Gun control has been a controversial issue for years Essay

â€Å"Gun control has been a controversial issue for years. A vast majority of citizens believe that if gun control is strictly enforced it would quickly reduce the threat of crime. Many innocent people feel they have the right to bear arms for protection, or even for the pleasure of hunting. These people are penalized for protecting their lives, or even for enjoying a common, innocent sport. To enforce gun control throughout the nation means violating a persons Constitutional rights. Although some people feel that the issue of gun control will limit crime, the issue should not exist due to the fact that guns are necessary for self defense against crime, and by enforcing gun control is violating a citizen’s second amendment right to bear arms. † Another examples of an argumentative essay comes from Bogazici University:†Throw out the bottles and boxes of drugs in your house. A new theory suggests that medicine could be bad for your health, which should at leastcome as good news to people who cannot afford to buy expensive medicine. However, it is a blow to the medicine industry, and an evenbigger blow to our confidence in the progress of science. This new theory argues that healing is at our fingertips: we can be healthy by doing Reikion on a regular basis. † On Essay By Example, on the other hand, the sample argumentative essay addresses online games and socialization: â€Å"Online games aren’t just a diversion, but a unique way to meet other people. As millions of gamers demonstrate, playing online is about friendship and cooperation, not just killing monsters. These games are a viable social network because players focus on teamwork, form groups with like-minded people and have romantic relationships with other players. â€Å"Massively-Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) feature millions of players interacting in the same environment. The games are social in nature as they allow players to band together and complete missions based on a story line, or test their skills by fighting against each other. At the start of the game, the user creates a fictional character, and customizes its physical appearance. Since many games involve combat, players also outfit their characters with armor and weapons, as well as choose their â€Å"profession. † Many popular game titles like World of Warcraft and Everquest follow a fantasy theme, so most professions have magical abilities like healing other players or raising undead minions. While the process seems simple, players may spend hours agonizing over the perfect look for their character, from their armor color to the type of skills to use in battle. Once their character is created, the player is free to explore the vast, digital world and interact with other players; however they must pay on average $15 a month for game content. MMOG users are mostly male – usually between the ages of 18-34 – although titles like World of Warcraft have a healthy population of female players as well. With millions of players, there are plenty of people to adventure with. † The key to learning to write a good essay is to read and study other essays and then practice, practice, rewrite and practice some more.

Parent’s Role in Children’s Education Essay

COURES CODE: CS 1111, Registration No: 1212129, NAME: TALHASHAKEEL, SECTION: BS/CS1-A ROLE OF PARENTS IN CHILDREN EDUCATION Parents are their children's first teachers. It is from parents that children learn about their culture, values, and language. Parents play a very valuable role in their children's education in and out of the classroom. Because of this reason, parents need to take on the challenge and provide their children the tools they will need in order to be successful in school and life.Education does not only involve acquiring academic qualifications it also    involves learning how to be a productive member of society, it involves how to behave in social settings, it involves learning how to figure everyday problems, and so much more. By talking to their children, parents can help them increase their vocabulary, they help their children in their receptive and expressive language, and they help their children feel empowered. Also, parents that talk with their children b uild lasting positive and strong relationships.A basic role of parents is to provide physical security for their children. Medical attention is one of the components of a physically secure environment. Another role of the parent is to provide intellectually stimulating environments. There are two things parents can do to help their children. The first is to read to their children every day and the second is to expose their children to many different things. Parents can provide great experience for their children. For instance, reading with or to their children is an excellent activity.Reading increases vocabulary, reading at home can help children learn to enjoy reading and increase reading ability. Parents can take trips to museums in order to increase interest and knowledge of children. Parents have a great deal of responsibility. They are their children's first teacher. It is from parents, children can learn their culture, social skills, life skills, and get exposed to many exper iences. Parents must be willing to take on the challenge of exposing their children

Pros and Cons of Prison Privatization Essay

Prisons are institutions that have specifically been designed to handle the members of the society who are under conviction of different crimes. The people who reside in the prisons are referred to as inmates or prisoners and the time they spend in the prisons depends on the imprisonment period. This period is dependent of the intensity of the crime committed. Once in the prisons, the inmates undergo rehabilitation, incapacitation, retribution and deterrence which are elements for considered appropriate for the provision of justice to the society. In the past, it has been the responsibility of the government to manage these institutions on behalf of the society. The increased debate on the privatization of different institutions has seen a debate being launched in regard to the privatization of prisons. This implies that the main purposes of these institutions to the society are shifting from not just maintenance of justice but also as a source of financial wealth. The new advancement is directed at allowing the straightening out of the contemporary faults that exist within the public prisons such as recidivism and overcrowding but there are some people who are opposed to this due to some possible negative results. In short, the process of privatizing the prison industry has both negative and positive effects and this paper seeks to address some of the pros and cons of this exercise. Privatization though a new concept to be applied in prison department in most of the countries across the globe, there are a few countries who used it in the past. For example during the mid 18th century, the United States government entered into a treaty with a number of private investors to manage a number of its institutions and these investors went ahead to contract inmates to some of their private enterprises as a source of labor. Some of the institutions that were contracted included ‘New York Auburn and Louisiana’ penal colonies. However, this did not last for long based on the fact that there was rampant corruption that was carried out as well as vicious resistance from other businesses who termed this as some kind of ‘unfair’ competition that was caused by these workers who were unpaid. Contemporary private prisons are however not the same as these because they operate on new models that are more promising. The Pros on the Prison Privatization Industry One of the major benefit that privatization of prisons would bring about is cost saving. The cost of crime depends upon relative increase in the rate of crime. The government in different countries spends billions of dollars every year on construction of prisons so as to be able to handle the increasing rates of crime. This is not the only cost based on the fact that guards to guard these inmates need to be recruited as well as other expenses that include; administration, food, health and education costs. It is argued by the majority of proponents of this idea that private companies can operate the prisons at a cost that is far much low than what the government uses and still maintain the quality services that are required. Some of the major reasons that these proponents give in regard the reduced cost are the elimination of bureaucracy, red tape, and the numerous laws that usually makes the costs of managing the prisons to rise in the case of public prisons. Allowing the private sector to manage these institutions will imply that some of the costs that are involved in learning the jail will not be generated from the tax payer’s contribution directly and as a result the money may be diverted to other government projects. This will facilitate better utilization of the government’s funds to develop the areas that are in serious need of development. Due to the issue of competition privatization there will be increased productivity as well as reduced waste in terms of resources. Studies have revealed that the boarding cost in the private owned prison to reduce to half that of the government owned prisons. There have been other studies some institutions saved more than twenty percent of the cost incurred in terms of the construction expenses and management costs reducing by 5-15% Sloane, 1996). The cutting down on cost is something that has been criticized heavily by the lobby groups who think that this will lead to the deteriora tion of the conditions inside these prisons. This is an economical plan that aims at giving back to the society as it serves to preserve justice to the community. According to the economic theory, the problem of financial support towards the running of the prison facilities would go down if there are more available, renting and selling prison cells, the challenges in terms of the funding and efficient allocation of prison space. Privatization of prisons is based on this factor of trying to exploit the opportunities by the introduction of factories adjacent to bars, cost reduction of the costs and give the prisoners the freedom to earn some pay as they give back to the society through the provision of labor. By this, they will be making peace with the society that they infringed some pain in the initial time through committing of crime. Though the public prisons try as much to carry out this exercise, this cannot be compared to the private sector that expresses this in a more profound manner. One way of demonstrating this is what was demonstrated in the United States sometimes ago. There was a time when there were more than one hundred private firms that with more than two thousand prisoners in the manufacturing industry. These inmates used to manufacture goods with the range of bird feeders, circuit boards, and other related equipments and from the money that was earned through this method, about 56% of it was used to cater for the room and boarding facilities, restitution of the victim, and support of the family. The process also left the inmates with some acquired skills that they could use during their re-integration process that welcomed them back to the society. Having some skills that they could use to earn a living put them in a better position in the society based on the fact that these people were liable of being treated by the community as ex-convicts that may rerun back into crime. It is also worth noting that the process of privatization may lead to some other new methods of criminal control other than the use of jail to detain people there by denying them freedom. One method can involve methods of detaining criminals within their dwelling by the use of new technology such as surveillance through small devices worn on the body such as bracelets or the electronic monitoring. It is however worth to note that such methods would cause some greater concern of the general public based on the fact that some would question whether the method would be effective in ensuring that crime is contained in the society. In short the privatization of the prison industry would have a lot of benefits as mentioned in the points that have been stated above. The financial benefits, well being of the prisoner, security gains, and answerability among other factors might be used by the proposers of this system to ensure that the majority of the prisons are privatized so as to improve this important institution that ensures the execution of justice in a given country. The concept of privatization is indeed a very bright idea that has so many advantages though the issue needs to be put under more scrutiny to be able to get to the bottom of some of the positive features that have been mentioned in this paper. This is a concept that has the potential of flourishing if given the attention it deserves to ensure that the social interests come before the urge to maximize profits by the corporations that have been contracted to set up the private institutions. It is also worth noting that each of the positive points that have been presented in favor of privatization, an equal amount of disproof as a means of counteract or frustrate this should be expected as it is the case for the public prisons. This is because in each debate regarding an issue that will touch on the welfare of the society there are those who are behind its implementation and there are those who solidly oppose such an issue; this is a good example of this kind of a topic. The Cons on the Prison Privatization Industry It is obvious that the main motive behind privatization is the profit. This is one of the major issues that can lead to a conflict of interest. It should be noted that prisons not only serve to separate the criminal from the rest of the society and give them punishment, it is also the duty and responsibility of the people in charge of the prisons to ensure that the criminals go through a rehabilitation process to ensure that that the recidivism rate is highly reduced based on the fact that it is very risky to relapse to the earlier behavior. Though the private prisons are cheaper than the public, they are not as efficient based on the fact that obtaining profits through the management of a prison would mean that rehabilitation programs, medical care, food and the hiring costs will be reduced at the expense of the welfare of the inmates. As a result, there high chances that the inmates will be underfed, experience poor living conditions, lack the rehabilitation guidance and be supervised by inexperienced and unskillful officers. James Austin who was an analyst conducted a survey in regard to the welfare of the inmates in some of these prisons and the results he obtained spoke volume of the kind of experiences that the inmates had to cope up with. One of the discoveries he made was that there was 49% more assaults on inmates by staff and 65% more assaults by inmates in the private run facilities than in the facilities that were learn by the government. This is one of factor that indicates that these private prisons are not that efficient when it comes to their performance. Another report that was conducted in England indicated that that the privatized prisons had bad scores in terms of the security and management based on the fact that there was failure in containing drugs, severe assaults and intentional criminal act ivity in the prisons. In addition, there are poor payments as well as working conditions in the private prisons as compared to the public prisons and this is the reason why there is high turnover in the public prisons as compared to the private prisons. It is also worth noting that privatization brings about lack of transparency in the prisons department. Public prisons have high degrees of transparency as compared to the private prisons. Despite having low transparency, the private prisons are also hard to legalize, scrutinize and bleaching of the contractual agreements are common and hard to detect and resolve. In short, the public prisons can be scrutinized easily by the public unlike the private prisons where public scrutiny cannot be assured due to the operation contracts that are usually confidential causing a serious failure in terms of accountability. Finally, this issue that seems to contradict the traditions that have been used for a long time by different countries in regard to the state respon sibility. There are functions that have been known for a long time to belong to the government and not to private developers since they are considered to belong to the class of the state responsibility to its citizens and one of this is the national defense. This is one thing that goes hand in hand with the protection of the public against crime and one of the major methods of doing this is the prison department and as a result, this department should be managed by the government of the particular country. Furthermore the act of administering punishment needs to be delivered by a body with high authority for it to be effective and this can only be the government towards is citizens who have indulged into criminal activities. As a result the ruthlessness of the punishment impacted by imprisonment or the denial of freedom needs to be executed by the government which is the sole representative of the society and not some individuals from the private sector. Privatization has also received some critics in regard the issue of ‘low-balling’. This is a system or a trick that played by contractors on the government. They under bid their fellow competitors with the aim of winning the tender and once they have won the tender, the costs are increased to very outrageous figures. The worst thing is that the competitors stand a chance of learning into bankruptcy, a situation that can leave the government in a positional that does not have any correctional capability. If this is introduced in the prison sector, this would mean that such an important section of the ensuring justice in the country would have some technical hitches and provision of poor facilities, a thing that would make this body loose its purpose. Despite the system having some advantages, there are a good number of disadvantages that may hinder the process of privatization in a given country. Some of the arguments presented by a section of scholars may not hold water but there are some arguments against privatization that should really be put into consideration for the sake of the welfare of the citizens who should be the first priority of any government (Sloane, 1996). Morality is a very important virtue and based on the fact that there are some aspects of privatization that undermine this value, it is a matter that needs to be deliberated deeply. It is also questionable as to whether the issue of morality and the society peer responsibility as well as the ultimate should be left to the hands of people whose major motive is to maximize profits and search of financial gains. This is an issue that makes the society to appear as if it is no longer guided by morals but rather by greed for money and opportunistic advocacy.

The Experience in the Educational Counseling Preparation Program Research Proposal

The Experience in the Educational Counseling Preparation Program - Research Proposal Example Actually, the latter has been extremely interesting and useful for me, since I have learned a great many new and extremely effective data from various subject areas within the material of the program. Besides, I have had a great opportunity to learned certain mechanisms and schemes in their action while practicing. Frankly speaking, knowledge from any branch of learning is beneficial for me as a future professional, but still, my personal feeling is that psychology has the greatest power for educational counseling. In fact, this science has conquered my mind due to its specific approaches, laws, and tools able to assist people in a very active way. This understanding has penetrated into my conscious to the extent that my plans for the future work as an educational counselor are prevailed with intentions to be guided by psychology as a primary and main principle of cooperation with students, their parents and instructors. So, this is my first disposition that has been opened through p articipation in the Educational Counseling Preparation Program. Whereas one compares current me with that person (another me) prior to the program, the difference is impressive. I don’t want to display but the changes are notable. The thing is that I have turned into a personality with a good bundle of knowledge and skills from a person with poor experience even in communication with other people. Definitely, I can’t say that I have been nothing before the program. Naturally, I have had some basics resulted from my educational background. But intensive learning in the Educational Counseling Preparation Program has upgraded my level in a great measure. Furthermore, it has continued the process of my self-improvement. In particular, my experience has aided me in the attainment of self-belief.

International business-Business Environment Country Analysis Project Essay

International business-Business Environment Country Analysis Project - Essay Example Healthcare industry supported by advanced technologies in medical equipment like the ultrasonic devices, x-ray equipment and MRI scanners can be the right platform for business development in fast growing Indian market. This paper analyzes the socio-economic conditions and the policy frame work in India to assess the market conditions and to decide on the best approach to tap this market. Endowed with democratic institutions and supported by internationally acknowledged legal frame work, India presents an attractive opportunity. Since the time of economic reforms undertaken in the early 90s, GDP grew steadily to the level of over $1 trillion in 2008 (Silicon news, 2008). During the four years since 2003-04 the average annual GDP growth rate was 8.83%, and exports formed around 26.5% of GDP on the average (India Country Report, 2007). Even in the current financial year (April 2008 – March ’09) GDP growth rate is expected to be around 7% (RBI Bulletin, 2009), confirming that the Indian economy is relatively less affected by the current global economic crisis. Sector-wise, agriculture & allied activities, industry and services constitute 17.8%, 19.4% and 62.9% respectively of the GDP during 2007-08 and among the services, community, social and personal services segment that has relevance to healthcare industry constitutes 13.4% and has been growing at over 7% annually since 2004-05 (RBI Annual report, 2008). IT and IT enabled services, metallurgy, automobiles and telecommunications are some of the most visible sectors. Tata Consulting Services, Infosys, Wipro, Tata Sons, Mittal Group, ICICI etc. are some of the global Indian companies. Large infrastructure investments are changing the landscape of the country. With US$ 250 plus billion foreign exchange reserves, GDP growth rate of 7%, fiscal deficit target of 3.3% and inflation target of below 5%, the Indian economy is on a

Different Phases of Talent Management in National Oilwell Varco Essay

Different Phases of Talent Management in National Oilwell Varco - Essay Example Two senior executives were given the assignment to prepare for the changes, resulting in a plan labeled â€Å"Next Generation.† To generate a supply of potential leaders, technical professionals, and others, NOV had to broaden its recruiting process beyond the normal oil-based states, such as Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Miller also demanded that foreign candidates be considered, because of the expanding global oil market.   A specific focus of NOV recruiting efforts included foreign students at U.S. universities who had high English communication skills and other relevant capabilities. Up to 40 individuals at 10 universities were interviewed, and then the primary candidates went through two more interviews by NOV middle managers. Those candidates who â€Å"passed† this phase spent two days in Houston going through additional interviews and selection means. Finally, the individuals selected were offered jobs at NOV. This process has continued during the past several years.   Once the selected individuals go to work at NOV, they spend one year in job rotation, with four assignments of three months for each in different business areas. This rotation provides the individuals with a broader view of NOV and its operations. During the rotation, candidates participate in various efforts, including development programs and mentoring by various division managers.   A unique part of NOV’s talent management process is that after the individuals complete their one-year job rotation, they become â€Å"draft candidates.† Modeled after the NFL draft, each business unit identifies which individuals they want on their â€Å"team.† After completing the draft, individuals get jobs in the different business units.   NOV’s â€Å"Next Generation† program has been successful. The retention rate for the drafted candidates is over 90%, higher than normal in the industry.

How the fashion process has changed in contemporary society Essay

How the fashion process has changed in contemporary society - Essay Example On the other hand, fashion was introduced in the eleventh century to Middle East from Asia and Far East. Europe experienced changes in fashion in the fourteenth century. Fashions vary according to social class, age, generation, geography, occupation, personality and time. In addiction, fashion covers nearly every aspect in lives of people including the clothes and jewelry, household items and vehicles. A person who is fashion conscious and follows it lavishly is referred to as fashionista or a fashion victim. Fashion can be promising and enthralling. It can make some people addicted to some specific designs as well as emulate appearance and lifestyle of celebrity idols. This is because most people are influenced by suggestive messages and images of what happiness and success looks projected by magazine models. Fashion has changed over time since the time of our ancestors. According to Jones (4), German Professors and historians believe that clothes were first worn forty thousand (40,000) years ago; the evidence is based on the lice that existed in the time that could survive only on fabric. The ancestors of humankind (cave dwellers) wore animal hides to protect themselves from cold and wore loin clothes during the warmer seasons in their time. Chinese created silk from the silkworms’ moth cocoons thousand of years ago while Eli Whitney invented cotton in 1972. Both cotton and silk are used to make fashionable styles of clothes. Europe witnessed a great time of change in thought and social change normally refereed to as Age of Enlightenment in the 1700s. The manufacturing machines made people to leave their long time farming activity to work in factories to produce clothing. The breakthroughs in 1700s and 1800s created room for mass production of clothes and changes in the fashion i ndustry. Some of the break through that brought changes in the fashion industry include the invention of flying shuttle by

Pretzel company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pretzel company - Essay Example Mission Statement The mission statement of Angelix Pretzels is to create the finest quality hard salted pretzels with a commitment to incorporate the freshest and richest nutritional ingredients. The products of Angelix Pretzels will meet the highest standard of excellence and offer greater value to the customer with enhanced quality. Furthermore, Angelix Pretzels will also seek to respond to the changing needs of potential customers as well as offers product at competitive price. Objectives The objectives of Angelix Pretzels are as follows: To enhance profit and production without compromising product quality To generate strong sales in the city’s major supermarket chains To maintain consolidated control on cost of business operations Company History Angelix Pretzels will offer delicious and nutritious hard salted pretzel products in the market of Washington City. The company will be established as a general partnership business. The business partners will be liable for perfo rming all managerial responsibilities. In order to expand the business, Angelix Pretzels will attempt to take the advantage of demand of hard salted pretzel in the city of Washington. In order to survive in the market, the company will strive hard to build a loyal customer base. The company will be registered as Angelix Pretzels and will operate its business solely from the city of Washington. Marketing Mix In order to survive in a market any new company needs to constantly produce and deliver quality products in an increasingly sustainable way, while meeting business objectives simultaneously. Thus, in order to achieve the business objectives, Angelix Pretzels should ensure that it balances the four elements or the 4Ps of marketing mix. Product Angelix Pretzels will produce and market standard hard salted pretzels product. The standard hard salted pretzels product will be made by considering the nutritional value and health of the customers. In view of that, 1 Oz (ounce) of hard sa lted pretzels will contain 108 calories which can be further include 8% of fats, 83% of carbohydrates and 9% of protein. The common serving size of hard salted pretzels will be 1 Oz, 10 Oz and 100 Oz. Angelix Pretzels will emphasize on attaining greater profitability through increased sales of its product and critically place importance in satisfying the customers’ needs and preferences. Nowadays, people have become concerned about health related issues, and thus they desire for eating healthy food without compromising the taste. Hence, Angelix Pretzels would be very careful while using wholesome ingredients in its product. In order to maintain the quality of its product, Angelix Pretzels will prudently select its suppliers. It will ensure greater customer satisfaction (Hood and Morgan, â€Å"Marketing a Food Product: Marketing Considerations for a Small-Scale Food Processor†). Price Pricing is vital for opening any new business because price can determine the sales as well as amount of profit. In order to maintain the position in the market, Angelix Pretzels will offer its’ product at competitive price. The price fixed by the company for its product would be

Ethical Dilemmas in E-Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethical Dilemmas in E-Business - Essay Example It's both interactive and unique in terms of providing immediate response and elicits reaction. Internet marketing has a wider coverage of clients since it encompasses digital media which has become very popular over the years i.e. email services, the internet, and wireless media. The aspects which internet capitalizes on are creative and technical support the internet offers including selling, adverts, developing websites, and the design. In Arab culture Business Ethics are described as a rule that regulate the socially acceptable means of performance and is usually resulted to when the other rules and regulations do not give a clear direction or guidance pertaining a certain situation or circumstance (Abdulla 2007). Those that deal with information security are expected to know and observe the laws and regulations that govern the use of computers and handling of information to the latter. The Certified Information Security System Professional (CISSP) is one such body that educates the information security professionals on such requirements (Warholic 2008). These responsibilities are essential to establishing confidence in the information security profession that motivate mutual respect from management and other stake holders; this encourages job performance to the fullest The cuThe current business world has invested so much in to communications and technology leading to so many people and businesses doing their business on the internet, commonly referred to as online trading. This has actually come with a lot of advantages as the clients reached are many and the business can make great sales. When a business operates online as in ebusiness or ecommerce, it has to keep the customers pin numbers to their credits because the common means of payment when doing business online is by use of credit cards (Petrovic et al 2001). This personal information provided on the internet is the major cause of insecurity and also elicits questions about authenticity of the businesses. In the Arabian countries and Middle East region where the Arab culture is strictly observed, technology has been inevitable and many people started using internet over the past 15 years. The people there are very preservative and do not expose their private information to the public very easily. The problem comes when some of the businesses are not careful with the client's private information leaking it to other people as in third parties or getting hacked and the information lost. Some have strict norms that do not even allow social interactions hence privacy concerns that are usually associated with the ecommerce (Warholic 2008). Some people have had to change their pin number several times within short lapses of time due to cyber crimes or careless leaking of information by the company in question. The consumer privacy is the major concern in this aspect and any business that has an intention of doing ebusiness should assure clients of their safety (Jelassi & Enders 2005). Whether the personal information of clients will be hacked or leaked, this is still unfair treatment to clients and business should try to protect their businesses from being hacked. Being safe is very critical for any company to develop and grow in terms

Understanding Of Market-Based Management Term Paper

Understanding Of Market-Based Management - Term Paper Example b). The Vantage Point of Dispersed Knowledge Dispersed knowledge possessed by the isolated individuals is better than centrally planned expert knowledge in coordinating human economic activities. It is argued that â€Å"historical experience shows that market economies, which rely on the dispersed knowledge and independent judgment of numerous consumers and producers, consistently provide a dramatically higher quality of life than centrally planned economies" (Gabble and Ellig, 1993, p. 5). It is important to note that the logic of market functioning is not only applicable to inter-businesses relations but also to the governing of specific business organizations. Simply speaking, the idea of dispersed knowledge possessed by the customers at the vantage positions of the market is equally applied to the ‘within' of the corporations too. III. Koch Industries and Market-Based Management At Koch Industries, the application of market-based management saw a 2000 fold increase in the book value after the policy was initiated in the early 1990s. For them, it is a "philosophy that enables organizations to succeed long term by applying the principles that allow free societies to prosper" (Koch, 2007, p. vii). Importantly, at Koch industries, "vision, virtue and talents, knowledge processes, decision rights and incentives" are the five dimensions of market-based management (Koch, 2007, p. vii). All these five dimensions were applied in a holistic manner at the Koch Industries so that the effect was always transformative.

Performance Management System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Performance Management System - Assignment Example Training in the corporation Training is carried out on employees through competitions, quizzes and worksite role plays. The managers and supervisors train to coach the employees. Training improves in output quality and efficiency. Experts train the employees in their weak areas or emerging issues (Ohemeng, 2011). Formal evaluations are carried out at least annually, preferably every six months to motivate the employees who improve job quality, knowledge and reliability. Appraisals may be in the form of salary increment, and this motivates workers to perform their duties efficiently and with less supervision (Ohemeng, 2011). Incentive programs involve either employees or suppliers.   If done well, the incentive plan has the potential to unleash an incredible increase in performance.   Naturally, if done poorly, the incentive programs will not only prevent improvements, but degrade the performance of processes and deliver results that directly counter strategic objectives (Ohemeng, 2011). The base of an effective performance management program is the configuration of metrics to the corporate tactic.   Each division and sector in the corporation should evaluate the strategic objectives and clearly describe its role in achieving them.   These measures enable an organization to work effectively towards achieving its goals. An open organization enables all employees to know what to expect from a reward system and have some part in the distribution of a reward. A closed system is controlled by higher management and can cause an employee to question whether the awards were handed out and the applied criteria (Ohemeng, 2011).

From the Slums to the Superstar Status Essay Example for Free

From the Slums to the Superstar Status Essay Abstract He was the most leading emissary and practitioner of the reggae music genre. He embodies its spirit and spreads its message to all the ends of the earth. Bob Marley’s exceptional songs incorporate the stylistic range of the contemporary music of Jamaica spanning ska, rock steady, and eventually reggae. He transported this music further as a social force with worldwide appeal. No other musician was able to transform the cultural as well as musical landscape as significantly as the boy from the slums did. Bob Marley: From the Slums to the Superstar Status The man is like a hero in the classic legends of old. He lived at a time when the concept of One World, One Love inspired by the religion he believes in was starting to be felt and heard. He lived a remarkable life. It remains to have an increasing and utterly strong resonance. His was a life that represents several occasions of mystical wilderness, gangland wars, artistic as well as metaphysical insights, and political cruelty. He has reached a wide audience and his influence continues to spread. His apocalyptic truths are life-changing and inspiring as far as his Western audiences are concerned. His influence extends much further in the Third World region. His impact goes beyond the confines of his native country. He has also touched the lives of the people in certain parts of West Africa, the Maoris of New Zealand, in India and Indonesia as well as the Hopi Indians in New Mexico (Moskowitz, 2007). To these people, he was a redeemer. The elements which contributed to his exceptional works are his talent, his understanding, the love he has to give, and the sadness he felt for the society into which he was born. In his demise, he left a great deal of brilliant music from where people have taken inspiration and lessons out of. A man from a country that belongs to the Third World was able to transcend seeming boundaries. His only tools were his philosophical wisdom and natural humility. He is considered to be the most valuable artist of the 20th century (Toynbee, 2007). He has left an evocative and exceptional music to the world. His music has outlived him. Truly, the songs he made are not only universal but timeless too. Robert Nesta Marley became the first and perhaps the only big name to surface from the third world. From his meager roots, he has grown to become a man of major import and impact that his attempted assassination has political motivations. His musical influence is still felt. He became the first reggae artist to release a full-length LP that instantaneously transformed the 30 year old marketing model (Moskowitz, 2007). Apart from its commercial success, his music has a universal quality that is able to surpass language, social status, and nationality. Bob Marley was a boy from the slums of Jamaica. It was where his music drew inspiration from. His life ended too soon. Nonetheless, he is an artist that was well loved the world over. His superstar status continues to rage on. As a biracial son, his was an unhappy childhood. At a young age, he was already exposed to a society that is cruel and racist. Still, together with the bands he has formed and the music he has played, Bob Marley was able to realize success not only in his native country but even across the globe. His background is of particular essence. He was the first to rise to the ranks of superstar status, the first from a Third World country, that is. He was one of the rebellious and charismatic artists of recent history whose music reflects his humble origin. Jamaica’s history of slavery lingers on the memory of its people. Slavery has filtered through the very heart of Bob Marley’s native country, from the mid-nineteenth century plantations to the popular music of recent times. Even though it has been eradicated way back in 1834, the Africans and their offspring started to develop a culture of their own from what is left from their traditional way of life and combining them with other British traditions (Moskowitz, 2007). Precisely, such mixed culture had certain similarities with the rising society of people of color in the United States. Still, Bob Marley’s native country remained to be a rural community that exclusive of the industrialization of its northern neighbor was more strongly attached to its African heritage. Bob Marley was able to leave behind numerous songs even though his life was relatively short-lived. Not like other songwriters, he was took part in all phases of creation of his music. Bob Marley penned the lyrics of his songs, he worked on the instrumental parts, his was found inside the control room while in the process of laying down his tracks (Moskowitz, 2007). Moreover, he also took part in the overdubbing and editing process involved in the creation of his music. His music was essentially reggae that it practically cornered the â€Å"roots reggae† term. Bob’s rhythm section initiated what came to be called as the â€Å"one drop† rhythm. The term refers to the standard roots reggae groove. It can be done by accenting the drum only on beat three of a four beat measure. Normally, in Western Europe’s classical music, the accentuation is placed on beats one and three of a four beat measure. On the other hand, the second and fourth beats of a four beat measure are accentuated in the American rock and roll music (Moskowitz, 2007). The unique rhythm set his apart from the ones he has grown accustomed to. Such rhythm gave his music a distinct Jamaican character. Moreover, the man was likewise a skilled lyricist. He was able to construct expressively powerful chains of words which are apparently pleasant to the ears yet contain serious punches the moment their meanings are explored. Bob Marley was able to extract the sense as well as the emotion out of every word and then skillfully conceal them in laid-back â€Å"island†-sounding music. It was his intention. If Bob Marley’s songs were quite clearly venomous or political, perhaps it could not have crossed over into the airwaves or has gained commercial success. He exhibited a kind of front which manifested itself in the way he carried himself and the way he looked. He was usually seen dressed up in pants, shirts, boots, and stocking hats or â€Å"tams† (Moskowitz, 2007). While performing, Bob Marley usually fell into a trance-like state as he sings his songs. Bob Marley sings with eyes closed as he flails his arms and his dreadlocks swings to the rhythm. This is the character that is distinctly Bob Marley. He became the foremost star from the so-called â€Å"world music† (Stephens, 1999). Born to a biracial family in the year 1945, he was exposed to the extraordinary musical culture of his native country in the 1950s. The American rhythm and blues, the rumba and calypso of the Caribbean, the ballroom dance of Europe, the Protestant Revivalist hymns, and the drumming sounds of African music are the songs he has heard while growing up (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). Attached to the networks which connected Jamaican families to the North American and English communities, part of a local hotel circuit and inter-island club, as far as the popular musicians of Jamaica is concerned, the local was already the global (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). In the year 1962, Bob Marley cut his first records as a singer (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). He was only 17 years old at that time. The following year, he assembled a vocal group which came to be known as the Wailers. Inspired by existing American soul acts like Curtis Mayfield’s Impressions, Bob Marley and his band were used by their producer, Coxsone Dodd, as an in-house vocal group to front whatever was fashionable at that time on the local dance floor. They then covered versions of international soul and pop hits, ska, rocksteady. In 1963 and 1966, they were able to release approximately eighty singles with enough hits to launch the group as Jamaica’s most successful. However, in 1966 the group was reduced to a vocal trio which included Bob Marley, his childhood friend, Bunny Livingstone, and Peter Tosh. The stripped-down vocal group that recruited the Barrett brothers, Carlton and Aston to play the drums and bass, dedicated themselves to Rastafarianism and started working with producer Lee Perry, who added a rhythm section and encouraged them to come up with their unique sound and material (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). The Wailers’ records around this time were instrumental in defining reggae as a music genre. It was also during this time that Bob Marley started to make his mark onto the British pop. A Jamaican music entrepreneur by the name of Chris Blackwell, who was concerned in supplying reggae records to the British Jamaican community through the Trojan label and was developing new rock acts under his Island label, heard the new Wailers sound and came into a realization that his two markets need not be separated from one another (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). He believed that the reggae music of the Wailers can be sold to rock fans. His first Island album entitled Catch a Fire which was released in 1973 serves as a blueprint for international music marketing (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). It can not be denied that the Wailer’s distinction lies not only in the complexity and dynamism of reggae as compared to rock music, but in the exotic quality of Rastafarianism itself. Their songs became recognizable in the production standards, the enhanced guitar accompaniment and of course, the distinct voice of Bob Marley (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). His religion and music as it appears covers an ancient mysticism that is quite suitable for the shanty town of his origin. There is certainly something of the prophet about him which makes him unique from the other popular music stars and allows diverse constituencies to grab him. To a certain degree, it has something to do with Bob Marley’s mission, a passionate drive to create music and in the process, proclaim the truth about the world. Still, to some extent, it can be attributed to the man’s poetic vision, taken in equivalent measure from the King James Bible and patwa, the creole language of Jamaica (Toynbee, 2007). Moreover, it has something to do with the mystery of his life. His mother is black while his father is white. He was born in a colonial island in the Caribbean. Nonetheless, the boy of humble decent became one of the most respectable superstars the world has ever known. Many years have already past since his demise but he remains to be that superstar from the third world to rise to such phenomenal status. Undeniably, all of the aforementioned factors are of the essence. However, the most vital component in the creation of Bob Marley’s Messianic aura lies in the careful and effective repackaging of his music by the culture industry at a time when the legendary artist is already gone. If the measure of celebrity status is based on amount, in the sense that the more people know who a certain person is, the more famous that person is considered to be, it is safe to say therefore that Bob Marley is quite a very famous celebrity (Toynbee, 2007). He has long been gone yet his music lives on. His audience still exists. Perhaps, he is indeed the most popular musical figure of the modern times. Certainly, in the north and west of the global market, figures do give some indication of the man’s celebrity status. There is the existence of cumulative sales, for instance. In the year 2005, Bob Marley’s albums have earned sales amounting to 16. 5 million in the United States alone (Toynbee, 2007). In 2005, he placed twelfth in the Forbes list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities. The list was based on total yearly revenue which takes into account earnings generated not purely from record sales but counting as well those earned from the exploitation of merchandising, licensing deals, and copyright to name a few. It gives a more rounded gauge of celebrity status in comparison to record sales. Such list even reflects worldwide earnings (Toynbee, 2007). However, the global factor of such figures from the cultural industries barely arrives at the man’s status in the marginal regions around the globe. Here, his audiences listen to his music on cassette tapes which are generally copied and spread outside official music industry channels. Statistics are not available for such kind of activity. There is even no way to measure the circulation of images of the man in the form of drawings and posters, or the proliferation of tales about him. There is also no available statistics to tell the number of local musicians playing his songs, or have simply considered him as the inspiration in their respective musical careers. To be considered popular exclusive of buying power, even when it accounts to the millions, has not so much value in the cultural industries in the center of the global system (Toynbee, 2007). To be famous means to have a greater social importance even when measures are not registered commercially. That kind of distinction bucks the system, signifying that there are certain autonomous tendencies working on. In that light, and considering anecdote and some somewhat unreliable verifications it appears to be logical to state that in the international south, Bob Marley is certainly quite famous. Combining such assessments with the available statistics, it can be concluded that the man is a universal superstar of the present day (Toynbee, 2007). The sheer geographical stretch of his achievements is visibly noteworthy. However, it also has an unusual quality. Bob Marley is not only a superstar. He is a third world star who traces his roots from the small Caribbean island of Jamaica, and eventually securing an audience and a particular resonance across the underprivileged citizens from the southern part of the world. Remarkably, he remains to be the only figure of this kind. Certainly, there are other successful artists who hailed from the margins, for instance form what came to be known as â€Å"world music† (Toynbee, 2007). Produced primarily in former colonies beginning in the middle part of the 1980s, world music has been secured an audience from the middle-class market in the highly developed capitalist nations of the world. Nonetheless, it remains to be a small niche, representing only 2 per cent of worldwide recorded music sales (Toynbee, 2007). Bob Marley was ultimately to surface as the first reggae superstar, even though the Wailers’ success created conflicts within the group. Prior to the third album, Natty Dread which was released in 1974, Livingston and Tosh were refusing to go on another exhausting tour of the United States and Britain (Hebdige, 1990). Bob Marley revised the line-up for the 1975 tour. He hired musicians and added a female backing group which came to be known as the I-Threes. He toured Africa, Europe, and North America over the next few years. He even produced a live album called the Wailers Live and three other LPs for Island Records, namely, Rastaman Vibration, Exodus and Kaya. During his final years, he gained the respect of not only his fellow Jamaicans but also of other music critics and audiences the world over (Hebdige, 1990). In the year 1976, the album entitled Rastaman Vibration broke into the hit charts in America (Hebdige, 1990). For most people, the aforementioned album was yet the most obvious display of the man’s beliefs and music. The worldwide success received by this album strengthened the increasing political importance of Bob Marley in his native town wherein his Rastafarian views reverberated clearly among the ghetto youth. As a gesture of thanksgiving to his fellow Jamaicans, he made a decision to stage a free concert at the National Heroes Park in Kingston scheduled on the 5th day of December 1976 (Moskowitz, 2007). The concert was intended to stress the need for peace in the city slums where rival groups have caused murder and chaos. He became a major target for politically motivated violence because of his fame. Shortly following the announcement of the concert, the government declared a December 20th election (Hebdige, 1990). It signaled another ghetto war. Before the scheduled concert, armed men forced an entry into the house of Bob Marley and fired a gun at him. Unfortunately, it was just an attempted assassination. For a while, he thought about whether or not to push through with the concert. Nonetheless, he came out on stage on the scheduled date in defiance of his would-be assassins. Right after the concert, he left his native country for London. He then settled on the English city and recorded another album (Frith, Straw and Street, 2001). His fellow Jamaican artists have taken advantage of the interest in roots reggae which the man has inspired. Groups like the Burning Spear and Culture, the Third World, the Gladiators as well as the Mighty Diamonds have all toured outside of their native country attracted a huge following among young white rock fanatics (Hebdige, 1990). Bunny Livingston and Peter Tosh have both gone on to produce successful solo hits, and they have refused to stay at a far distance from their musical roots. On Tosh’s albums entitled Equal Rights and Legalise It, his audience saw a man who is just as angry as he was back in the old Wailers days when he penned the songs such as Get up, Stand up and 400 Years. On the other hand the Blackheart Man album of Bunny Livingston was his tribute to his fellow Rastas. Both Livingston and Tosh’s albums sold well in the United States and Europe. Tosh even conquered his distaste of touring when he visited Britain way back in 1979. Even Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus, whose music is based on conventional Rasta drumming have toured Britain and played before a white audience (Hebdige, 1990). All of the aforementioned achievements are in the end, owed to the larger success of the man himself. However, part of the reason why his music reached soaring heights is that his musical compositions are basically pleasant-sounding. His brand of music is forever sweet sounding although the lyrics contain critical commentaries about the colonial system. Similar to the calypso artists, he knew how to convey his message across behind a lilting refrain. It is the classic Caribbean package of harsh social criticism concealed in a easy-sounding and uplifting rhythm. He was effectively causing the Western world dance to the rhythm of the prophecies of their own fall (Hebdige, 1990). With the kind of violent society that Bob Marley had surfaced from and rose above, his death seems quite a cruel stroke of fate. It was in the year 1977 when the doctors surgically removed a portion of his toe which had been wounded in a soccer game (Moskowitz, 2007). The doctors found a cancerous lump on his toe. In 1980, while jogging at Central Park, he suddenly collapsed. When he was brought to the hospital, the doctors discovered that the cancer has already spread to other parts of his body. In less than a year later, he succumbed to death. He was all of 36 years old at that time. Even though he died young, the heartbeat reggae rhythms of the vast amount of songs he made have endured. The legend of Bob Marley has transcended the years. Furthermore, his music and charismatic persona has effected a transformation to his native country. On the 21st day of May 1981, Bob Marley was laid to his final resting place with full state honors. In a great paradox, considering the loathed position that Rastafarians and their music once has in Jamaica, One Love, the antiwar reggae song of Bob Marley was adapted by the country’s tourist board as a theme song. In the mean time, his music kept on finding its audience. Garnering sales which amounted to over 10 million in the United States alone, the Legend best of covering the Island Records days from 1972 until 1981 is still the best-selling record of a Jamaican artist and the best-selling reggae album of all time (Moskowitz, 2007). This man’s influence in the music scene during his lifetime and even after is certainly extraordinary. Together with his band, he has sold over 21 million starting in 1991 (Moskowitz, 2007). The figures have not been collected until after 10 years has passed since the time of his death. Moreover, he was bestowed with the Jamaican Order of Merit, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, became a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Moskowitz, 2007). Apart from the aforementioned and all the other awards he has received during his lifetime and even after his death, the real measure of his worth is time itself. He was long gone. Nonetheless, his music is still as relevant, remarkable and popular as it was at the time it was initially released in the market. The hypnotic and loping beats of reggae music bear a distinct signature which climbed to the 1970s music scene on the forefront, primarily through the music of Bob Marley and his band under the Tuff and Island recording labels. The songs they made, particularly the ones included in the Rastaman and Natty Dread albums remain to be the landmarks of reggae that served as the voice of the disfranchised and poverty-stricken Jamaicans and, by extension, to the people of the world. Through his music, Bob Marley was able to fill them with dignity and pride of heritage, no matter how sad real life seems to be. Furthermore, his reggae music hits gave rhythmic boost which has what he prefers to call â€Å"positive vibrations† to those who listen to them. No matter how his sound was perceived, be it the dance music with a strong political undertone or political music fit for dancing, the music of Bob Marley is a powerful remedy for difficult times. References Frith, S. , Straw, W. , Street, J. (2001). The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock. New York: Cambridge University Press. Hebdige, D. (1990). Cut ‘n’ Mix: Culture, Identity, and Caribbean Music. New York: Routledge. Moskowitz, D. V. (2007). Bob Marley: A Biography. California: Greenwood Publishing Group. Stephens, G. (1999). On Racial Frontiers: The New Culture of Frederick Douglas, Ralph Ellison, and Bob Marley. New York: Cambridge University Press. Toynbee, J. (2007). Bob Marley: Herald of a Postcolonial World? Cambridge: Polity.

Application of Non-ionising Radiation Based Enzyme

Application of Non-ionising Radiation Based Enzyme APPLICATION OF NON-IONISING RADIATION BASED ENZYME INACTIVATION OF BITTER GOURD (Mordica charania L.): A COMPARATIVE STUDY Nalawade S. A, Akanksha, H.Umesh Hebbar Introduction Although many processing technologies could be used to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, the commonly used ones in current food industry are blanching and dehydration. Blanching is a pre-processing operation carried out before drying of fruits and vegetables. The main purpose of blanching is to inactivate enzymes such as peroxidase, polyphenoloxidases and phenolase which cause many adverse changes of a product (Fellows, 1990; Hiranvarachat, Devahastin, Chiewchan, 2011; Vishwanathan, Giwari, Hebbar, 2013). Conventional blanching involves processing with hotwater, steamand acid. The conventional blanching has many drawbacks such as loss of water soluble nutrients (Lavelli, Zanoni, Zaniboni, 2007), quality deterioration (Gornicki Kaleta, 2007) and environmental problems (Bomben, 1977). Bitter gourd is known for its medicinal properties and has been used in various Asian and African herbal medicine systems from a long time Grover and Yadav (2004), Beloin et al., (2005), Ananya Paul and Sarmistha Sen Raychaudhuri (2010). It has antidiabetic, antitumorous, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and cholesterol lowering capacity Ahmed et al., (2001), Grover and Yadav (2004) and Taylor (2002).The compound responsible for anti-diabetic property in bitter gourd is Charantin, a hypoglycemic compound which is a mixture of two compounds (1:1) sitosteryl glucoside (C35H60O6) and stigmasteryl glucoside (C35H58O6) that has been isolated from the seeds, leaves and fruit of Momordica charantia (Raman and Lau, 1996). Storage of raw bitter gourd is difficult because of presence of some enzymes which deteriorate the product quality. Hence, Blanching is carried out before drying operation. Primary purpose of blanching is to inactivate enzymes such as Peroxidase (POD), Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) allowing stabilization and minimize the degradation of other quality attributes (Canet, 1989). Peroxide (POD) is considered as enzymatic indicator for blanching (Gunes and Bayindirli, 1993, Sheu and Chen, 1991 and Zhu and Pan, 2009) which is one of the most heat resistant enzymes, therefore when POD is inactivated most of other enzymes present might not survive (Halpin Lee, 1987). 90% reduction in POD activity was considered as the end point, since persistence of 3-10% is considered sufficient for drying purpose (Gunes and Bayindirli, 1993). Conventional blanching method includes processing the sample with hot water and steam. The advantages of electromagnetic radiation (MW and IR) employed blanching over conventional blanching methods (water or steam) are rapid inactivation of enzyme complexes that cause quality degradation and minimal/no leaching of vitamins, flavor, pigments, carbohydrates and other water soluble components (De Ancos et al. 1999).These methods have drawbacks such as quality deterioration (Gornicki Kaleta, 2007) and loss of water soluble nutrients (Lavelli, Zanoni, Zaniboni, 2007). The application of microwave radiation for blanc hing or enzyme inactivation (Ramaswamy and Fakhouri, 1998; Ponne, Baysal, Yuksel, 1994; Begum and Brewer, 2001; Brewer and Begum, 2003; Roberts et al., 2004; Lin and Brewer, 2005; Zhu Pan, 2009; Lin and Ramaswamy, 2011; G.C. Jeevitha et.al ,2013 ;Vishwanathan et al., 2013 ) showing its effectiveness and suitability. From the results of Ramaswamy and Fakhouri (1998), Ramesh et al. (2002), G.C. Jeevitha et.al ,2013 and Bengang Wu et al.,2014 it is possible to observe that vegetable tissue blanched with microwave and infrared radiation retained better nutritional value. G.C. Jeevitha et.al,2013 reported better retention of water-soluble nutrients during dry blanching of red bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) slices using infrared (IR) and microwave (MW) radiations and its performance compared with conventional methods. There are a few reports on MW blanching (Chung et al. 1981; Ramesh et al. 2002; Brewer and Begum 2003) and IR blanching (Ponne et al. 1994) indicating their benefits in terms of nutrient retention over steam or water blanching. The objectives of present study were to: evaluate kinetics of Bitter gourd peroxidase (POD) polyphenol oxidase (PPO) inactivation and determine adequacy of both conventional (water and steam) and Dry blanching (IR and MW); to evaluate effect on product quality in terms of moisture, ascorbic acid, chlorophyll and charantin. Materials and Methods Bitter gourd dark green (moisture content 92  ± 1.2%w.b) were purchased from a local market. All the fruits were washed with running water under tap to remove adhering dust and reduce the surface micro-flora and stored at 4  ± 1 °C until further use. The bitter gourd fruits were procured from a single source and almost the same degree of maturity was maintained in order to minimize variation in raw material quality. Sample preparation Bitter gourd fruits were washed thoroughly with tap water and sliced using Robot coupe slicer of dimension 5 mm. seeds were removed manually and used for the study. Blanching Systems Water Blanching Bitter gourd slices (100 g) were immersed in hot water (1:3) maintained at 90  ± 2 °C for 2 min. The blanched samples were immediately cooled to room temperature (25 °C) by dipping in water for 5 min. Surface excess moisture of slices was removed using filter paper and subjected for analysis. Steam Blanching Bitter gourd slices (30 g) were subjected to steam blanching by exposing the slices to steam in an autoclave (100C and 1atm) for 3 min. The steam blanched Bitter gourd slices were immediately cooled to room temperature by dipping in water for 5 min. Samples was subjected for analysis after removing the surface moisture. IR Blanching. About 100 g of bitter gourd slices spread uniformly on the stainless steel (AISI 304) conveyor of IR heater developed (Hebbar and Ramesh 2006) at the authors institute and exposed to IR radiation at a chamber air temperature 200 °C for 8 min. The IR heater, fitted with near IR heat sources (1.1 THz; 0.26 kW/m2) on top and bottom sides of the wire mesh conveyor, was used for the study. IR heat was applied intermittently to control blanching temperature. The chamber was preheated to the required temperature before blanching. The blanched slices were cooled rapidly to room temperature by blowing air. MW Blanching MW blanching was carried out in a domestic microwave oven (BPL, 2,450 MHz) at an intensity of 5.57, 7.36 and 8.8 W/g. For all the runs, the position of the bitter gourd slices were maintained the same on the turntable to minimize variation. Crude extract preparation Slices were homogenized with 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer of pH 7 in the ratio of 1:3. Homogenate was filtered through muslin cloth and centrifuged at 5,100 g for 20 min at 4 ° C. Supernatant was collected and used for the assay. Enzyme analysis. POD Assay The substrate solution was composed of 1.0 mL of phosphate buffer of pH 6, 1.0 mL of 15 mM guaiacol and 1 mL of 3 mM H2O2. To the substrate solution, 50  µL of enzymatic extract were added and the increase in OD was recorded at 470 nm for 5 min using ultraviolet (UV) visible spectrophotometer (UV- 160A, Shimadzu, Japan). Enzyme activity was determined from the slope of the linear portion of the graph relating absorbance with time and expressed as ΔAbs470/min.g sample (Fujita et al. 1997). PPO Assay A spectrophotometric assay at 411 nm using 0.1 M catechol as substrate was used to quantify PPO activity (Weemaes et al. 1997). Moisture content Moisture content of raw and blanched bitter gourd was analyzed using the AOAC method. Values reported are the average of triplicate determinations Estimation of Ascorbic acid The ascorbic acid was determined by 2,6-dichlorophenol- indophenol visual titration methods,(Ranganna 1986) given as follows: Standardization of dye Ascorbic acid (100 mg of l-ascorbic acid) was dissolved in 3% HPO3 and volume made up to 100mL. Further, 10 ml of this solution was diluted to 100mL with HPO3. From this, 5mL was transferred to Erlenmeyer flasks containing 5mL of metaphosphoric acid (3%). A burette was filled with the dye, prepared from dissolution of 50 mg of the sodium salt of 2, 6-dichlorophenol in hot distilled water (150 mL) containing 42 mg of NaHCO3, which was made up to 200mL with distilled water. Then, the ascorbic acid solution was titrated against the standard indophenol solution to a rose pink color, which persisted for around 15 s. The dye factor was determined as milligram of ascorbic acid per milliliter of the dye, using the formula: Sample preparation and assay, the sample (10 g) was macerated with metaphosphoric acid (3%) in a pestle and mortar, filtered, and made up to 100 ml. The filtrate (5 mL) was taken and titrated against the standard dye to a pink end point, which persisted for at least 15 s. The vitamin C content was calculated as: Percentage retention of ascorbic acid was calculated by, Where A= amount of ascorbic acid present after processing A0= amount of ascorbic acid present in fresh bitter gourd Both values taken dry basis Estimation of Chlorophyll Estimation of chlorophyll was carried out according to the procedure of Ranganna.[25] bitter gourd slices (1 g) were macerated with 80% acetone in a pestle and mortar. The supernatant layer was decanted and the extraction was repeated until the residue was colorless. Then the extracts were pooled, filtered, and made up to 100mL in a volumetric flask. The absorbance measured at 645nm and 663nm using spectrophotometer (Schemadzu UV-1800) The amount of chlorophyll present in the extract mg chlorophyll per g tissue was calculated using the following equation Where, A=absorbance at specific wavelength V= final volume of chlorophyll extracted in 80% acetone W= weight of tissue extracted The results were expressed as % on dry basis. Percentage retention of ascorbic acid was calculated by, Where A= amount of chlorophyll present after processing A0= amount of chlorophyll present in fresh bitter gourd Both values taken dry basis Estimation of Charantin Soxhlet extraction About 1.0 g of bitter melon fruit powder was extracted with 200 ml of ethanol for 150 min. Charantin remained in the sample residue was extracted repeatedly in 30 ml volumes of methanol using ultrasonication. The extract was filtered and evaporated to obtain viscous crude extract and purified prior to the analysis with HPLC. Sample purification To purify the crude extract, the protocol as described in Chanchai (2002) was carried out. Briefly, 5 ml of 50:50 (v/v) methanol–water was added to the crude extract. The mixture was then sonicated for 15 min and centrifuged at 3500 rpm for 15 min to separate the supernatant from the precipitate. The precipitate was then added with 5 ml of 70:30 (v/v) methanol–water, and the mixture was again sonicated and centrifuged. The precipitate from this step was added with 3 ml of hexane, and the step was repeated. The precipitate from this step was re-dissolved in 200  µl of 1:1 (v/v) chloroform–methanol mixture, and then adjusted to volume with methanol to 2 ml volume for that obtained with Soxhlet extraction. The purified solution was filtered through a 0.45 µm nylon membrane filter (Millipore, USA) before being analyzed by an HPLC. Analysis HPLC analysis was carried out for the quantification of Charantin present in the sample with C-18 Ascentis column (5 µm particle, 4.6 mm Ãâ€" 250mm ID). The mobile phase used was 100:2 (v/v) methanol-water and flow rate was maintained at 1mL/min. The UV detector was set at the wavelength of 204nm and the sample injection volume was 20 µL. Percentage retention of charantin was calculated by, Where A= amount of charantin present after processing A0= amount of charantin present in fresh bitter gourd Both values taken dry basis Kinetics of enzyme inactivation The reaction rate constant was determined using first order equation Where A is the peroxidase or polyphenol oxidase activity at time t; A0 is the initial enzyme activity; t is the blanching time (s); k is the reaction rate constant (s-1) at given temperature. Decimal reduction time (D) of enzyme is the time required for one log10 reduction in activity of the enzyme (Cigdem and Zerrin 2005), was determined using the following equation: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Enzyme Inactivation The activity of POD and PPO in fresh samples were found POD 4Ãâ€"103 U/g and PPO- 322 U/g (fresh weight), respectively. The blanching was continued till the POD activity was reduced to 10% of the initial activity. The slices were blanched in water maintained at 95 °C (fig. a) and exposed to steam (fig. b) for different time intervals (15 to 180 sec). The time taken for water and steam blanching was 120 and 180 sec, respectively. The inactivation of PPO was also significant during this period. The bitter gourd slices were blanched using IR radiation at 200 °C chamber temperature for different time intervals. The time required for blanching was 8 min (fig. c). PPO inactivation trend was similar to that of POD, with marginally quicker inactivation. The initial content of ascorbic acid was 666.7 ± 2.3 mg ascorbic acid/100 g dry weight .Ascorbic acid is considered as a relevant nutritional quality index of food during blanching and drying because of its low stability during thermal treatments and its water solubility. Ascorbic acid is significantly lost (20– 70%) during water and steam blanching and one of the advantages of dry blanching is the higher retention of this water soluble micronutrient. IR blanching at 200 °C retained higher ascorbic acid (∠¼ 93%) compared with other two conditions.(table.1) The results showed that that the duration–temperature combination decided the retention of ascorbic acid, rather than temperature or duration alone. IR blanching removed nearly 10% moisture, which could be a favorable factor, if drying is the subsequent step. Acknowledgement The Author would like to thank UGC for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (RGNF). Authors wish to thanks Director, CFTRI for extending infrastructure other facilities for carrying out this work.

Priesthood Of All Believers Theology Religion Essay

Priesthood Of All Believers Theology Religion Essay Luthers greatest contribution to Protestant ecclesiology was his doctrine of priesthood of all believers. It was a central teaching of Luther in the formation of Christian communities. Eric W. Gritsch has claimed, Luthers doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, developed particularly in his treatises of 1520, is one of the most revolutionary doctrines in the history of Christianity.  [1]  It is the clear biblical idea that we could see from the Genesis to Revelation. The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers opposes the unbiblical doctrine of sacerdotalism  [2]  and the existence of a Brahman-like  [3]  priestly class within the church. When Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of Wittenberg Castle Church on October 31, 1517, he was declaring war against the idea that salvation comes through the priesthood via the sacraments. His theses were anti-sacerdotalistic and he spoke against the theology that ex opere operato  [4]  supernatural li fe could be created through baptism, brought to growth by confirmation, nourished by the Mass, and healed of all diseases by penance and extreme unction. Luther vehemently rejected the idea that through sacraments a priest could control an individuals life both here and hereafter. Luther claimed that everyone who does have faith in Jesus Christ is a priest. He wrote that his hope was for a day when we shall recover that joyful liberty in which we shall understand that we are all equal in every right, and shall shake off the yoke of tyranny, and know that he who is a Christian has Christ, and he who has Christ has all things that are Christs, and can do all things.  [5]  The concept that all who believe in Christ are priests came into mind to Luther after he became convinced that Scripture was the only authority for a Christian. Believers are called to be the salt and the light (Matthew 5:13), this is only possible when the believers understands Christs priestly ministry and its own priestly role. This also has serious eschatological implications, as Christ comes to be united with his bride, the Church. Will He find a fragmented body or a united family of believers? Hence this paper mainly examines that where from the concept of priesthood of all believers begins in the Bible and for what purpose; what is the context that steered Luther to raise this idea of priesthood of all believers; the coherence between Luthers idea and the biblical idea of priesthood of all believers; and its implication to the present church of India. I. THE ORIGIN OF THE CONCEPT OF PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS IN THE BIBLE A priest is one who performs the sacrifices, makes the rituals and doing the work of mediator between God and man. He is the one responsible for offering the divinely appointed sacrifices to God, for executing ceremonies relating to the worship of God. In other sense, he is the representative between man and God. Scripture says, For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.  [6]  The priestly office came first in time, when our first parents sinned and fell from the high estate into which they had been created. God Himself performed the priestly office when He slew animals and provided a covering for Adam and Eve.  [7]   A. PRIESTHOOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT There were three orders of men in the Old Testament times such as the kingly, the prophetical and the priestly orders. They were set apart by anointing with holy oil for a particular vocation. A king in the Old Testament was one who ruled men for God. A prophet was one who spoke for God to men. And a priest was one who spoke for men to God. Among all these three orders, even from the very beginning of the human race, the believers have performed priestly works. In the particular period, the head of the family was doing the priestly office. He would build an altar and offer a sacrifice for the help from God. Scripture gives enough evidence for that. 1. Priesthood in the Patriarchal Age In the Bible history, the first period is commonly known as Patriarchal Age. The word patriarch comes from two root words meaning father rule. It encompasses the period between the creation events, and the time when Israel was separated as a special nation at Sinai for the preparation of the coming Messiah. In Genesis 4:3-5 both Cain and Abel functioned in the capacity of priest in that each was responsible for his own offering to God. We could see that when Noah disembarked the ark following the great flood, he offered sacrifices on behalf of his family.  [8]  Abram, after a long march from Ur, came into Canaan and built an altar at Shechem.  [9]  Again and again, Abraham offered sacrifices to God, as did his sons and grandsons. Thus, originally in mans relations with God, every individual functioned as his own priest before God with no particular location established for sacrificing and with no intermediary between him and God.  [10]  When He gave the Law at Mount Sinai , the people of Israel had been given an opportunity to become a kingdom of priests. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  [11]   Here God makes a covenant with all the people of Israel. Based on the above text, the people of Israel become Gods possession and are chosen for the privilege of service. God instituted the priesthood of Israel as a congregated unit for the purpose of service to the world. This is the vocation of the people of God of which each member stands under Gods call, and each is accountable for his or her response to it. 2. A Shift on Priesthood But Israel disobeyed and God removed the opportunity for becoming a kingdom of priests. When Moses went up to the mountain to receive a list of rules and regulations for the newly freed nation, God also gave him instructions to form a professional priesthood. Now each layman would no longer be his own priest, the individual could no longer take his sacrifices directly to God.  [12]  Here God selected Aaron and his family and the tribe of Levi to be His priests. They were set apart that when Israelites entered the Promised Land, the priests and Levites received no inheritance of land as the other eleven tribes. They had been set apart for the service of God and were to be supported by the tithes and offerings of the peoples sacrifices. The sons of Aaron and the tribe of Levi had at least three distinctive as priests. 1. They had direct access to God. At appointed times they went into the Holy Place and even the Holy of Holies to communicate with God. 2. The priests represented God to the people of Israel. They were mediators who communicated the Word of God to the people since they were considered holy. 3. The people represented the people of Israel to God. The people could not approach a holy God directly because of their sin. The priests were mediators for the people as they brought sacrifices before the altar. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies yearly once on the Day of Atonement to offer an atoning substitute of a bull or lamb offering. One of the most important features of the priestly system was to emphasize the absolutely holy nature of Almighty God. This is a concept repeatedly affirmed in the Scriptures.  [13]   B. PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIVERS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT This was the situation continued Jesus Christ was crucified. At the same moment of Jesus death, the veil of the Temple was ripped from top to bottom.  [14]  From then on there has been no need for select group of priests. At that point in time and ever since then believers became priests, a part of Gods royal or kingly priesthood. The elimination of the office of priests as a select group of people is based, then, upon the physical sacrifice of Jesus, the ultimate High Priest. Jesus completed and fulfilled the role of priest in His substitutionary death. . . . but He became a priest with an oath when God said to Him: The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: You are a priest forever. Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant . . . because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to savecompletely . . . Such a high priest meets our need-one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. . . . Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself. For the law appoints as high priest men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.  [15]   The priest, then, is the person who himself has access to God and whose task it is to bring others to Him. While in the ancient world this access to God was the privilege of the professional priests, and in particular of the High Priest who alone could enter into the Holy of Holies. But now through Jesus Christ, the new and living way, access to God becomes the privilege of every Christian. The word priest comes from the Latin presbyter and the Greek presbyteros which simply means elder. This word was later used to describe the leader of a community. In modern usage the term priest seems to be derived more from the actual Greek word for priest hiereus.  [16]  In the New Testament this word is never used to describe a class or caste of people separate from the people of God. Instead, it is used in the sense all Gods people are a chosen race, a royal priesthood  [17]  The New Testament believers constitute the succession to the priesthood in old Israel, having been given the right of direct access to God through Christ. Furthermore, the ministry in the church has replaced the ancient priesthood. Hence, all the believers in Christ are priests in the New Testament. Put into historical perspective, the priesthood concept would look like this: for the first several thousand years mankinds history as recorded in the Bible, each man was responsible for functioning as a priest before God. Then, for approximately 1500 years, the time between Moses and when Christ appeared on earth, the priesthood of the professional existed. From the death of Christ until He returns again, we have reverted to the pre-Sinai days of the priesthood of the believer.  [18]   II. THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF MARTIN LUTHERS REFORMATIVE THOUGHT It is better to look back the history of the church to understand that how the New Testament idea of priesthood of all believers was perverted into the Roman Catholic Idea of Institutionalism. A. PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS IN THE EARLY CHURCH HISTORY The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is found throughout the Scriptures and was practiced in the early church. As Dr. R. Laird Harris writes, First century Christianity had no priests. The New Testament nowhere uses the word to describe a leader in Christian service.  [19]  But this glorious doctrine was gradually replaced by sacerdotalism beginning in the third century, especially by Cyprian (c. 258) Bishop of Carthage. Cyprian treated all the passages in the Old Testament that refer to the privileges, the sanctions, the duties, and the responsibilities of the Aaronic Priesthood, as applying to the officers of the Christian Church.  [20]  He completely failed to grasp the central thesis of the Epistle to the Hebrews. He was blind to the fact that the only High Priest under the Gospel recognized by the apostolic writings is our Lord Himself  [21]  and not a solitary pope or bishop or priest of the church. So from the third century onwards the priesthood of all believers was not visible in theological thinking. But the Roman Catholic theologians justified sacerdotalism by saying that Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter, the rock upon whom Jesus would build his church. Further they says that Peter was the first pope of Rome, and so the pope of Rome by succession has the power of the keys of the kingdom to bind and loose, and even to save. Salvation is deposited in the Roman priesthood and dispensed through the sacraments. The sacraments are effectual ex opere operato, meaning the subjective condition of the priest or the recipient does not matter. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that there is no salvation outside of the priesthoods mediatorial function, and no person by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ may approach the Father with confidence! B. PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS IN THE MEDIVAL PERIOD By the successive centuries, the Roman Catholic hierarchy and other religious groups make a sharp distinction between the laity and the clergy. Such distinction was foreign to the early church where the ultimate authority in ministry traces back to the risen Lord. Along with the structural hierarchy is the sacrament of ordination. The church in Rome imposes the sacrament of ordination that results in the marked separation between the clergy and the laity.  [22]  Christianity had been plagued with it ever since. More and more the church began to structure itself on the basis of the former Levitical order, rather than on the purely New Testament idea of each man is a priest perspective. The change was slow and evolutionary, but pastors gradually came to be called priests and the believers laity. The communion table became an altar and the elements a sacrifice. At the dawn of the Reformation Era, the institutionalized church already would have two major distinguished bodies within the community of believers: the clergy and laity. The status lay people, both in principle and in practice, would not only subordinate to the priests, but also widens the gap between clergy and laity. The gap became synonymous with the sacred and the profane.  [23]   But godly men such as Peter Waldo, John Wyclif and John Hus saw the distinct difference and distance between the clergy and laity. They didnt like it, for it was in opposition to the teachings of the New Testament. Until the dramatic impact of the Protestant Reformation, these smaller movements had little pervasive influence.  [24]   C. PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS IN THE REFORMATION ERA During the Reformation era the concept of the priesthood of all believers became very contentious within the structures of the Institutional church. The Reformation era provides a framework in tracing the concept of the priesthood of all believers. An elucidation on how Martin Luther formulated the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers will be dealt with in the pages to follow. The concept that all who believe in Christ are priests occurred to Luther after he became convinced that Scripture was the only authority for a Christian. As he studied the Bible, especially Pauls Epistle to the Romans, he discovered that in and through Jesus Christ a believer possessed the righteousness of God, and therefore, immediate access to God without the mediation of an arrogant priesthood. Thus, the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is a sequel to the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone. Those who are clothed in the perfect righteousness of God are welcome in the presence of God. No Christian needs a pontiff, meaning a bridge builder, because Jesus Christ alone is the way to the Father. There were other efforts at reforming the Catholic Church, seeking to bring it back to a more biblical posture, but they all fell short of their goal. It was not until such reforming seeds germinated in a favorable political climate that fruit would be born. The date was October 31, 1517. The place was Wittenberg, Germany. An obscure priest named Martin Luther nailed his grievances to the church door, the Reformation was born. A number of changes were called for by this bold, imaginative priest, but at the very core of the Reformation was the conviction that all believers are priests of the living God. He felt that all believers had the right and responsibility to study Gods Word, involve themselves in the ministry, make confession to God on their own, and even administer the sacraments.  [25]   What had started in 1517 as a protest against indulgences by an unknown monk, developed in 1520 into an irreconcilable conflict dividing the Western Church. The three treatises of To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, and The Freedom of a Christian are the heart of Luthers protest against the church of his day. The first was written in August, the second in October, and third in November. In great part, Luthers tract is a catalog of the deplorable state of Christendom. The pope exalts himself over secular rulers as well as over the church, and lives in unconscionable luxury. Rome is a moral cesspool where licenses to live in open debauchery can be bought and sold. The Church has become a machine for making money, and the popes henchmen, having bled Italy dry, have now turned their attention to Germany. Because of their inability to live up to the arbitrary rule of celibacy, many pious priests keep wives, yet do so secretly and with a bad conscience. The universities ignore the Bible and lecture on commentaries, and on commentaries on commentaries. The common people are ignorant even of basic Christianity.  [26]  In such a situation, Luther did write his treatises. Primarily, his first treatise of To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation occupied the central theme of the priesthood of all believers. Here it is better to examine the background that led Martin Luther to raise the concept of priesthood of all believers. 1. To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation a) Priesthood of All Believers As Social Implication In his first treatise of To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation the concept of priesthood of all believers has social, ecclesiastical and spiritual implications. At the dawn of the Reformation era, the institutionalized church already would have two major distinguished bodies within the community of believers such as clergy and laity. Socially, he accepted the context of western Christianity, where temporal rulers belong to the body of Christendom. Within the Christian social order, the rulers are ordained of God to punish evildoers and protect those who do good. When pressed by the temporal power the Romanists have made decrees and declared that the temporal power had no jurisdiction over them, but that, on the contrary, the spiritual power is above the temporal.  [27]   Luther argues against the medieval division between the temporal and the church authorities and their separate jurisdictions in all matters. First of all, he attacked the social distinction that emphasized by the Romanists, It is pure invention that pope, bishop, priests, and monks are called the spiritual estate while princes, lords, artisans, and farmers are called the temporal estate. This is indeed a piece of deceit and hypocrisy. Yet no one need be intimidated by it, and for this reason: all Christians are truly of the spiritual estate, and there is no difference among them except that of office.  [28]   He maintains that all Christians are equally Christian so that none is superior to any other as far possessing what is essential to the church, because we all have one baptism, one gospel, one faith, are all Christians alike; for baptism, gospel, and faith alone make us spiritual and a Christian people.  [29]   Relying upon 1Corinthians 12:12-13, which describes the Church as the body of Christ and each member a part of that body, Luther acknowledges differences between Christians, not as questions of status, however, but as occasions for service to others. All are not the same in what God has given them to do, but they are all the same in what God has given them to be in the Church, viz., His very own people. All Christians, therefore, have the same status. By quoting 1Peter 2:9 and Rev. 5:9-10, Luther describes that status as priest and ascribes it to every Christian, As far as that goes, we are all consecrated priests through baptism.  [30]  So what differentiates Christians is simply the work that God has given them to do: There is no true, basic difference between laymen and priests, prices and bishops, between religious and secular, except for the sake of office and work, but not for the same of status. They are all of the spiritual estate, al are truly priests, bishops, and popes  [31]   As part of the divine economy, God has given to each Christian a particular calling in this life whereby he serves others, Everyone must benefit and serve every other by means of his own work or office so that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, just as all the members of the body serve one another (1Cor.12:14-26).  [32]   As examples of such vocations in the body of Christ, Luther mentions cobblers, smiths, peasants, and temporal authorities besides the clergy. But what is noteworthy about the last, those who have as their vocation the administration of the Word of God and Sacraments,  [33]  is that they are exercising an authority that belongs in the first instance to every Christian. For besides designating ones status before God, Luthers concept of the priesthood of believers also includes spiritual power in the church. b) Priesthood of All Believers as Ecclesiastical Implication Luther rejects ecclesiastically, the clergys monopoly on interpreting Scripture. He attacks the second wall of Romanists that only the pope may interpret the Scripture, determining correct doctrine, forgiving sins, and exercising discipline. There is no Scriptural warrant at all for the claim that only the pope may interpret the Bible. Here Luther clarifies the illusion that some of the Romanists claim of the power that was given to St. Peter. Although they allege that this power was given to St. Peter when the keys were given him, it is clear enough that the key were not given to Peter alone but to the whole community. Further, the keys were not ordained for doctrine or government, but only for the binding or loosing of sin.  [34]   As handlers of Scripture the Romanists are manifestly incompetent, and this makes their claim to hold a monopoly on biblical interpretation absurd. The Romanists must admit that there are among us good Christians who have the true faith, spirit, understanding, word, and mind of Christ. Luthers main point is that the Pope isnt the only person able to read the scriptures. He writes, Has not the Pope often erred? Here Luther implies that the Pope isnt God, and that he makes mistakes.  [35]  The Pope, therefore, can misinterpret the Bible. Luther shows that the Pope is like everyone else, so therefore others can interpret the scriptures as well. Luther then uses the Bible as a way to prove the second wall wrong. Luther quotes Christs words, And they shall be all taught of God(St. John vi. 45). Everyone should be able to interpret the scriptures and be taught of God, without the Popes help. Furthermore he questions, Besides, if we are all priests, as was said above, and all have one faith, one gospel, one sacrament, why should we not also have the power to test and judge what is right or wrong in matters of faith? What becomes of Pauls words in 1Corinthians 2:15, A spiritual man judges all things, yet he is judged by no one? And 2Corinthians 4:13, We all have one spirit of faith? Why, then, should not we perceive what is consistent with faith and what is not, just as well as an unbelieving pope does?  [36]   Even more, Luther attacks the third wall of Romanists. He argues that there is no basis either in the nature of a Christian society or in Scripture for the Romanists refusal to call a council. Luther brings up that St. Peter wasnt the only person to call a council: Thus we read in Acts 15 that the council of the Apostles was not called by St. Peter, but by all the Apostles and the elders.  [37]  Also, nowhere in the scriptures does it say that the Pope is allowed to call a council by himself. Therefore their threats can be safely ignored, and a council should be called without delay to deal with a long list of abuses in the Church. Ordinary people and temporal authorities have the right and duty to do this, not only by virtue of their status as kings and priests before God, but because the crisis in the Church demands it. Would it not be unnatural if a fire broke out in a city and everybody were to stand by and let it burn on and on and consume everything that could burn because nobody had the authority of the mayor, or because, perhaps, the fire broke out in the mayors house? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦How much more should this be done in the spiritual city of Christ if a fire of offense breaks out, whether in the papal government, or anywhere else?  [38]   Therefore, Luther concludes that it is the duty of every Christian in the Church as having the responsibility of priesthood of all believers; he has to espouse the cause of the faith, to understand and defend it, and to denounce every error. c) Priesthood of All Believers as Spiritual Implication Luther declares that since we have one baptism, one gospel one faith, and are all Christians alike; for baptism, gospel, and faith alone make us spiritual and a Christian people. He quotes 1Peter 2:9, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Gods special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Yet all are alike consecrated priests, everyone must benefit and serve every other by means of his own work or office so that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, just as all the members of the body serve one another. Mainly all should share the three priestly functions such as prayer intercede with God on behalf of others, proclamation speak the gospel sharing it with the neighbor, and sacrifice living a cross-centered and servant oriented life. Since the Church is in a state of crisis and someone has to act. The temporal authorities and ordinary lay people can and should do so because there are no inherently unspiritual vocations, because all Christians in all vocations are kings and priests, and because the deplorable state of the Church is the concern of every Christian. 2. The Babylonian Captivity of the Church Nevertheless, the second treatise of Luther, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church also has the influence of the idea of priesthood of all believers. In this treatise, he discusses and dismantles the medieval sacramental system. In a measured but powerful way, Luther subjects each of the seven medieval sacraments such as baptism, Eucharist, penance, confirmation, marriage, ordination, and extreme unction to the critique of Gods Word and concludes that there are, strictly speaking, but two sacraments in the church of God baptism and the bread ( Eucharist). For only in these two do we find both the divinely instituted sign and the promise of forgiveness of sins  [39]   Not surprisingly, in his di