Gods or God?

1. Mary Lefkowitz responds to the charges by some secular commentators that religion â€Å"‘poisons’ human life and causes endless violence and suffering† by stating that the â€Å"poison isn't religion; it's monotheism. † 2. â€Å"Openness to discussion and inquiry† and â€Å"[r]espect for a diversity of viewpoints† are some attitudes that contributed to the Athenian idea of â€Å"the cooperative system of government †¦ called democracy. †3. The existence of many different gods offers a more reasonable explanation than monotheism of â€Å"the presence of evil and confusion in the world. † A mortal â€Å"may have had the support of one god but incur the enmity of another, who could attack when the patron god was away†; however in the monotheistic traditions, â€Å"God is omnipresent and always good† and â€Å"mortals must take the blame for whatever goes wrong,† even though God permits evil to exist in t he world he created. 4.The separation between humankind and the gods made it possible for humans â€Å"to speculate about the character and intentions of the gods. † Greek theology allowed people to ask hard questions and encouraged others to learn and to seek all the possible causes of events. Such questions brought philosophy and science to the world. 5. Lefkowitz writes, â€Å"Ancient Greek religion gives an account of the world that in many respects is more plausible than that offered by the monotheistic traditions.† In this context, â€Å"plausible† seems to mean â€Å"reasonable. † The Greek account may be more â€Å"plausible† because â€Å"Greek theology openly discourages blind confidence based on unrealistic hopes that everything will work out in the end. † 6. Lefkowitz certainly makes an excellent point and I definitely agree with her. Religion today seems to be focused too much on blind belief. Thinking seems to create a healthie r environment and some â€Å"healthy skepticism† would definitely be helpful currently in such a stubborn world.

Comparison of Clt and Tblt

Task-based language teaching (TBLT) and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) are both communicative approaches to language learning and teaching. TBLT has grown out of CLT; however, they share and differ in some advantages and disadvantages. First of all, both of them are among â€Å"current communicative approaches†. That’s why, the classes those are instructed with CLT or TBLT are student centred and teachers are facilitator. That can be seen as the good side of these approaches.On the contrary to the traditional classes, students are actively involved in learning process and this motivates them more. Because they are motivated, they learn more, and it turns to be an advantage. As it is a pedagogical fact, it is also true for Turkish learners. Both CLT and TBLT emphasise communication, they give the opportunity to talk more, as opposed to traditional methods, which is a big advantage for language learning. CLT emphasises that language should be as close as in real li fe, and TBLT shares this principle.It means both put emphasis on authenticity. This is important because today many researches prove that language should be taught in real life situations or with authentic materials. As the language is a living thing, it cannot be parted from real life. This is how it should be not only in Turkish context but everywhere in the world. However, there are some limitations in Turkish context of learning for these two communicative approaches. First of all, Turkey is a country where English is not spoken officially.And, almost all of our English teachers are non-native. And this is one of the main constraints for TBLT and CLT classes. Although the teacher is a facilitator, it can be too demanding for non-native teachers to teach in such communicative classes. And also, the size of classes in Turkey is not perfectly suitable for both CLT and TBLT. Both are communicative approaches, and language activities / tasks should be carried out in groups or in pair s. Nevertheless, it is almost impossible to do it in crowded classes.A communicative activity or a task cannot be carried out in such too crowded classes. The teacher faces the problems dividing the class into groups or pairs and if she can achieve dividing, there comes the time limit. She cannot practice the activities in her lesson in those crowded classes On the other hand, it’s difficult for the teacher to walk around and monitor all the students at the time of communicative activities. Nonetheless, CLT and TBLT have some differences also.In CLT classes, although activities are real-life situations and enable learners to interact, they can be perceived as too abstract by learners. In spite of the teachers’ efforts, classroom activities are not real life. That’s because Turkish learners of English cannot hear the language except for the classroom and they just ‘pretend’ to be real life. On the other hand, TBLT has an advantage over CLT in this ca se. Tasks have immediate outcome, and that can motivate the Turkish learners more.It can also be said that CLT doesn’t meet the needs of the different types of learners, but again TBLT has an advantage over it, as tasks can be adapted for different learning styles or for different cultures. To practice CLT in Turkish context, the first phase should be developing a syllabus that’s compatible with CLT. However, in Turkey, we generally prepare a syllabus, and then, we choose our methods or our course books. Since TBLT is more instructional, those specially designed instructional tasks can be the basis of learning situations, in Turkish context TBLT has another advantage.To sum up, I think both the two methods achieve communicative purposes and real use of language as they are important aspects in language learning & teaching. They should be combined also with other methods concerning every factor that influence teaching. Each method has its advantages as well as its limit ations. A method is effective only when it is appropriate to the teaching context. The best thing to do is to develop one’s own teaching methods based on the context of where one teaches and integrates the merits of different methodologies to fulfill their own teaching objectives.

Cipd Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cipd - Assignment Example For example, employees requests for additional time to complete a particular task, while the manager requires from them, to complete the task within the specified time. In such cases, the issue is usually resolved as per the companies’ policy. But, if it is not possible to do so, then, those with the supreme authority and responsibility seek to resolve the issue in the light of their relevant knowledge and experience. In a business environment, verbal communication plays a crucial role, because, in a business environment, one deals with people, belonging to different background, culture and race and of different ages as well. Examples of verbal communication include: After agreeing on the particular service to be provided, it should be provided accordingly, that is, as per the agreement. This would assist you to obtain customer’s confidence on you which is the foundation of strong business relationship with customers. It is essential to keep the customers well informed about the current situation regarding the service to be provided. This would be helpful, in case it becomes difficult to provide the service to the customer in the agreed time period and a reasonable justification is required to be presented to the customer as to why the service could not be offered in the agreed time period. It is necessary to prioritize work, in order to manage time. It should be determined that which work is very important and urgent and which work is the least important and urgent, so that it can be carried out accordingly. It is imperative to keep reviewing the service on regular intervals by acting as per the feedback of the customers. This would facilitate you to improve to the quality of your service and would also create a positive impact on your customers. CPD is basically a mixture of various approaches, thoughts and methods which facilitate a person learn and achieve growth constantly. CPD’s essential focus is on the practical advantages which it offers

Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Buddhism - Essay Example And finally, of the existence of suffering Buddha refers to the fact that we will always experience some sort of sorrow or dissatisfaction in our lives part of obtaining personal peace or inner peace is accepting that.The idea that suffering exists from day one being born causes pain and suffering, getting disease causes pain and suffering, the decay of time causes pain and suffering, and ultimately death causes pain and suffering. The point is that there are so many things going on in life that cause suffering and many of them cannot be avoided. The second truth is â€Å"suffering comes from desire†. There are many forms of suffering that comes from wanting something or thinking that something is necessary, suffering can also come from stress,...Theravada (Ancient Doctrine) is a relatively conservative Buddhist tradition, which exclusively bases its doctrines and traditions on the commentaries of PÄ li Canon (Scriptures). Initially, the monk transmitted its scriptures orall y until the fourth council decided to write them down. It was during this time that Theravada flourished. Of the three Buddhist traditions, Theravada is the oldest. Its practice on the Indian subcontinent declined; however, its practice persists in South East Asia and Srilanka. Followers of the Theravada tradition believed that the realization of rebirth occurred through personal effort. They emulated practices of their monks who followed Vinaya, which encompassed meditation, teaching and offering services to the communities.

Personal Statement for a Business and Finance Final year student

For a Business and Finance Final year student - Personal Statement Example and I believe in life that the best educational institutes brings out the best in any scholar , this is why I have chosen to further my education at Hult International Business School. I realized early in life that we are put on this earth to build important things. Businesses are the drivers of our economy and the building blocks of society. Over the next five years, I hope that the things I learn at Hult will put me on a path to both professional and personal development. My short term goal is to start a small business. My long-term goal is to turn that business into a multinational company. My desire to study business stems from a willingness to make money and help others. I think that a job is the best form of social assistance. From the beginning, I have been interested in this field of study. I completed a Bachelors degree in Business and Finance, earning very good marks along the way. I learned that it’s businesspeople who create jobs. Studying business will ultimately be a highly rewarding experience. Therefore I am motivated in completing the business program successfully. I possess the intellectual commitment and compassionate interest to make this a satisfying and successful vocation. I truly want to leave my mark on the world by helping others. I realize this will not be an easy task, but I am motivated and determined. My perseverance and diligence will help me to reach my ultimate objective of completing the program successfully. Having a Masters from your institution will open up many doors for me. Please consider me for Hult International Business

Using examples, critically discuss the importance of gastronomy to at Essay - 2

Using examples, critically discuss the importance of gastronomy to at festivals - Essay Example Food festivals in the UK is a good example of food festivals where gastronomy can be used to benefit the tourism sector while improving culinary experience of many people who attend food festivals in the UK annually. Several regions of the UK offer food festivals in which all kinds of food from those regions are served, ranging from insects, oysters, mocktails and ales. Gastronomy in these food festivals enables locals and tourists to learn various types of food, share ideas about food, and build their nutrition knowledge (Smith & Costello, 2009). This improves relationships between people from different cultures, and enables them to enjoy their experiences together and build unity across UK and the world. This is also supported by Niester (2008), who suggests that food festivals such as beer festivals bring together visitors who come beer testing and experience, leading to strong relationships. People get to know each other as they test beer during beer festivals and beer shows held annually in Yorkshire, UK. Gastronomy also enables people to learn about sensory human nutrition. Visitors attending festivals do not just get the chance to enjoy beautiful sceneries and marvelous performances, but they also get to taste, discover, research and understand about food in a practical and enjoyable manner. For example, the Ludlow food festival in Shropshire is famous for modern food festival trend that involves preparation of sausage and ale trails (Lloyd & Johnson, 2009). The festival organizes an interactive event which allows participants to learn how to use their five senses when eating (Lloyd & Johnson, 2009). This event does not just promote relationships but also enables people to understand their sensory human nutrition. Gastronomy also enables people to learn and understand how food nutrition relates to culture (Katz & Weaver, 2003). As a

Korb v. Raytheon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Korb v. Raytheon - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Korb was a former Secretary of the Defense between 1981 and 1985, later he joined Raytheon Corporation, which supplied equipment to the army, navy and air forces of the US. For a short period, Korb was appointed as the Vice-President since he could strongly influence the Department of Defense and Congressmen whom he had worked with earlier. The President of Raytheon appointed Korb as the VP in Washington as he felt that Korb had a strong public image and his presence could politically and publically help Raytheon to develop itself. Korb also joined a nonprofit organization titled Committee for National Security (CNS) in December 1985 and this was the organization concerned with the prevention of nuclear armament. One day Korb spoke at a press conference related to defense budgets; he was quoted in the dailies which stated that he was critical of high defense budgets and urged the government to spend less for warships and carriers. His statement was not taken well by the Department of Defense and many of the high-end defense officials complained to Raytheon about Korb's statements. Korb wished to clarify on the statements but in March 1986 his company relieved him of his post. He was given the choice of remaining in office as a special advisor, but at all future speeches, he would have to obtain prior consent. Raytheon also made it clear that Korb would not work in coordination with the Defense Department anymore. Korb was never happy with the deal given by Raytheon, and, hence, in 1987 filed a case to Massachusetts state civil court for a wrongful termination. He cited both the Massachusetts state laws concerning civil rights and the First Amendment of the Constitution in support of his opposition. However, Raytheon wanted the case to be heard on a bigger platform and moved the case to the Federal District Court located in Boston. In order to ensure that he still could win the case, Korb changed his complaint and removed the references to the First Amendment. Since there was no federal involvement, the case was sent back to the Massachusetts state court. The Massachusetts court gave the judgment in favor of Raytheon, though Korb had the freedom of speech. Korb was in fact hired to work as an advocate and spokesperson of the company and if he brought the company in a bad light, then he was ineffective, and the company was right to have fired an ineffective employee. Here Korb was not acting privately as it was his duty to bring about a good public image of Raytheon and by posing that the defense budgets had to be lowered, he was, in fact, tarnishing the name of the company. A company can pursue any legal and ethical cause as it was seen that Korb was harming the name of his company. Korb could be accused of being inefficient and publicly spoiling the name of his company. Korb, in general, had a right to freedom of speech but in this case, his speech directly interfered with his role in the c ompany, for which the court granted the case in favor of Raytheon. Challenges with freedom of speech The court agreed that any person, including Korb, had the right to deliver a speech on a matter of public concern, including nuclear spending. Korb was basically hired to be a spokesperson with Raytheon and if he spoke against Raytheon, it did not interfere with his freedom of speech but was in direct conflict with his role at Raytheon. Hence, Raytheon could dismiss him for being ineffective at his work and, thus, his dismissal could not be considered a wrongful termination.