Against tithing in the modern-day christian church Essay

Against tithing in the modern-day christian church - Essay Example Tithing should not be practiced in the modern-day Church. There are several reasons for this, five good ones being the following: God does not dwell in churches made with human hands; the old Covenant cannot justify men through works and righteousness anymore; there would be less prosperity churches as well as their propaganda; the church can have a different approach towards giving than tithing; and the practice of tithing ended with the last book of the Old Testament in Malachi. These are just a few of the many reasons why tithing should not continue to be practiced in the modern Christian church. Tithing is an outdated notion which only serves to place a burden upon the people who have very little already—and casts a pall over the church as an organization that is only motivated by money and getting congregation members to handily donate or give to the Church. II. God’s New Covenant Dwells in a Body of Believers, Not a Physical Building Under the new Covenant, God do es not dwell in churches made with human hands—but rather dwells within a temple that is made of the body of believers. This is significant because Christians should not be focusing entirely on the revenue that a church creates through tithing, but rather make it a situation where people can donate or give openly or anonymously—in whatever fashion they see fit that is in line with church standards. Additionally, now believers under the new Covenant are now God's temple—and as such, the issue of tithing and giving 10% of one’s income is not an option.... , and—while people should still be encouraged to give freely to the church if it is within their power to do so—people should not be bullied into giving such a large portion of their income over to the Church, an obvious fact. III. Christ’s Appearance Abolished the Necessity for Tithing People used to tithe in the church in order to ensure that the Levirate (the priests who were descendants of Levi) were taken care of in order so that they could serve the church. Therefore, ten percent of the peoples’ offerings went to the priesthood. To continue such a practice by supporting pastors with ten percent of one’s income is not only based on a Biblical concept that is now out-of-date, but also unnecessary. The old Covenant cannot justify men through works and righteousness anymore, as Christ has already come. Since Christ came to the world because he loved the world—God having given ‘His only [begotten] son’ to pay recompense for the sins of the world—it no longer became necessary for the old rule of tithing to continue to stay in place.1 Christ died in order to bring the new Covenant into fruition, thus becoming the fulfillment of the law. People no longer had to abide by doing good works and seeking righteousness in order to secure their place in heaven. That is not saying people should not do good works or continue to live righteously—but works and righteousness are evidences that a Christian is still practicing the faith. These are the fruits of righteousness, which ever Christian should display. This is more important than some fabricated obligation to â€Å"give God 10%.† Christ should be the focus in the Church’s congregation, with every church appropriately divining God’s message as the churches’ missions are developed into full-fledged

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Philosophy - Essay Example While there is a general dictionary understanding of a gadfly, when examining the lives of Socrates, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X, one can view their thematic similarities and come to understand the definition of gadfly incarnate. In these regards, all men share a similar propensity towards upsetting the status quo. In the case of Socrates it was through his influence on the Athenian youth that upset the upper level powers that ultimately put him to death. In the instances of Dr. King and Malcom X they work towards upsetting the status quo through fighting, albeit in different ways, for equal rights. In letters from a Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. speaks of a creative tension that must exist for true social progress to occur. In discussing this creative tension, King has been addressing criticism he has received for protests in which took part in with which he has been imprisoned for. The general theme of his letter is addresses the reasons for this non-violent protest . When he reaches the part that refers to creative tension, he is actually referring to the necessity of protest to bring individuals to the negotiating table. This is in essence the creative tension that king is referring to; it is not a violent way of sparking negotiation or change, but a non-violent yet direct means of creatively producing tension in the social environment so that political powers will take notice and engage in meaningful discussion. C) Creative tension is demonstrated in both the lives of Socrates and Martin Luther King Jr. As is noted above, Martin Luther King’s understanding of creative tension is non-violent protest that leads to the implementation of social change. In ‘Letters from a Birmingham Jail’ King brilliantly elucidates his stance on this issue as he demonstrates the reasons behind his engaging in the non-violent protest, One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: "Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act?" The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham (King). Here King is demonstrating that the protest was necessary to so that the mayor would agree to negotiate. In Socrates, one sees a slightly different incarnation of creative tension. Both Socrates and Dr. King demonstrate a willingness to challenge society based on a belief that there are aspects of the social order that must be overturned to enact a more fair and balanced means of existence. In the Apology, Socrates states, For know that this is the command of God; and I believe that no greater good has ever happened in the state than my service to the God. For I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your properties, but first and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul (Plato 30a). In these regards, Socrates version of creative tension is much more closely linked to a belief in a higher state of consciousness that must be followed rather than the constructs of the social order. While Socrates is speaking to society at large, his message of creative tension is ultimately a more personal one. Socrates is indicating that one should improve their soul and follow this path to genuine existence and knowledge even at the cost of death. D) When considering Malcolm X, one notes that his ultimate goal is similar to Dr. King’s in that both men desire equal rights for the races. With Malcolm X, the main difference is his extremity, as he believes this should be achieved at all costs, even violence. His rational for this is related to historical precedent, as he points to the bloodshed that was lost in the Re volutionary War over achieving equal rights, and argues that similar steps must be

Explore how sexuality has changed over the past 100 years Essay

Explore how sexuality has changed over the past 100 years - Essay Example Explore how sexuality has changed over the past 100 years Sexuality and the ways in which sex creates both pleasure and results in procreation has been revolutionized in the last one hundred years. In the early 20th century the concept of reproduction was being examined through the ideas of eugenics. This area of research was somewhat based on the developments by Charles Darwin about the idea of selection as a method for putting the best traits together in order to support increases in the ‘quality’ of human beings being born. The problem that emerged with the concept of eugenics is that anyone that was considered undesirable was also then deemed unfit to procreate. This included the different races, prostitutes, those with developmental difficulties, and even the Romani who were considered to be innately born as thieves and miscreants (Sinclair, 2007). Along with the concept of eugenics began a movement within the women’s rights movements that were emerging at the time which suggested that women should have the right to choose desirably traited men in order to procreate with them. The emergence of a call for equality began to suggest that the power to create life should accompany the ability to make choices concerning desirable mates. Where patriarchal frameworks of gender control had held onto the power to determine procreation up to this time, the beginning and progression of the women’s movement changed not only gender relations but began to change the nature of sexuality and procreation dynamics. In the 1960s as the women’s movement raged forward, creating a deep shift in the gender dynamics and prescribed roles, William Masters and Virginia Johnson were doing some of the most daring and controversial research on the subject of sexuality. Through direct observation of sexual partners they began to study how the physicality of sexual experience occurred. During these 10,000 observations of sexual experiences through volunteers from the academic community, they watched for the sign s of arousal and continued to record observations about how bodies functioned during sexual arousal and release through a variety of different sexual situations. This significantly impacted the way in which sexuality was viewed through the development of anecdotal research as well as measurements from different devices (Crooks & Baur, 2011). 2. Explore how technology has and is changing the world of conception, pregnancy, and parenthood. The science of having babies has dramatically changed the concept of procreation as human beings have been able to take some control over conception. Although there is still a great deal of mystery involved in how and when conception occurs, science has been able to replicate much of what it takes to get pregnant so that women who would have remained barren have the opportunity to have children. In addition, the ability to use surrogates and to influence the hormonal production has provided for further opportunities for women to have children, even when they might not be the one to carry the child. Science has also changed the control that a woman has over when she gets pregnant. Through understanding how children are conceived, science has been able to influence the female body so that some control over child-bearing can be achieved. Contraception has a number of different methods through which women can protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy

Name three industries that are currently red oceans Where do blue Essay

Name three industries that are currently red oceans Where do blue ocean opportunities exist - Essay Example Some of them have gained competitive advantage through cutting production costs, while others gain competitive advantage through offering better features. Companies operating in textile industry as well as sports good manufacturing industry are competing while following the red ocean strategy. Blue ocean opportunities exist in tourism industry. In tourism industry there is an opportunity of travelling to the moon and exploring the world over there. A successful even of a tour to the moon can help in creating demand amongst people who want to travel to the moon (Wadhwa, 2015). Furthermore, blue ocean opportunities even exist in automobile manufacturing industry. Companies in this industry can develop a car that can fly from one end to another end. Right now, no company has been able to develop such a car. Developing such a car can helping creating new demand for a car that can fly and help people move between geographical locations in a speedy fashion. China Android Phone Manufacturers Enter Smartphone Market With Own Brands. (2015, February 27). Retrieved March 7, 2015, from

Non profit mangement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Non profit mangement - Essay Example However, a close look and in-depth analysis of successful NPOs can help illumine understanding on the mystery behind the success of NPOs. One of the most popular and well established NPO is Oxfam. Oxfam is an international organisation that w as funded in 1942 by a group consisting of Quakers, Oxford academics and social activists in Oxford. This founding group later came to be known as Oxfam Great Britain, being based in Oxford, Oxfordshire, up to the moment. The success of Oxfam as an NPO is underscored by it comprising 17 organisations that work in more than 93 countries. The main agenda of Oxfam is poverty eradication, advocacy, disaster relief and management and policy research. Again, as if Oxfam’s robust size is not enough, Oxfam has about 5,960 employees and several fully fledged affiliates such as Oxford Great Britain (GB), Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Ireland, Oxfam America, Oxfam Quebec, Oxfam Novib (based in Netherlands), Oxfam Australia, Oxfam France, Oxfam Belgium, Oxfam Hong Kong, Oxfam Germany and Oxfam India. The fact that Oxfam has been in operation since 1942, is widely distributed in the world, has several strong affiliates and a large number of employees bespeak strong organisational and management acumen, particularly when the fact that the organisation does not exist for profit. Thus, the main point of this discourse is to review, analyse and evaluate the strategic positioning and operational tactics of an identified non-profit organisation (Oxfam) so as to instill understanding on how NPOs are managed and their operational systems executed. This is done in light of Oxfam’s general strategic positioning and direction as a whole and not a particular activity or function. A very salient part of NPOs operations is financial organisation and strategy. One of the important facets of financial management for NPOs is the identification of sources of finance. This aspect of financial management is important so that the

International Public Relations application excercise Essay

International Public Relations application excercise - Essay Example I decided to obtain an MSc in public relations because this educational arena will assist me in developing my PR skills that will be required when I will be serving as a public relations officer for a particular organization. This course will not only provide me with theoretical knowledge related to the field of public relations, it will even assist me in applying this theoretical knowledge in the practical settings. MSc in public relations will assist me by teaching me how to use relations with media to conduct effective and efficient PR campaigns and will develop my consultancy skills through different coursework and assignments. 2. Currently the female gender is leading the industry of public relations; out of the 100% of the workforce of the public relations industry, 85% are females as stated by the Public Relations society of America. In accordance to the statistics of Orange County, women are the owners of well established PR agencies and they are mainly leading in niches such as boutique. The academic literature falls short of explaining the reason why the PR industry is led by the female gender and why the female gender is the most preferred industry by women. Certain practitioners of the industry believe that women have the characteristics and skills required to make it into the PR industry. Women do not only lead the professional side of the industry, they even lead the educational side of the industry. In the US, over 60% of the individuals who enroll in different kinds of PR educational programs are females. According to a PR professor of the Cal State Fullerton and a member of the society of American Public Relations is of the idea that women have the required skill set that are highly desirable in the PR industry. He stated that females are better public relation representatives as during their educational life they perform better in listening, observing and communication. These

Catalysts for American Revolution Essay Example for Free

Catalysts for American Revolution Essay The American Revolution, also known as the Revolutionary War, was a war that had raged on for eight years stemming from major political differences of opinion. Though, the fighting and the discontent between the two opposing forces, Americans and British, had been developing for years before the first shots ever had gone off to start the revolution. The reasoning for the tension between the two is traced back to one of the main catalysts being the Stamp Act that was imposed on New England colonies, then to one of the last being The Boston Tea Party that ended with British war ships being sent to Boston with attempts to keep in under control. In the beginning, New England were colonies of the mother country Great Britain with main purposes for them to serve as vessels to provide for their main location across the Atlantic. In 1756, Great Britain was engaged in the Seven Years War, a world war, but mainly what is focused on for the American Revolution is the French and Indian war, which was fought on mainly American soil and primarily between British American and New French colonies. This specific conquest of the war had continued for nine years, and ended with approximately ten thousand British troops to be kept in American colonies, as well as accumulated as massive debt of seventy-two thousand pounds during the war, plus an added two hundred twenty-five thousand pound debt to house the British troops in American colonies. The prime minister at the time, George Grenville, needed a way to pay off this debt, which ultimately led to the Stamp Act of 1756 being imposed on the American colonies. The Stamp Act was not the first choice, but it was their final choice. The prime minister knew taxing in Britain was out of the question due to protests from the previous Cinder Tax set in place during the Bute ministry. The Grenville ministry had then decided that Parliament would raise the revenue by taxing the American colonies. The first attempt before the Stamp was the The Sugar Act of 1764 in attempts of gain a monopoly on molasses, but that had failed. With parliament knowing the massive success that other Stamp acts, they had decided to impose this on American colonies without their contest or epresentation in parliament. This was an enormous mistake as the Stamp Act had encounter great resistances within the colonies. To the colonialists in American, this act had been passed and put into effect without their contest or representation in parliament. In other words, the colonialists felt that this was a major violation of their rights as Englishmen to be tax without their consent, consent that only colonial legislatures could grant. This was a key fundamental catalyst for the starting of the revolutionary war, ‘Taxation Without Representation’. The viewpoint of the colonialists was actual representation, meaning in order to be taxed by Parliament, Americans rightly should have actually legislators seated and voting in London so they could have influence of taxes raise, levied, and spent. While on the British supported the viewpoint of virtual representation, the belief that a Member of Parliament virtually represented every person in the empire causing no need for a specific representative from Virginia, or Massachusetts, as examples. Due to the massive feedback from the colonialists, as well as British merchants and manufacturers the Act was repealed and replaced by and even more important Declaratory Act. This Act stated that Parliament could take â€Å"whatever action they sought fit for the good of the empire. † This Act and the laws instated in it were so big and important, but had god virtually unnoticed by the colonists because of their over enjoyment at the repeal of the Stamp Act. As a result of this, Parliament began issuing several Acts upon the American Colonies of which they could do next to nothing about due to Britain simply stating it was for the good of the Empire. Acts that they had issues were ones such as the Quartering Act of 1766, which required the colonists to house British soldiers at their own expense. They also put forth the Townshend Acts that would tax all imports into the colonies. After the Stamp Act, and then Declaratory Act, which had been a scary thing to them colonists as it had also been used in Ireland, the colonists started to rebel against the British. They felt that they could be a worthy rival to Great Britain, as Great Britain had been exporting only finished goods while the colonies were exporting the raw materials needed to produce many of these goods. Since a huge majority of the goods were imported from Britain, many felt that they should boycott all of British made items. George Washington agreed on this and stated that he believes and hoped that the boycott will work, but for it to work all of the people in the colonies must mobilize and participate in the boycott. There was also the situation of Thomas Hutchinson, who was for more or less, an English spy, as he resided within the colonies and followed and trusted in English law. He had written several letters that were personal and against the colonists, one of them saying dire actions were needed and troops needed to be send to Boston. Benjamin Franklin, though he did have deep love for his home country of Britain, had taken the letters written by Hutchinson and published them. He was put on court for what he had done, and from the actions taken upon him by the country he loved, turn against them to help fight and bring the French to help in the revolution. More major catalysts had constantly been occurring to lead to the revolution. Another big one was the Boston Massacre, which in the sense was not actually a ‘massacre’. The story goes that in Boston, kids had thrown snowballs at British soldiers, in which they had retaliated and fired back upon the kids, killing five of them. This event was made even more publicized and larger of an ordeal by the cartoon that was made by Paul Revere. The cartoon exaggerated the events that actually occurred and depicted British soldiers firing upon innocent people for no apparent reason. This cartoon and event had caused even more of a stir in the colonies towards the British. One of the main and final catalysts that led to the American Revolution was the Boston Tea Party. Before this specific event occurred, half a million pounds of tax British tea with control from the Easy Indian Trade Company were sent to America. Just about every single port in which the British had landed were protested and sent away with the tea, not allowing them to unload the tax tea. Others were forced out of the ports, but stored in basically warehouses were none were purchased. In Boston, however, there was a giant standoff and protest between the colonists and Thomas Hutchinson. In the night, after British officials refused to return back to Britain with the tea not unloaded, a group of colonists dressed as Mohawk Indian Warriors went onto the ship and dumped 330 chest of tea into the ocean. This, known as the Boston Tea Party, was looked at and realized as an act of great political defiance and the result being the British sending warships to Boston harbors. The fear of Tyranny was upon the Bostonians, and it had now seemed to come true. They warships had arrived and kept Boston on lockdown, ending the self-government in Massachusetts and leading into the Battle of Condord, starting the American Revolution. The causes of the American Revolution were deeply rooted in the colonist’s thoughts and ideals of personal liberty and autonomy. The fundamental thoughts of colonists believing in actual representation, and the British beliefs of virtual representation were a giant catalyst in the events leading up to the start of the war. The colonists sense of individual freedom, along with the English policy of taxation without representation, the eventual restrictions on their liberties from the Declaratory Act, and the events of the Boston Massacre, as well as the Boston Tea Part are all what had led to the inevitable severed ties between the two. Including the very important letters and actions taken by Benjamin Franklin.