Martin Luther Essay

Martin Luther was born in 1483 in Germany. Although he was brought up in a catholic faith, he changed his faith by starting a new Christian movement that was against the teachings of Catholicism, which was consequently named as Lutheran. He taught as a theology lecturer, hence a professional in theology and he was a preacher as well. His parents Hans Luder mother Margarethe were catholic believers, therefore as soon as he was born; he got baptism on the following day which was St. Martin of Tours day of feast. He had brothers and sisters; however, two of his brothers passed way as a result of a plague. Jacob who had tight bonds with Martin lived on to old age. Martin’s father rented copper mines and smelters and he also worked as a spokesperson in the local council. Besides he wanted the best for his son; he aspired that Martin would be a lawyer . Martin began his early school life in 1497 at Mansfield, Magdeburg and Eisenach in that order; where he learnt Latin. When he was seventeen years of age he was a student at the University of Erfurt and by the year 1505, he had completed his postgraduate studies and was awarded a masters degree. Since his father wanted him to be a lawyer, he went ahead and registered for the law school however, he never pursued the course to completion since according to him law was ambiguous. Instead he preferred to study more on theology and philosophy and was fascinated by former philosophers like William of Ockham, Aristotle and Gabriel Biel. Nonetheless, he was more drawn to lecturers who taught on not laying trust on anyone including the philosophers unless the claims they state could be approved through familiarity. Because of this reason, Martin concluded that knowledge in philosophy could not help people get close to God because it merely emphasized on reasoning; which is valid when applied to people and organizations but not God. According to Luther, people could only acknowledge who God is by understanding the scriptures. From here, his quest for scripture understanding began. Later in 1505, Martin Luther abandoned his studies and joined the catholic monastery. Luther’s life as a monk was constituted by refraining from food, pilgrimage, declaration of his sins before a priest for forgiveness and praying for lengthy periods. The life at the monastery wasn’t easy at all; the monks spent less time in bed and they had to work hard in order to sustain community members. He confesses that his commitment to the church as a monk was not delighting to God; rather it made him aware of how sinful he was. Furthermore, the period within which he served as a monk gave a different perception of Jesus Christ in his life; the Christian life at the monastery was like a detention center that harassed innocent people, yet Jesus is â€Å"a Savior and a comforter†. Nevertheless, the monastery hardship transformed Luther as he found more time to know the Bible. Afterward, it was contemplated by Johann von Staupitz that Luther required to do something else so that his quest for the scripture could be disrupted. Accordingly, after his priestly ordination, he proceeded as a theology lecturer of Wittenberg University. By 1509, Luther had received two degrees; one in Biblical studies and the other in sentences. After three years, he graduated as a doctor in theology thereby becoming a member of the senate in the faculty of theology in the University of Wittenberg . The controversial issues regarding Catholicism began in 1517 when Martin Luther wrote the 95 theses. The theses focused on the indulgences that were sold in the church. Since the pope wanted funds to put up the St. Peter’s church in Rome, pardoning of sins was granted on condition that the sinner paid money. In other instances, one could purchase pardon for sins that he or she expects to commit. This spurred concern in Martin Luther because as he had read in the scripture, deliverance is freely given; whereas in Rome, salvation was an article of trade that could be traded between two partners- a sinner and the priest. Besides, more indulgences were sold so that those souls that were in purgatory could be released. Moreover, according to the Roman Catholic Theology it was believed that faith is not enough to justify a human being unless it is accompanied by deeds, for instance participating in works of charity and giving the church financial contributions . Luther objected the issue of indulgences that were being sold; consequently, he drafted a note to the archbishops of Magdeburg and Mainz; this note is what was later referred to as the 95 theses. A copy of the note he wrote to the archbishop was put on the door of Castle Church. According to Luther, the absolution and forgiveness of sins based on indulgences was wrong and deceptive. Within a short time the theses were converted to German, because they were written in Latin; after which they were printed and reproduced to make many copies. Accordingly, the reprinted theses were extensively distributed to various parts within Germany. Between 1510 and 1520, he spent his time in teaching the New Testament books including the Psalms. Even as he studied the Holy Scriptures, he came to realize that justification was a very significant aspect in salvation. That God acknowledges a sinner and makes him righteous when he believes the scripture; also God saves sinners because of grace. Luther proceeded to preach about justification, how it came from God’s only and faith as a present for humanity from God. The Roman papal authority took a period of three years to act in response to Luther’s writings despite the fact that the theses had been distributed at a faster rate. The Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg whom the letter was addressed to preferred not to answer Luther, but rather identified heretical phrases then sent the letter to Rome. Pope Leo X overlooked the letter believing that it was not a grievous issue; to him Luther was only drunk and after sometime he would get back to his senses. However, the perception was wrong: Country’s such as England, Italy and France were reading the theses by 1519. Furthermore, he wrote and published commentaries Psalms and Galatians, even though he had to work under protection. By 1520, he had published three books that are considered to be the most excellent among his works- â€Å"On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, On the Freedom of A Christian and To the Nobility of the German Nation. The Pope came to rethink of Luther’s thesis in 1519 and ordered him to give details of his theses which he did in a synopsis. As a result, Luther was called to meet the Pope in Rome so that he could give a detailed justification to his writings. Nonetheless, Luther went to Rome but as it was arranged by Frederick the Wise, he met Cardinal Thomas Cajetan who was a legate to the pope Nevertheless, the pope went ahead and wrote to Luther in a writing termed as â€Å"papal bull Exsurge Domine† cautioning him to denounce the theses he had written as well as subsections within the books that he had written, in a period of sixty days; failure of which would result in him getting suspended from the catholic community. Conversely, Luther burnt the papal bull and the other manuscripts, an action he later justified in his writings- Assertions Concerning All Articles as well as Why the Pope and His Recent Book Are Burned. Following this, Luther was suspended out of the Roman Catholic community in 1521 by the Pope. Later in April, 1521, Luther was presented before the Diet of Worms, a gathering of the Roman Empire authorities in Worms, Rhine. It was required of him to confirm if he was the author of the theses and the other books he had written, an issue he readily confirmed. However, in answering whether he supported the writings, he agreed after one day having discussed with friends and prayed. Accordingly, in May 1521, Luther was declared a heretic and his writings were banned. In addition, no one was permitted to provide neither shelter nor food as this would amount to punishment. Luther by the help of the Elector of Saxony, Fredrick III, stayed separate away from people in the Castle of Wartburg for about eleven months under the name Junker Jorg. It is during this period that he interpreted the New Testament, initially in Greek to German . When he went back to Wittenberg in March 1522, Luther continued to preach and many people were drawn to his sermons. He revised the church doctrines and assisted in reinstating peace and unity within the nation. The new church doctrines were based on faith, grace and scripture alone. Instead of the seven sacraments that exist in the Roman Catholic, only two sacraments were recognized- baptism and the Holy Communion. Lutheranism did not advocate for celibacy, however, no one was forced to marry. The first Lutheran declaration of faith, otherwise referred to as the Augsburg Confession, was read before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V in 1530. The reformed church decided to name the new church as Lutheran in honor of Luther. Luther married Katharina who was initially a nun but defected. He passed away in 1546, in Eisleben after having been ill . Bibliography Collinson, P. (2004): The Reformation: a history, ISBN 0679643230, 9780679643234, Modern Library. Doak, R. S. (2006): Pope Leo X: Opponent of the Reformation, ISBN 0756515947, 9780756515942, Compass Point Books. Edwards, M. U. (March, 2000): Martin Luther: Exploring His Life and Times, 1483-1546. The Christian Century, Vol. 117. Fairchild, M. (2009): Martin Luther Bibliography. Retrieved on 13th April, 2009, from: http://christianity. about. com/od/lutherandenomination/a/martinlutherbio_2. htm Marius, R. (1999): Martin Luther: the Christian between God and death, 3rd Edition, ISBN 0674550900, 9780674550902, Harvard University Press. The Columbia Encyclopedia (2007): Luther, Martin, Sixth Edition, 2007.

Economic Problems

Major economic problems in the Philippines are very similar to the economic problems in other underdeveloped countries. Some of the major pinpointed problems are the import-export imbalance, causing those who specialize in trade and make their living off of imported and exported goods to lose money. The imbalance causes families that are forced to survive off of this small income to wonder if they are going to eat the next week or not. One week there are plenty of orders to keep a family and company afloat; the next, there are no orders, causing the family and companies to suffer.Decline of the Philippine peso, which is the value of the money in the Philippines. The lack of business versus the amount of pesos in the small country simply do not add up. In order for families to purchase anything in the Philippines, they have to have several hundred pesos to equal the value of what ever it is they are attempting to purchase. The pesos are equal to less than that of the Mexican peso. Rel iance on remittances. This is when the companies in the Phillips attempt to sell and distribute goods over seas, with other workers from the countries.The Filipinos work in a different country and forward monies back to the homeland, where the company is based out of. This prevents the countries – the foreign and home – from taking out excessive taxes and fees for importing and exporting goods. These are just some of the major problems concerning the Philippines. More information on this country can be found at www. buzzle. com. Individuals continue to suffer daily, and struggle throughout daily life. There are several charities set up through the United States in an attempt to assist these families that desperately need help with simple survival skills. Economic Problems Major economic problems in the Philippines are very similar to the economic problems in other underdeveloped countries. Some of the major pinpointed problems are the import-export imbalance, causing those who specialize in trade and make their living off of imported and exported goods to lose money. The imbalance causes families that are forced to survive off of this small income to wonder if they are going to eat the next week or not.One week there are plenty of orders to keep a family and company afloat; the next, there are no orders, causing the family and companies to suffer. Decline of the Philippine peso, which is the value of the money in the Philippines. The lack of business versus the amount of pesos in the small country simply do not add up. In order for families to purchase anything in the Philippines, they have to have several hundred pesos to equal the value of what ever it is they are attempting to purchase.The pesos are equal to less than that of the Mexican peso. Reli ance on remittances. This is when the companies in the Phillips attempt to sell and distribute goods over seas, with other workers from the countries. The Filipinos work in a different country and forward monies back to the homeland, where the company is based out of. This prevents the countries – the foreign and home – from taking out excessive taxes and fees for importing and exporting goods.These are just some of the major problems concerning the Philippines. More information on this country can be found at www. buzzle. com. Individuals continue to suffer daily, and struggle throughout daily life. There are several charities set up through the United States in an attempt to assist these families that desperately need help with simple survival skills. For more information, please see:www. reference. com

Fast Spread of Vulgarity through the Internet into the Innocent Minds Assignment

Fast Spread of Vulgarity through the Internet into the Innocent Minds of the Adolescents - Assignment Example The people obtain a study guide, health and fitness tips, devise, share and revise business plans, and minutely observe the changes taking place within their social and natural environment. Hence, from getting information related to personal, domestic, corporate and amusement activities to chatting with the distant friends, and from reading articles of one’s own choice and interest to watching the latest models of automobiles, cell-phones, clothes and furniture are sought out from the internet. Moreover, the scholars, researchers, writers, poets, scientists, architects, lawyers, and intellectuals also have obtained the opportunity of getting and sending material related to their profession and interest by using the same platform. Thus, the internet has got the status of an inevitable product that fascinates and satisfies the individuals belonging to every age group, socioeconomic status, gender, ethnic-racial group and profession. Somehow, instead of taking positive and constr uctive benefit out of this great invention, the nefarious people have included and inserted pornography and filthy material challenging the very moral values, ethics and decency have been followed and observed by humanity for centuries; almost the same is the case with a mobile phone. Though the cell phone was simply invented to send and receive important information of very urgent matter, yet the people have started misusing it by spreading startling news and appalling issues, which should have no concern with the mobile phone. It is the need of the hour to take immediate steps to combat with the very threat in order to eradicate the fast spread of pornography. The authorities should apply blockages to all the sites that contain the words and addresses related to sex and nudity. There must be a ban on the development of the sites that are damaging the moral and ethical values of our society. Though pornography through the internet certainly affects all strata of society, yet it is the most fatal thing particularly for the adolescents, which are the future builders of our society and nation. The authorities should impose banishments on the recording and developing of nude movies so that the young generation could be protected from the mental and physical bankruptcy. The internet and communications regulatory authorities should take urgent steps to prohibit the selling of pornographic material, including video films, CDs, cassettes, books and periodicals, watching of which is swiftly and constantly making the youth the addict of sexual activities, deviant behavior and perversion. The age of puberty and majority for purchasing tobacco, wine, liquor, sex enhancing pills and condoms as well as for joining and attending the clubs should be declared to be 21 years, instead of 18 years, so that sexual excesses and perversions could be mitigated to a great extent. The reports reveal that the grandfathers, uncles, neighbors and stepfathers are involved into forced sex and rape with the minor girls and even boys, which not only are destroying the very fabrics of family and blood relations but are also inviting the complete ruination of the young generation. The law enforcing agencies must announce severe punishments and sentences to the culprits too to save the innocent children from going astray as well as from becoming the victim of rape and incest.

Japanese-American Internment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Japanese-American Internment - Essay Example The Hawaiian sugar industry attracted many Japanese immigrants in the area in the 1870s and 1880s. By 1900, majority of the Japanese immigrants living in US were concentrated in Hawaii where their work force was much sought by both the farm owners and industries owners. Japanese were primarily hard working than whites, and since the payments depended on the amount of work done, they were better placed than the whites. Their outstanding reputation spread and overtook the whites substantially. The whites saw the Japanese as formidable competitors, and their presence was a threat to them. The Japanese grew more powerful, and in 1941, they attacked the Pearl Harbor; an act that marked a significant traumatic landmark in Japanese-American history (Niiya 11). This attack brought about relocation and internment of the Japanese by the angry anti Japanese community. Japanese-American immigration Japanese migration is significantly attributed to the establishment of sugar plantations in Hawaii . These sugar plantations required massive number of workers throughout the entire process of cultivation, harvesting and processing in the industries. This establishment called for many laborers and importing them was the most convenient way of getting cheap labor. In 1850s, plantation owners imported many Chinese to work in their farms and offered them meager salaries. By 1865, the Chinese immigrants started to drift away from these jobs slowly until there were no more enough laborers in the farms. With the shifting of Chinese to other better jobs, the Hawaiians foreign minister decided to seek laborers elsewhere. This decision compelled the migration of Japanese to Hawaii to replace the Chinese who had quit working in the farms. In 1868, the first ship carrying Japanese immigrants arrived with 148 people in whom 141 were men, 6 were women, and two were children (Hanel 7). The working conditions were harsh and upon the termination of the contract; thus, some went back claiming tha t they were treated with so much cruelty. However, the remaining Japanese were the beginning of Japanese-American citizens at the time. The Chinese exclusion act, which was passed in 1882, prohibited further migration of Chinese and paved way for further Japanese immigration. In the preceding years, Japan and Hawaii signed a contract that allowed whites to import Japanese laborers. More and more Japanese immigrants occupied Hawaii and a group of Japanese ancestry arose. The native born Japanese by 1910 had grown up to one third of the total Hawaii’s population. By 1930, the native born Japanese in Hawaii was numerous and exceeded those born in Japan by a great percentage. They continued to work hard in the farms, and their skills consequently outweighed that of Native Americans bringing a stiff competition. Through their efforts, they were finally able to purchase their own lands, and this challenged the Native Americans who perceived them as a threat. Factors that contribute d to Japanese-Americans internment The internment of Japanese was marked by the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The attack sprouted a historical landmark amongst American Japanese (Chin 5). Retaliation by the anti Japanese ran high and brought their internment. This was a painful moment for the Japanese and thousands of them died in the process. Shortly after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized an order, to designate military boundaries within the US. Although the order was not targeted at anybody, it became the basis for

Macro and Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macro and Microeconomics - Essay Example The exchange rate is 5.5francs/dollar meaning that one dollar is equivalent to 5.5 francs. Therefore, a Chrysler Neon costing 14,300 dollars will have the frank price calculate below: 1dollar = 5.5 francs 14,300 dollars= Franc price of Neon Using the principle of cross-multiplication, Price of Chrysler Neon = (14,300 dollars x 5.5 francs)/1dollar = 78,650 francs Question three Given that the franc depreciates by 9% and the initial exchange rate was 5.5 francs/dollar, the franc price of the shirt and dollar price of Chrysler Neon will be affected by the depreciation. If the franc depreciates by 9% from its previous dollar value, the dollar price of the shirt will also change as depicted in the following calculations. Depreciation = 9% Taking the original exchange rate, 5.5 francs/dollar, to be 100%, then the value after depreciation must be higher than the initial value by exactly the same amount as depreciation. New value = (100 + 9) % = 109% Therefore, the new exchange rate = (109/1 00) x 5.5 francs/dollar = 5.995 francs/dollar Hence, the new price of the shirt = (220 francs x 1 dollar)/5.995 = 37 dollars. ... The reason is that as the products become cheaper, the domestic and foreign demand of the products will increase. As currency devaluation increases competitiveness, demand for the country’s export increases, resulting in an increase in aggregate demand. According to macroeconomic principles, an increase in aggregate demand will cause an increase in GDP (Boyes & Melvin, 2011, pg.273). On another monetary perspective, France receipt from foreigners might increase due to currency devaluation and exceed the outgoing payments hence leading to an improved balance of payments. The fact that increased supply of foreign money leads to low supply of domestic currency highlights that an upward pressure will be placed on the domestic currency. Together with expensive imports due to currency devaluation, this pressure results in high price levels as well as higher GDP and employment levels. On the other hand, the depreciation in French franc will decrease the aggregate demand in United Sta tes. The currency devaluation means that the dollar will be stronger against the franc. As a result, the US imports from France will increase as the products in the country become cheaper. Comparatively, US products will be expensive and unpopular in the domestic and foreign markets. Aggregate demand which is dependent on price levels will decrease as more people will be opting to buy from France (Boyes & Melvin, 2011, pg.273). In the meantime, the gross domestic production will decrease as demand decreases. In addition, the franc depreciation will lead to a fixed exchange rate that is lower than the equilibrium exchange rate. This makes it cheaper for Americans to buy French goods and expensive for French people to

Postmodernism and Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Postmodernism and Theory - Essay Example The essay "Postmodernism and Theory" explores the movement of Postmodernism. To a large degree, postmodernism is focused on an examination of reality versus unreality, discovering in the process that there is more blurred areas between the two than there are clear distinctions. These ideas are discussed through several works including Baudrillard, Mulvey and Nochlin.Introducing the idea of the simulation, Baudrillard says that we have come to a place where the false precedes the real. In addition to discovering that the simulation no longer matches the real, Baudrillard says it has gone farther, reducing everything down to miniature and making it hyperreal, something that exists in and of itself, with little to connect it to the original. The real, in this system, has become little more than a series of signs that stand in its place. The danger with simulacra as opposed to representation is that representation starts with the idea of the real within the representation while simulatio n wraps around the representation and calls everything false. Disneyland is used as an example of how the imaginary happy social world contained within its gates as opposed to the isolation of the parking lot masks how the world we believe to be America is just as falsely envisioned. "It is always a question of proving the real by the imaginary; proving truth by scandal; proving the law by transgression; proving work by the strike; proving the system by crisis and capital by revolution†. This same concept is traced.

Disaster Response & Recovery Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Disaster Response & Recovery - Case Study Example In addition, a center for intelligence, training design, preparedness, technological enhancements, and strategizing should be created. It should perform researches, strategize, plan, and organize leadership training programs and seminars. The regular intelligence gathering and planning allow the current procedures to cater to the possible threats that may materialize in the future (Bloomberg, Cassano and Kilduff, 2011). Next, general guidelines on tactical directions should be created by the EMA. There should be a particular response for HazMat, chemical attacks in subways, as well as biological, radiological and nuclear attacks. Rescue measures during collapse, explosions and under-river tunnel operations (if applicable) should also be designed (Bloomberg, Cassano and Kilduff, 2011). Subgroups of individuals with the appropriate skills and knowledge for these objectives can be tapped to focus on these tasks. Safety of the respondents should also be considered. Adequate equipment, ef ficient communication, and safe procedures all contribute to the safety during disaster situations. ... It should be able to simulate a terrorist attack. It aims to widen the analytical, leadership and decision-making skills, especially in a stress-packed environment (Bloomberg, Cassano and Kilduff, 2011). This is where research efforts come in. Knowing what the terrorists are capable of doing can aid significantly the preparation of the city. Information infrastructure becomes much more vital since self-organizing groups are more common in the cities. In addition, this can be used to tap the citizenry that can provide financial support and blood reservoir after catastrophes. It was found that ample social support improves emergency response significantly (Kapucu, 2012). It should also be included in the long-term plan of the EMA to supplement the knowledge and experience in terrorism studies and leadership of the respondents. The U. S. Military Academy, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center, and Center of Homeland Defense offer c ourses regarding terrorist response. In return, the EMA and its participating agencies can hold seminars to the public, especially to individuals of a related profession, in an effort to make them more aware and prepared. They can also apply their learning to the overall preparation for terrorist attacks (Bloomberg, Cassano and Kilduff, 2011). Security improvement in vulnerable sites Individualized security systems should be implemented for subway stations, airports and other facilities where large people gather, as well as industrial enterprises, such as food, computer, electricity generating stations, oil refineries, and nuclear fuel storage facilities (Kumarl, 2012). In particular, disaster situations in HazMat facilities should be responded by personnel especially trained for it.