Theology Reflection Paper Essay Example for Free

Theology Reflection Paper Essay Introduction For my two topics I choose The Nature of God and Sin Nature (the nature of man). The two topics are obviously complete opposites but as a child most of what I knew about God came from the sinful nature of family that I looked up to and later how I learned to recognize and pray for my current sinful nature was from learning the actual Nature of God. In this paper I will explain how the two topics connected with my life and how this study has help me understand both topics even more. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God (Galatians 4:8). The Nature of God The Nature of God is truly understood with the Holy Spirit and the study of God’s Word. Supremacy, Omniscience, Omnipotence, Omnipresence are just a few words that describe the Nature of God. To truly know God is to fear him and be in awe of him. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1Timothy 1:17). I was raised in a Gypsy culture which led to many terrible understandings in the outside world. One huge misunderstanding is that I had of the nature of God. As a gypsy child we would listen to many stories from â€Å"successful†Ã‚  elders in hopes of learning some great secret to help us. Many of these stories involved superstitions and the justification of doing bad things to get a head. One story that helped justify such acts was that as Jesus Christ was being crucified a gypsy boy stole one of the nails intended to be used to nail Jesus to the cross. We were told because of this Jesus forgives us for like sins that we commit to live our life in the gypsy culture. This story and mentality really affected the view I had of the Nature of God and the life I should live. The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you (John 14:26). It is pretty clear to me now that the understanding we all had back then was not due to the Holy Spirit. After being adopted by a Baptist preacher and actually being saved I started my journey to understand the Nature of God. The current understanding I have of the Nature of God has taken 15 years to create. Every day God reveals his nature to me with current issues, reviewing my past and with studying God’s Word. Sin Nature The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants (Galatians 5:17). Sin Nature is something mankind cannot combat without the Spirit. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out (Romans 7:18). Sinful Nature has been passed down all the way back to Adam. But one’s personal Sin Nature can find its roots much closer to present time. I have found that I share most of my sinful struggles with my father, Tommy. Tommy, has been married over 12 times is an alcoholic and addicted to drugs and violence. But all of these sinful destructive traits are easy to avoid for a son that has a clear picture of what happens to a man with such habits. But the issue that wasn’t as known is Tommy’s addiction to porn. My journey with porn started at an early age and is rooted deep within me. This sin nature has defeated over 20 relationships with distorted visions of sex. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do (Romans 7:15). As my father before me I could fall into the same traps of multiple marriages and violence, but because of the knowledge I have of God’s Nature and the Holy Spirit inside of me I can combat said sin with knowledge. Those who  live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires (Romans 8:5). Conclusion In the 11th chapter of Core Christianity, Elmer Towns says â€Å"Whenever Christianity touches a culture in a significant way; there is always a change in a positive way.† Being raised in one culture that was not truly touched by Christianity and then adopted into a completely different culture that was truly touched by Christ I have personally felt and seen the positive effects Christianity has when it touches a life or culture. In chapter 5 of Core Christianity, Elmer Towns speaks to One Door—Two Sides. In most of his book but especially in this section E. Towns, highlights my now Reformed Perspective God has revealed to me. I now have a better understanding of The Nature of God and how truly blessed I am, The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him {Psalm 28:7)

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Research has established that parents of children with an intellectual disability are at a greater risk of developing mental health problems. These parents typically report increased stress, symptoms of depression and a lower quality of life compared to parents without ID children (Olsson and Hwang, 2001, p. 535). Parental Stress and Depression At some point in their lives, all parents will experience stress as a result of having children. However, the types of stressors that parents of ID children experience are different and the level of stress is remarkably higher and often carries on into adulthood (Myers, Mackintosh and Goin-Kochel, 2009, p. 671). Research has shown that the immediate stressor is the diagnosis of the child; parents need to go through the grieving process in order to come to terms with their child’s condition (Norizan and Shamsuddin, 2010, p. 1000). The severity of the child’s impairment plays a significant role in determining parental stress levels (Rivard, Terroux and Parent-Boursier, 2014, p. 9). Myers, Mackintosh and Goin-Kochel (2009, p. 671) conducted a survey on 493 parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The study identified that over 70% of parent statements expressed that their child’s care and supervision demands, school struggles, marital problems and c hallenging behaviours were major sources of stress. Children with an intellectual disability typically experience sleep problems such as prolonged sleep or frequent night awakenings, which can impact on parents’ sleep quality and quantity (Meltzer, 2011, p. 362). Chronic sleep disruption or exhaustion has been associated with decreased daytime functioning, another source of stress, as well as symptoms of parental depression (Melt... ...ility diagnosis. The study looked at four coping dimensions: 1. Positive coping: positive reframing of difficult situations and having an optimistic outlook. 2. Problem-focused coping: solving problems as they arise, and seeking advice and support when needed. 3. Active avoidance coping: avoiding stressful situations; escape-avoidance. 4. Religious/Denial coping: not accepting the intellectual disability diagnosis. Parents who adopted positive and problem-focused coping experienced lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression; while parents who adopted active avoidance and religious/denial coping strategies experienced higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression (Hastings et al., 2005, p. 386). Benson (2010) drew similar conclusions that employing positive coping strategies is likely to have the greatest influence on parents’ well-being and outlook on life.

Development of an industrialized, mechanized economy in the United States

Till the time of American Revolution, the American economy was basically a â€Å"colonial† economy, and worked for the benefit of — the mother country(Britain). With time the colonies resentment with the mother country grew and they breached their links much to the ire of the British Empire. The period that went by between the American Revolution and the Civil War witnessed the growth of a young national economy. Though it was still largely agricultural, the manufacturing and industrial sector was also coming up in a big way (complemented by the rise of a fledgling labor movement).Serious and vigorous economic and political competition among the sections (North, South, and West) was a primary force shaping the development of American politics. At the same time, the nation slowly developed the foundations of a unified national economic system.This consolidation of American economic life was driven by such technological developments as the invention of the steamboat, the railroad, and the telegraph; by the development of new economic enterprises (e.g. , railroad and telegraph systems) capitalizing on these technological advances; and by the linking of the nation's several regions through the construction of â€Å"internal improvements† such as canals and roads and toll bridges. The Union's possession of these economic advantages was a major factor in its victory over the Confederacy in the Civil War. After the Civil War was over, the United States was established as a major player in the world economy.The Development of infrastructure and new means of communication resulted in bonding the national economy together, and also making feasible the rise of great industrial enterprises. Education and political legal support also assisted the growth of these enterprises by the development of such forms of organization as the business corporation, the trust, and the holding company. But the labour movement in America also grew at a frantic pace in or der to protect their interests from the hands of capitalists and it can be said that largely the work force was dissatisfied at the treatment meted out to them.The labor movements initially forced the government to bring legislation protecting the interests of the worker but later during the 1920s and early 1930s an aggressively pro-business climate led either to the retrenchment or the abandonment of these efforts. The economy grew at a frantic pace in the 1920s but the lack of regulation and adequate safeguards led to monopolization that in result led to the Great Depression of 1929-1941. It led to a serious rethink on the part of the government and new rules were laid paving the way for a new relationship between the government and the economy as a whole.At first the government tried to control the unregulated economy. After that for a while in the two decades that followed American economy thrived like anything, and also paved the way for the new American middle class. The perio d since the late 1960s has demonstrated that the â€Å"American dream† of the 1950s and 1960s was short-lived. Two clusters of developments spelled the end of Americans' dreams of continuing economic and social prosperity: First, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a continuing climate of economic recession and industrial retrenchment led to the loss of thousands of jobs.Second, in the 1970s and early 1980s, American corporations seemed increasingly unable to compete with the industries and products of foreign competitors — specifically German and Japanese electronics and automobile manufacturers. In particular, the successful Japanese challenge to the primacy of the American automobile industry spelled economic disaster, not just for the â€Å"big three† auto manufacturers, but also for the dozens of industries (for example, steel) dependent on a healthy domestic automobile industry.In the 1980s, many Americans believed that the â€Å"malaise† of the 1970 s was at an end. But the 1980s was an era of feverish economic â€Å"growth† based not on the real flowering of productive industry but on the ever-more-frantic manipulations of corporate takeovers and stock manipulation. The goals of free trade have also been furthered since World War II by US participation in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).With the formation in 1995 of the World Trade Organization (WTO), most-favored-nation policies were expanded to trade in services and other areas. In 1993, Congress approved the North American Free Trade Agreement, which extended the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the United States to include Mexico. NAFTA, by eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers, created a free trade zone with a combined market size of $6. 5 trillion and 370 million consumers. The effect on employment was uncertain—estimates varied from a loss of 150,000 jobs over the ne xt ten years to a net gain of 200,000.Labor intensive goods-producing industries, such as apparel and textiles, were expected to suffer, while it was predicted that capital goods industries would benefit. It was anticipated that US automakers would benefit in the short run by taking advantage of the low wages in Mexico and that US grain farmers and the US banking, financial, and telecommunications sectors would gain enormous new markets. As of 2003, the pros and cons of NAFTA were still being hotly debated.Spokespersons for organized labor claimed in 2000 that the agreement had resulted in a net loss of 420,000 jobs, while advocates of free trade insisted that 311,000 new jobs had been created to support record US exports to Canada and Mexico, with only 116,000 workers displaced—a net gain of 195,000 jobs. In 2003, President George W. Bush introduced, and Congress passed a tax cut of $350 billion designed to stimulate the economy, which was in a period of slow growth. This ca me on the heels of a $1. 35 trillion tax cut passed in 2001 and a $96 billion stimulus package in 2002.Democrats cited the loss of 2.7 million private sector jobs during the first three years of the Bush administration as evidence that the president did not have control over the economy. In 1998, for the first time since 1969, the federal budget closed the fiscal year with a surplus. In 2000, the government was running a surplus of $236 billion, or a projected $5. 6 trillion over 10 years. By mid-2003, the federal budget had fallen into deficit; the deficit stood at $455 billion, which was4. 2% of gross domestic product (GDP). Congress was debating an overhaul of the Medicare program, to provide prescription drug coverage for the elderly and disabled. WORKS CITEDhttp://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/crossroads/sec5/Introduction/g_economy.htmlhttp://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/United-States-ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT.html

Essay about Comparing Socialism and Communism - 702 Words

The life in the U.S compared to that of the Soviet Union during the 60’s is an amazing phenomenon of a declining life expectancy in a highly developed country just like in the case of the Soviet Union during the 60’s down to the 70’s. The result of the life expectancy rate in the Soviet Union shows that there is only a small part to true informal changes in the state of living. However, the weak point of the measures of life expectancy is of vital importance, although another factor is the unfavourable selection of risks by war, thereby making a less valuable comparison between the international and inter temporal. Another factor is the logical difference between period and the measurement of the group of people sharing a common factor†¦show more content†¦Dinkel R.H. further stated that in the 1964 the trend later reversed in that the life expectancy in the Soviet Union for women remained moderately steady, and that of the men counterpart went down dram atically. Furthermore, Dinkel noted that most of the western sources blamed this change on the growing abuse of alcohol and poor health care thus the implicit embracement by the Soviet Union authorities. Ideology of socialism and communism Socialism and communism are ideological principles that have many distinguishing features in addition to many shared characteristics; however, it is complicated to distinguish the accurate differences between them, as various societies have tried embarking on the dissimilar nature of both systems in innumerable forms, thereby, making many zealous supporter of ideology with different agendas defining both systems in a biased term. Accordingly, one idea or fact that is often raised to differentiate socialism from communism is that socialism in general is the political movement that refers to an economic system in that they believe that the state should be in charge of all important producing industries thus taking hold of the control of free market in order to promote economic parity and egalitarianism. Theoretically, socialism seeks to distribute wealth equally among its citizens in a way that the rich don’t takeShow MoreRelatedPreventing The Increase Of Socialism912 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Increase of Socialism in the American Economy He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the L-rd require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your G-d? (Micah 6:8). Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore of evade it, said Thomas Sowell, and economist. History repeats itself. Socialism does, too. 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