships between countries. Standard Oil Company Montague, in the article â€Å" The Rise and Progress of the Standard Oil Company† relates this discovery with the production of crude and explain it contributed to the rise of the first oil corporation. In the next years, many successful oil wells were discovered. In 1865 Mr. Rockefeller was constructing a refinery in oil exploitation ( Pithole Creek). The demand for petroleum products was increasing exponentially and so the wells. Mr. Rockefeller saw the exigency to secure the business and increase their capital. And in 1870 he promoted the Standard Oil Company with the union of Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler the refineries of William Rockefeller & Co., Rockefeller & Andrews, Rockefeller & Co., S. V. Harkness, and H. M. Flagler ( Montague, 1904). As Mr. Rockefeller said the reasons for this union were: â€Å" The cause leading to the combination was the desire to unite our skill and capital, in order to carry on a business of some magnitude and importance in place of the small business that each had separately heretofore carried on.† With the Standard Oil Alliance, Mr. Rockefeller controlled not only the oil production but also the transportation system ( better rates were granted for them). In those years the Standard Oil Alliance achieved the monopoly of the oil industry ( Montague, 1904). The Spindletop Oilfield There was an important oil discovery near Beaumont, Texas in 1901 that modified the course of the oil industry in those days. It was the Spindletop Gusher one of the largest oil strikes rise up. With this discovery, many oil companies have been founded ( more than fifteen hundred) and others moved to Beaumont. Robert Wooster and Christine Moor Sands in their article â€Å"Spindletop Oilfield† relates the Spindletop Gusher with the start of many oil companies.