Sunday, September 8, 2019
How Safe are Federal Regulations on Occupational Alcohol Use Essay - 1
How Safe are Federal Regulations on Occupational Alcohol Use - Essay Example There are various rules and regulations that have been set by the federal system to control alcohol consumption among workers in different social and economic sectors. For instance: Specific rules and regulations to control alcohol use in the transportation sector, construction sector, manufacturing, and military as well as among the police. However, previous research show that the normal and legalized alcohol consumption has presented accidents at work places as well as poor productivity which in most cases are not identified by employees and their employers. Occupational accidents resulting from alcohol consumption by workers and their employers usually go unnoticed due to the fact that; there has not been proper research conducted in order to depict performance among employees working under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol consumption has various effects on the performance and the safety of workers which can be extant or can occur the next day after consumption. These effects are categorized according to the pattern in which they affect the workers: Residual effects which can exhibits different patterns of impacts. It generally connotes the physiological, behavioral and characteristics that may result from heavy alcohol consumption after episodes of heavy drinking and when the Blood Alcohol Concentration is at zero. There are also acute effects of heavy drinking that may occur immediately or after long periods of time such as cancer, weight loss and severe impacts of the reproductive system (Howland, J et al.2006). The effects of alcohol may be notice from several physiological and psychological abnormalities such as headache, fatigue and nausea. Residual effects of alcohol affect various organizations at different levels for instance; among the aircraft and automobile operators, researches have shown that: Decreased performances among pilots and military jet operators have been noticed after periods of heavy
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Speech Perception and Language Processing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Speech Perception and Language Processing - Essay Example WM has three systems with interactive mechanisms (Montgomery, Magimairai, & Maianisha, 2010). WM enables language comprehension in children of different ages. Though they are affected by the surrounding environment, WM plays an important role in processing of all incoming input on these children. Through the different systems that cooperate and coordinate with the working memory, language development is easily achieved in a normal child. However, the system has a fine attention to resources such as the mental energy that is always controlled in a flexible manner to achieve all bodily functions more easily. Children with specific language impairment normally do not have an impaired WM (Montgomery, Magimairai, & Maianisha, 2010). On the contrary, they also exhibit nonverbal intelligence unlike children with specific language impairment. Also, there are less or no developmental disabilities such as autism. From various researches that have been conducted by various institutions, children with specific language impairment rarely have limitations in working memory. In most cases, these kinds of children represent a heterogeneous population that has a language deficit depending on the surrounding nature. Most of them demonstrate working memory limitations according to these reports. Additionally, children with specific language impairment have a very slow vocabulary growth. Mostly, they have trouble in practicing and learning new words. The reason behind this is that they have a problem in encoding and storing new words in their memory. Hence, we can clearly affirm that children with specif ic language impairment have an impaired working memory. According to an article published by Montgomery, children with specific language impairment normally have a deficit in working memory especially in typically developing children (Montgomery, Magimairai, & Maianisha, 2010).
Tulsa Race Riot Essay Example for Free
Tulsa Race Riot Essay During the early 1900ââ¬â¢s, America has experienced an act of hatred and despair. Envy became the motive to suppress the masses and the death of hundreds of innocent people became the result. But how did all of this occur without any written record except for the painful memories forever instilled in the minds of the victims? Where were the authorities? Where was the so called ââ¬Å"justiceâ⬠that these people deserved? All of these questions replayed in my mind that night. On February 11, 2011, I attended an enrichment program at the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at Morehouse College. At this enrichment program, there was a special viewing of the documentary Soundtrack for a Revolution followed up by a questions and answers segment. Before the showing, there was nice musical performance presented by two individuals. The performance itself gave an overview of the Tulsa Race Riot. Shortly afterwards, the film started. Prior to this event, I have the opportunity to do research on this tragedy about a year ago, but never had been as deeply concerned about the incident just by reading about it. The film was well put together and definitely caught my attention. Soundtrack for a Revolution told the story of Tulsa, Oklahoma during the early 1900ââ¬â¢s and how it was a haven of flourishing black business. Everyoneââ¬â¢s wealth within the black community helped boost each otherââ¬â¢s business. It literally was considered the ââ¬Å"Black Wall Streetâ⬠. The dollar there circulated approximately thirty to one thousand times and sometimes took an entire year before the currency left the community. But, many people did not take a liking to the amount of wealth and success the black people of Tulsa, Oklahoma had. They grew envious and felt the need to suppress and even eliminate this epidemic. On May 31st through June 1st in 1921, they took action and for eighteen hours straight, they attacked. On those two days, hundreds of whites had gathered arms against the unarmed African Americans. So many of them were murdered and those who survived were left with nothing but tears and the painful memories. The movie forwarded to a more recent time and focused on the survivors of that dreadful day. It has been so many years since that event and the survivors have yet seen justice from the state and country whose purpose was to ensure their equality. Iââ¬â¢ve watched the film and how they were ignored by court judges and the only reconciliation that those who have managed to live received was nothing but a bronze metal. From what I have been watching, that piece of metal could not have given them proper justice. In the 1950s and 60s, America became a volatile and confused nation as the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum, and black Americans demanded equality, both in the eyes of the legal and social systems. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. orked tirelessly in the fight against injustice and inequality, and ultimately paid for his dedication with his very life. His main goal was to have peace for both whites and blacks. He wanted everyone no matter what color to get along and live among each other instead of being segregated. His advice, as his speech implies, was not to judge one another by the color of their skin but by the contents of their characters. This injustice that occurred in Tulsa was the exact opposite of Martin Luther King Jr. s vision for the world. This is why he fought so long and hard for. As far as the survivors, I really hope that they will get the justice that they truly deserve. I do not know exactly how they can accomplish this specifically, but I do know that, with persistence and being resilient, they will finally accomplish this long awaited justice. The Tulsa Race Riot was more than just a tragedy against another race, I believe it was another tragedy against mankind.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Quantitative Risk Assessment Essay Example for Free
Quantitative Risk Assessment Essay For the project of redesigning packing for the Canadian market, quantitative risk assessment plays an important role. Quantitative risk assessment is, ââ¬Å"A process for assigning a numeric value to the probability of loss based on known risks and available, objective dataâ⬠¦ used to determine potential direct and indirect costs to the company based on values assigned to company assets and their exposure to riskâ⬠(InvestorWords.com, 2014). For this particular project, quantitative risk assessment will be useful in determining not only which are areas of potential risk, but also to what degree these risks may affect the overall integrity of the project. Revised Project Background The project of the redesign of packaging for the Canadian market currently consists of four different product lines including Dial, Tone, Right Guard, and Dry Idea, and consists of over 50 variants spanning the four lines. Each new packaging design is independent of every other thus there exists no interdependency from design to the next. Each design observes a similar path consisting of initial review of changes, alterations, and additions by management, marketing, and the design team, initial layout of established changes by the design team followed by a first round review of changes by marketing, legal, management and compliance. If additional changes are required, a second round of design and review is implemented up to two additional rounds as needed. Upon successful acknowledgement of new designs, the artwork is then sent to our preproduction team for development to printer-ready artwork. Once completed, the artwork is sent to a third party production house for mockups to be created to be sent to the parentà company in Germany for final approval. If any designs are rejected (and they never are), commentary from Germany is implemented into further redesign and the process is restarted. Upon approval from Germany, artwork is submitted to the printer. Printer will then submit print-ready, color-calibrated proofs for final approval. Proofs are reviewed by management for final approval before actual printing. Once printed, packaging is sent to a fulfillment house to have labels applied to containers and filled with product or have wraps applied to soap bars. Upon completion of fulfillment, finished product is shipped to various holding facilities in Canada for final disposition. As previously stated, project will span eight months from inception to final delivery. Risk Identification Framework Management Delays: As the majority of the work for this project involves objective changes and adjustments to existing packaging, the first phase, initial review by management, involves nominal risk. Management will evaluate and select which products will receive updated treatment for inclusion into the Canadian market. Once the products are selected, management has no further involvement outside of potential cancellations of various packaging designs or their requested involvement during a particular phase of completion. Design Delays: As this project includes approximately 50 variants of packaging including labels and wraps, production must be coordinated to allow for enough time for completion of initial layouts and any necessary revisions, while taking into consideration the design needs and time constrains on the design team from other departments and for other projects running concurrently. While the project has a timeline of eight months, final design layouts must be approved and ready for preproduction within the first four months of the project. The in-house design team will complete the bulk of the design phase of the project, though external design agencies may be utilized if time constraints are threatened. It should be noted that the use of external design agencies would incur additional costs. Also, the design process will require an initial review before being released to the review team for official review, to ensure all parameters have been incorporated. Review Delays: This area constitutes the bulk of all potential delays. While each packaging component is independent of oneà another, the review process for each component must be completed sequentially among the review team. There are five departments that will review each design layout and either approve or denote changes. Some of these potential changes are subject to additional changes or cancellations by other departments, meaning the first team may indicate several changes that the third team can then override if the indicated changes are deemed unnecessary. Also, the number of rounds of review may add potential delays to the overall project. Another potential area of delay exists with the timely completion of review by the required departments. Certain key staff may be unavailable to review a packaging design during a given time period. To circumvent potential risks, each member of the review staff will have two alternative staff members capable of reviewing each package design. Should no staff members be available to review, the particular review component is submitted to the manager of the appropriate department for their review. This becomes a last-resort scenario in that traditionally, managers indicate changes that exist outside the scope of the project. Review delays present unique difficulties in that not every team member provides feedback as to their daily availability. Pre-Production and Printing Delays: The preproduction team will transition the artwork from its final design to printer-ready artwork. There is typically no risk for delay in this area. The printer will then produce a final round of art proofs calibrated to their individual presses. One round of revisions is already assumed and build into this process. Additional revisions are not typical though can present a nominal risk. Corporate Delays: While exceeding unusual, corporate can play a small role in delaying a project by canceling one or more packaging designs, adding addition package designs above and beyond what management has previously approved, or by simply delaying the provision of final approval on all finished designed submitted. While these scenarios are unlikely, they do represent the extreme limit of delay-related risk in that they can affect the project for an indeterminate amount of time. Qualified and Quantified Risk Matrix Review Delays Reduce Risk Consistent communication with key reviewers. Engage alternate reviews if primary reviews are unavailable. Enlist managers is alternate reviewers are unavailable. Greater than two days review time by each responsible team member. Project Manager Pre-Production and Printing Delays Reduce Risk Constant communication with pre-production team and printer will reduce or eliminate risks. Buffers in timing are already built into production times. Delays indicated by pre-production team or printer. References Cooper, D. F., Grey, S., Raymond, G., Walker, P. (2005). Project risk management guidelines: Managing risk in large projects and complex procurements. West Sussex, England: John Wiley Sons. InvestorWords.com. (2014). quantitative risk assessment. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.investorwords.com/19179/quantitative_risk_assessment.html Loch, C. H., DeMeyer, A., Pich, M. T. (2006). Managing the unknown: A new approach to managing high uncertainty and risk in projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Religious Views On Abortion Religion Essay
Religious Views On Abortion Religion Essay Abortion is defined in different ways by different people; the medical dictionary defines abortion as a premature exit of the product of conception from the uterus. It is the loss of pregnancy (MedicineNet.com, 1998).Religion is a key factor in the control of morality in the society today; in examining the concept of abortion and the perspective of the religion on abortion one must find how the different religions in the society influence this concept. Within the various religious circles, it is argued and continuously debated whether a fetus is a living being. The main argument is on when or at what stage does the state and religion consider a fetus to be a living being. Some religions argue against the state with the point that a fetus is not a living person. The arguments on the morality of abortion are often based on the religious beliefs. On the grounds of religion, each religious belief has its views on the concept of abortion, In Christianity abortion is considered a bad omen, an evil practice and non-acceptable by God, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that abortion is wrong and any member of the church found involved in the practice can be excommunicated from the church. The Jehovah witness also do share the common belief with the catholic that abortion is wrong, it is concluded that in most Christian denominations, abortion is highly prohibited and at no time accepted in the churches. Like other fellow Christian communities, the protestant churches does not allow abortion, in the Northern Ireland the catholics as well as protestants have come together to oppose the concept of abortion, this does not imply that all the Christians denominations against the act and concept abortion (SPUC,2010). Some of the Christian denominations are pro abortion and believe that abortion can help save lives if carefully carried out with the help of doctors and professionals in the field of medicine such as in the Baptists and Methodists churches. In these cases, a woman was not disgraced after having an abortion unless she went against the advice of a professional. The consistency of the Catholic Church against the abortion has raised questions; however this question was answered by catholic theorist James McCarthy. His argument was based on whether the life of a child begin ate the point of conception or not. It is however clear that there has been no clear church teaching on this matter, there has been lots of argument at what point does a fetus become a human being. Others argue that a person is more than just the biological parts, and believes that a living person has more advance characteristics that a fetus do not posses, like the ability to think and make relationships with other people (McCarthy,1996). The pro -life proponents also argue that the ability of a fetus to exist independently defines it as a person, there argument is based on the right to life and they believe that the fetus can live given time and good environment just like any other human beings. It is however realistic that the Catholics will still view abortion evil no matter what argument are brought forward (Dombrowski, 2000). From this argument we can easily conclude that the Catholics has viewed and will always view abortion as evil regardless of any positive contribution it has in the society; it is also not clear whether they view fetus as a living human being. It therefore raises questions as to why the Catholics carry out fetal baptisms, which were practiced early 1700s. The contradiction is clearly evident, the McCarthy claims that a fetus is not a human being and the early church carried out fatal baptism (McCarthy,1996).From this argument it is evident that most of the religious belief and concept on abortion is based on the human life, and the point at which it is considered to begin. Hinduism view In the Hinduism faith, abortion is considered evil; however some of the Hindus texts prove abortion to be a necessary evil, since it save lives. The Hindu scripture reference the act of abortion as gorha-batta meaning womb killing, the abortionist is referenced as the greatest sinner in the society as described by Atharva Veda. It is therefore clear that in the Hindus faith abortion is an abormination. The Vedas does not show when life begins or whether a fetus is a living being but it is clear that abortion is a sinful activity.This is as outlined in the part of the Aryan scriptures is in the Vedas which states; Whpe off, O Pushan [Lord], the sins of him that practiseth abortion. (Sacred Books of the East). Another compelling evidence that abortion is unacceptable in the Hindu religion is contained in the books of Chandrasekhar (1974) in which he pointed out that induced abortion, which he referred to as bhrunahatya (foetus murder) is a sin. He pointed out that according to Vishnu Smriti (c. 100 B.C. to 100 A.D.) ,the act of abortion which is the destruction an embryo can be considered as the killing of a holy person (Chandrasekhar,1974) Christian view The concept of abortion in the Jewish law is not as strict as the Christian way; the Jewish legal authorities have not established principles by which to determine the morality and validity of abortion in the society. The issue is complex and always refers back to the bible. The Bible on the other hand has a lot to say regarding the concept of abortion, the Biblical arguments indicated that the unborn child is a human being and constitutes Gods creation. God came up with three creations. The conceived life on the conception of God is a living, after conception the result is referred to as the child in the likeness of God, as per the Bible the infant, child, son or daughter refer to the same thing since they are all creation of God. Other phrases of the Bible indicates that when men fight and one of them hit a woman who is expecting with the result of a miscarriage, the responsible person will be charged based on the womans husband judgment, but if other issues occur, the penalty will be life for life (Bible Exodus 21:22). Life for life indicate the miscarriage is the loss of life, the life loss as a result of miscarriage is equivalent to the life of the responsible person. It is therefore concluded that the stands of the Bible on the miscarriage or abortion is defined clearly, in loss of life through abortion is equivalent to the life lost for an existing human being. It is however not easy to simplify what the Bible state concerning abortion, several scholars has indicated that it is not easy to determine the real knowledge on the matters relating to abortion. Most of the Christians however, are just told that abortion is prohibited and not allowed in the society. This concept just simplifies what is hard to comprehend in our society. It has become a matter of doing what God requires from his disciples, no matter what the consequences are to the living and the unborn; the final judgment is however the Almighty God. (Ward,1978). In summary it is evident that the Bible controls most of the judgment in the Christian faith concerning abortion. This is however only true if the decision is in congruence with Gods demands as outlined in the Holy Bible Buddhism view Buddhism on the other hand has a more relaxed approach to abortion. This is evident in the Buddhas way of life, as it tries to get away from making finalization and judgment on matters. Buddha advised his followers not to accept or believe in any teaching from other religions not even Buddha himself. His emphasis was to investigate the teaching on how abortion is viewed from the people themselves and the society of the Buddhist. If an individual within oneself finds a teaching to be true, then he should practice the teaching, but not trust any teaching by simply trusting them. Buddha first percepts state I will not harm any living creature this does not only apply to the human being community but to all animals, once a fetus is alive the Buddhism faith protest not to harm the fetus and protect the fetus. The Buddhist approach to ethical and social issues relating to abortion is based on the concept on compassion. The concept of compassion is important to the Buddhist than any other doctrines r laws set by the land. It is therefore important on any judgment as to whether abortion is good or evil in the land of the Buddhist one should bring in light the concept of compassion to the fetus before any argument is made. Most Buddhist feel that in relation to the concept of compassion abortion is wrong, and regrettable, it is viewed as the act of depriving the unborn the compassionate right to live, however the compassion should be both to the fetus and the mother, it may be to a level where the compassionate on the fetus may deprive the mother the right to life. In this case Buddha then indicates that you do what I feel is right, such circumstances are allowed so that each individual arrive at the right conclusion and not judgmental. In conclusion, reviews of literature from various Buddhist ethicists do bear a universal consensus that education is the best policy in tackling abortion. In this light, they advocate birth control as well as encouraging the use of contraceptives (Tsomo,1998) Discussions This research however makes me to misunderstand the result of engaging in abortion, it relays that if a woman from the Buddhist faith engages in the act of abortion, she should be comforted with compassion rather than judgment and punishment.These religious have had their share of impact in different societies, and they have brought different views on the concept of abortion example, most of the United States population claims to be Catholic (Dombrowski, 2000); however there is no religion that stick to there rules and doctrines. It would be hard to say that religious factors are insignificant considering Roman Catholicism is the leading opponent of abortion (Abernethy, 1994). Hindus had been very firm and so many people. The Catholics have always been strict and against the act, but it is evident that most of the faithful indulge in such activities and the church assume not to know as a result of not losing the faithful. The religion has therefore left us in the dark whether abortio n is good or not allowed within the church. It therefore calls for a personal judgment and that why this question, Is abortion Right? Is an open ended question that can be answered based on the individual judgment and not religious grounds and the doctrines of the church. Conclusions On my opinion the concept of compassion brought in the Buddhist faith, is more appealing, however abortion should be carried out with the assistant of a health professional, and only when it is dangerous to either the mother or the child. The mother side should be given precedence since she is a living being in existence as to the un-born as believed by the Buddhist. It is therefore depended on individual judgment whether to carry out abortion or not. The Buddhist vie of abortion is more liberal this is because it leaves the decision to the person who engages in the act to a large extent. The contemporary society is fuelled largely by the freedom of personal choice and technology. These doctrines seem to be well illustrated in the Buddhist view of abortion. To support my choice for Buddhist way of handling the abortion issue, I present the general universal consensus that the various Buddhist ethicists have advanced. In fact their approach to abortion has been considered by other sch olars and organizations as being the best as pointed out by SPUC (2010). Tsomo (1998) further points out that Buddhists do recognize the level of incongruity that exists in the ethical theory of abortion as well as in the actual practice of the abortion. They however do not in any way condone the inappropriate, meaningless and taking of life. They therefore use their views of morality of abortion to advocate for a universal understanding as well as the expression of compassion towards all forms of living things. Their views are nonjudgmental while respecting both the rights as well as the freedom of all human beings in the making of their own choices.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Offshore Oi Drilling Causes Environmental Damage Essay -- Environmenta
Oil drilling is the process of perforating oil from the earthââ¬â¢s surface. This process can be dangerous. The drilling process can be harmful to nearby animal life. The process used to locate oil waves can be harmful to animal life. When the oil ascends, it brings with it a number of deadly chemicals. The chemicals released can consist of mercury and arsenic. Other substances such as lead have been known to ascend with the oil (Horton, Jennifer, 1). An oil spill is the process by which oil is mistakenly dispensed. The danger and damage an oil spill can cause is exponential. An oil spill can cause millions of dollars in damages. Oil spills are one of the worst catastrophes that happen, and they happen frequently. It has been predicted by the Mineral Management Service, that a spill of one thousand oil drums will occur in the Gulf of Mexico every year (Horton, Jennifer, 1). It is expected that there will be a spill of more than ten thousand oil drums every three or more years (Horton, Jennifer, 1). Oil spills have been defined as inevitable (Climate & Energy, 1). As of now, there exists no truly safe way of cleaning a spill (Climate & Energy, 1). The oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was one of the worst oil spills that has ever occurred (Clean & Energy, 1). The Gulf of Mexico oil spill by British Petroleum is the largest environmental catastrophe in the history of the United States (Clean & Energy, 1). Over two hundred million gallons of oil was released into the Gulf of Mexico (Clean & Energy, 1). The oil flowed for approximately three months (Clean & Energy, 1). Within that time period, the spill was responsible for eleven human deaths (Clean & Energy, 1). Extensive damage was done to the environme... ...e 1-2. 14 Nov. 2014. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BP%2c+firms+made+risky+decisions+before+spill%3a+re... ââ¬Å"BP shares hit 6-month high after Shell takeover report.â⬠Oil & Gas News. Jan 10, 2011: Page 1-2. 14 Nov. 2014. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BP+hit+6-month+high+after=Shell+takeover+report Chelette, Tim ââ¬Å"Options for Dealing with a Spill.â⬠Climate & Energy. Copyright 2010 Oceana: page 1 14 Nov. 2014. http://na.org/en/our-work/climate-energy/offshore-drilling/learn-act/options-for-dea ââ¬Å"The Spill- By the Numbers.â⬠Climate & Energy. Copyright 2010 Oceana: page 1. 14 Nov. 2014. http://na.oceana.org/en/our-work/climate-energy/offshore-drilling/gulf-oil-spill-response-c Why is offshore drilling so controversial? How Stuff Works.com page 1-2. 14 Nov. 2014. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/offshore-drilling-contoversy2.htm
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Assyrian Crisis Essay -- essays research papers
THE ASSYRIAN CRISIS, A TIME OF GROWTH Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã The Assyrian Crisis in Judah appears, from the surface, as a time of great luck for the people of Jerusalem. However, by examining the situation with a more powerful lens, one can see the powerful religious infuence such an event could have on a resident’s theology. If I were a Judean during this time, my faith would have faced the toughest test of my life. Going into such a conflict with a nation as strong as Assyria, I could not help but be afraid. My bones would tremble at the thought of destruction of the Holy City of Jerusalem, of the people of Judah, and of my own being. Although I would have believed in God, I would still be filled with fear. This fear would escalate when I heard a messenger for the king of Assyria, as stated in Isaiah 36, mocking God, insulting His power and doubting His saving grace on Jerusalem. He goes on to try and convice us, the people of Jerusalem, that Hezekiah is not trustworthy, and that we will not find help in Egypt becau se they are not reliable. Finally, knowing the path of destruction that Assyria has already created, and their hunger for more, in addition to the messenger’s statement that the Lord has commanded Assyria to go and destroy Jerusalem, my feelings of fear and doubt would uncontrollably well up inside me. We are, after all, only human, and fear is a common feeling, despite where we stand with God. No man lives without fear, but though fear our faith is tested and strengthened. Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã Upon hearing and experiencing the truth of Isaiah’s claim that God will spare Jerusalem and force the Assyrians back home, my faith in God would be fortified. In the times of fear, I would have realized how weak, how immature, and how far I must go in my faith and trust in God. But once I heard Isaiah’s prophecy, I would use it as a way to do away with my fear. Knowing that God was going to save His Holy City, and that He was going to continue with His perfect plan for mankind that dated back as far as the times of Abraham and held a future for the arrival of the Messiah, I would know that my God follows His plans and keeps His promises. Through this, I would have peace. I would soon learn that I can trust Him in everything because as it says in Scripture, “if God is for us, who can be ... ...of mockery and insults directed towards God. By attacking the Christian faith in this way, the king of Assyria was trying to prove the Christian’s God was just like all other gods, powerless. Similarly, Paul persecuted Christians by going to Damascus to capture them and bring them back to Jerusalem. He hated the Christian faith and persecuted it without mercy. He, however, converted to Christianity later and became an awesome tool of God’s for spreading the Gospel. Living such a life against God in his past, Paul could have easily compare himself with the king of Assyria. Paul would gain great peace and thankfulneess when he realized God’s punishment to the king of Assyria was death, and that he escaped such punishment and was saved by God. Additionally, seeing the successes of Hezekiah, like returning Judah to the luxury it once experienced, being saved from the Assyrians, and being given 15 extra years to live after his illness, Paul would soon realize that th e only reason God was so gracious and merciful with Hezekiah was because he kept his eyes on Him. This would teach Paul that, if he were to be successful, he must keep his focus in life on God. Assyrian Crisis Essay -- essays research papers THE ASSYRIAN CRISIS, A TIME OF GROWTH Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã The Assyrian Crisis in Judah appears, from the surface, as a time of great luck for the people of Jerusalem. However, by examining the situation with a more powerful lens, one can see the powerful religious infuence such an event could have on a resident’s theology. If I were a Judean during this time, my faith would have faced the toughest test of my life. Going into such a conflict with a nation as strong as Assyria, I could not help but be afraid. My bones would tremble at the thought of destruction of the Holy City of Jerusalem, of the people of Judah, and of my own being. Although I would have believed in God, I would still be filled with fear. This fear would escalate when I heard a messenger for the king of Assyria, as stated in Isaiah 36, mocking God, insulting His power and doubting His saving grace on Jerusalem. He goes on to try and convice us, the people of Jerusalem, that Hezekiah is not trustworthy, and that we will not find help in Egypt becau se they are not reliable. Finally, knowing the path of destruction that Assyria has already created, and their hunger for more, in addition to the messenger’s statement that the Lord has commanded Assyria to go and destroy Jerusalem, my feelings of fear and doubt would uncontrollably well up inside me. We are, after all, only human, and fear is a common feeling, despite where we stand with God. No man lives without fear, but though fear our faith is tested and strengthened. Ã Ã Ã Ã Ã Upon hearing and experiencing the truth of Isaiah’s claim that God will spare Jerusalem and force the Assyrians back home, my faith in God would be fortified. In the times of fear, I would have realized how weak, how immature, and how far I must go in my faith and trust in God. But once I heard Isaiah’s prophecy, I would use it as a way to do away with my fear. Knowing that God was going to save His Holy City, and that He was going to continue with His perfect plan for mankind that dated back as far as the times of Abraham and held a future for the arrival of the Messiah, I would know that my God follows His plans and keeps His promises. Through this, I would have peace. I would soon learn that I can trust Him in everything because as it says in Scripture, “if God is for us, who can be ... ...of mockery and insults directed towards God. By attacking the Christian faith in this way, the king of Assyria was trying to prove the Christian’s God was just like all other gods, powerless. Similarly, Paul persecuted Christians by going to Damascus to capture them and bring them back to Jerusalem. He hated the Christian faith and persecuted it without mercy. He, however, converted to Christianity later and became an awesome tool of God’s for spreading the Gospel. Living such a life against God in his past, Paul could have easily compare himself with the king of Assyria. Paul would gain great peace and thankfulneess when he realized God’s punishment to the king of Assyria was death, and that he escaped such punishment and was saved by God. Additionally, seeing the successes of Hezekiah, like returning Judah to the luxury it once experienced, being saved from the Assyrians, and being given 15 extra years to live after his illness, Paul would soon realize that th e only reason God was so gracious and merciful with Hezekiah was because he kept his eyes on Him. This would teach Paul that, if he were to be successful, he must keep his focus in life on God.
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