Compare and contrast the depiction of Muslim men to that of Muslim Essay

Compare and contrast the depiction of Muslim men to that of Muslim women in orientalist discourses - Essay Example im scholars try to disprove the oppressed and inferior position of Muslim women and state that such opinion was necessary for West to keep the opinion about the East as about the backward part of the world. The orientalism in the broadest sense is the description of the East and Islam from a certain point of view, which carries a fair share of subjectivity and not always reflects the true state of affairs, but often distorts the reality. The orientalism considers Islam and everything connected with it – a culture, a civilization, a geographical area as something that contradicts with rational human principles of the West. â€Å"Whether they are televised or printed, it is not surprising that Western media reports maintain a constant distorted image of Arabs and Muslims. Fabricated stereotypes of Islam are omnipresent in Western media through all means of communication. What is lamentably odd is that Arabs and Muslims are seen as one and unique entity with the aim to be arbitrarily regarded collectively as anti-rational, barbaric, anti-democratic, etc. To achieve this aim the western media deliberately distort many Islamic concepts† (Ridouani, 2011). If to look at a question with the eyes of orientalists, the following picture appears: Muslim women didnt make any contribution to history, they either were sold on the markets or were kept in harems as sexual objects. â€Å"Stories about Muslim women living in non-Western countries were often stories about political violence where they were represented as victims of violence and Islamic practices. Representations of Muslim women were also marked by a continual obsession with the veil. Muslim women were often portrayed as victims in need of Western liberation† (Mishra, 2007). Men on the contrary are depicted as tyrants and oppressors, who are humiliating women, and if to look at the issue from the point of view of the West, the East, especially Islamic world, was a huge harem. Ð ¡ertainly, there are certain reasons

Iranian Revolution of 1979 and its Impact on the Middle East Essay Example for Free

Iranian Revolution of 1979 and its Impact on the Middle East Essay Iranian Revolution is described as the events which involved in overthrow of the Iran’s monarchy, which was under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and afterward replacement with Islamic republic by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who was the leader of the revolution (Abdelnasser, 1997). It is known as 1979 Revolution or Islamic Revolution. The 1979 revolution is said to have been a nationalist, Shi’a Islamic and populist revolution, which replaced monarch with theocracy guided by Islamic jurists (Abdelnasser, 1997). Shah Mohammad Reza regime collapsed in early 1979 and marked the end of monarchial rule in Iran for more than 450 years. The origin of Iranian revolution can be traced back to the coup deter of 1953 which was against the front leader of the nation and the prime minister or the 1963 abortive uprising which was sparked by Ayatollah Khomeini arrest. The reason of Iran leader Mohammad Reza to be overthrown is subject of the historical debate. The Iranian revolution was to some extend a backlash conservative against the secularizing and westernizing efforts of the Shah who was backed by the western nations especially the Americans. The shah also had no conservative reaction to the social injustice as well as to other ancient regime shortcomings. Many Iranians perceived the Shah as being a puppet of the western power who were non-Muslims and who had culture, which was contaminating the culture of Iran (Salehi, 1988). The Shah regime was seen by the Iranians as being oppressive, corrupt, extravagant and brutal. The regime suffered from functional failures since the economic programs were overly ambitious and thus brought inflation, shortages and economic bottlenecks. The Iranian revolution is said to have been unique since it surprised the whole world. The surprise was because the revolution overthrew regime, which had support of many nations internationally and also which was protected heavily by lavishly financed security and army services (Amuzegar, 1991). Furthermore the revolution was conducted by unarmed demonstrators and crumbled the regime in duration of months. The revolution customary causes include: war defeat, peasant rebellion, financial crisis and disgruntled military (Ganji, 2002). Other causes of the revolution include policy of the Iran Shah and his policy mistakes. The shah strong westernization policy as well as his close identification with the United States of America is one factor which mainly caused the revolution (Gabriel, 1998). This included the allied powers original installation of the Shah as well as the CIA assistance to restore him in the power in 1953. In addition, the shah had many US military technicians and advisers and also was granted diplomatic immunity for them not to prosecute him. This led to the nationalist Iranians irrespective of their religion, to consider this Shah as the American puppet. Another cause of the revolution was the Islamic tradition unpopular disregard in the year 1976. The shah changed the calendar from Islamic to imperial, marking the Cyrus birthday to be the first day, where as is supposed to be the day on the flight of prophet Muhammad to Medina from Mecca (Ganji, 2002). The year overnight to 2535 from1355. The revolution was also caused by the policies of the shah rule, which was said to have corruption, extravagance and elitism and also the people did not like the shah royal court. Furthermore, the Shah failed to cultivate leadership supporters of the Shia religion who could have encountered the campaigns by Khomeini against him. Failure of the overly ambitious economic program in 1974, which was to meet the expectations brought by the windfall of the oil revenue, was also another cause (Daniel, 2001). In 1977-78, the Iran experienced a short but sharp economic contraction period which followed a considerable economic growth period and according to Crane Brinton who is a revolution scholar, situation like that create much disappointment larger than if the people were left all long in poverty. Shah also was focusing on government repression and surveillance on the Iran people’s Mujahedin, the communist Iran Tudeh party as well as other groups of leftist, while the religious opposition who were more popular grew, organized, and gradually started undermining the regime authority. Shah also had tendencies of authoritarian that violated constitution of Iran of 1906. This included dissent repression by security services such as the SAVAK, and then followed by appearance and appeasement of weakness while the revolution was gaining momentum (Amuzegar, 1991). The people of Iran exercised Alex de Tocqueville idea, which he stated that, when people who have been put up under oppressive rule for a long time without any protest over a sudden finds that the government pressure is relaxing, they join arms against it (Abdelnasser, 1997). Inflation, bottle necks and shortages followed by black markets, attacks on the alleged gougers of price and also the austerity measures, which angered the bazaar as well as the masses influenced the revolution. In addition, Shah antagonized former political Iranians, in particular the bazaar merchants by creating single party to have political monopoly, and this party had compulsory dues and membership (Ganji, 2002). This shah also generally had aggressive interference on the economic, political and concerns of religion on people’s lives. The Iranian shah had started having overconfident neglect in his governance and also had preoccupation of playing the statesmen of the world during oil boom, which followed a loss of his resolution and self confidence. Also his health had been weakened by cancer by the time the revolution was gaining momentum. The terminal illness of the shah was secret for a time, but he knew he was to die due to cancer; his medication on the other hand made him to be listless and depressed. Furthermore, several of his closest advisers had for the time died, and the personnel of palace had been fired in large number during the 1978 summer. The Shah had also underestimated the opposition strength and more especially the religious opposition (Salehi, 1988). The efforts to please and convince the opposition were too little and untimely even if no counter-attack efforts were made against the revolutionaries. His failure to train and prepare his security forces to deal with demonstration and protest also lead to the success of the revolution. His failure to control the crowd without using excessive force since the troops used live ammunition rather than the using water cannons or Plexiglas led to the revolution. The military officers also was used as power base who were to be pampered rather than using them as force for controlling security threats. Furthermore, the shah government had a personalized nature and he much prevented any possible or potential competitor to the trumped efficient of the monarch and also effective government. This led to crown cultivation of the divisions within political elite and the army and ultimately, the regime lack of support by its allies by the time he most needed them since many Iranians had left the country at the time when the revolution was beginning (Khomeini, 2010). The monarch government used to take governmental matters as personal interests, used to discourage initiatives by the frequent dismissal from office and also their overruling, and also their refusal to allow cooperation of officials in fear of the regicidal conspiracies. The shah was careful when meeting his generals and top aides individually and in his absence; the whole system could not be able to function. This made the revolution to take place and succeed efficient. The revolution had several impacts in the Iran country and the Middle East at large. First the revolution led to anew peoples governance which was to be guided by Islamic laws. The officials of American embassy were taken on hostage and Mr. Bazargan resigned. Khomeini established revolutionary guard to be counter weight of both the left armed groups as well as to the military of Shah. The guard with time grew to a military force at a full-scale and also became the revolution strongest institution. People serving under Pasdaran were the most oppressed mobilization known as Baseej-e Mostazafin who were volunteers in every activity starting from management of earthquake emergency to attacking newspaper offices and opposition demonstrators (Amuzegar, 1991). Thousands of revolutionary committees acted as the ears and eyes for the new found regime and were criticized for their arbitrary arrests and executions as well as property confiscations. Also, the regime wills enforcement was done by the Hezbollahi who were known as God party and they were strong-arm thugs whose role was to attack newspaper offices and demonstrators. Two political parties were formed after the fall of Shah Regime and were later suppressed by the pro-Khomeini group. These parties were, moderate religious group known as Muslims People’s Republican Party (MPRP) associated with the Mohammad Kazem and the other group was National Democratic Front (NDF) (Gabriel, 1988). Soon after the government of Khomeini, referendum was conducted as whether to replace the monarchy system and replace it with Islamic republic and 98. 2%voted for the favor of the referendum (Abdelnasser, 1997). Khomeini then declared the government should have 100%base on Islam. In addition, new constitution provided jurist rule to have powerful post, which should control security services and the military as well as to appoint judicial and top government officials (Khomeini, 2010). Khomeini also increased cleric’s number in the guardian council and their power and granted it control over legislature passed laws as well as the elections. One year after the revolution, Saddam Hussein invaded Iran with an attempt of taking advantage of the Iran revolutionary chaos as well as destroys the revolution when it is still young. Iran was then galvanized and people of Iran rallied behind the Khomeini government to help stop and reverse advance of Iraq. After another two years, Iran regained their land which had been lost in the invasion. Just like hostage crisis, the Iran war served as opportunity for the new regime to make stronger the revolutionary groups as well as the Islamic revolutionary at expense of the remaining turned-opponent allies (Amuzegar, 1991). While destructive and enormous costly, the Iran war rejuvenated drive for Islamic revolution and national unity as well as inhabiting fractious dispute and debate in the country. Shortly after the constitution election, several news papers, magazines and writing assembly opposing the idea of Khomeini, jurist theocratic rule, were made to shut down. When the NDP organized for the protests, Khomeini denounced them and said they thought they were dealing with people but now there is evidence that they are not. He further said that after each revolution, corrupt elements are supposed to be executed to the public and be burned (Ganji, 2002). He said they have not been given authority to publish the newspapers. After that speech, several people were injured and harmed by clubs, chains, iron bars and rocks when they were attacked by the Hezbollahi and shortly afterwards, a warrant was given for the NDF leader arrest. In December 1979, Islam party MPRP under its leader Shariatmadari had now become a rallying point of the Iranians who did not want theocracy but wanted democracy. Riots in Shariatmadari home area broke out and the followers of shariatdari and the members of MPRP seized the television station of Tabriz and used it to broadcast grievances and demands. The new regime reacted quickly and sends the revolutionary guards to take the station, the mediators to make diffusion of the complaints whereas the activists to stage counter demonstration of pro-Khomeini. In 1980, under leadership of Bansidr, universities in the country were closed to purge opponents of the theocratic rule in the nation as a part of Cultural Revolution. 8,000 military officers and 20,000 teachers were dismissed out of work since they were deemed to be westernized. In 1981, the office of IRP was bombed and seventy high-ranking officers were killed which included cabinet ministers as well as the parliament members (Ganji, 2002). Thousands of people were arrested and also hundreds of them were executed. In conclusion, the revolution of Iran even if it brought change to a new governance, the existing government seems to be the one which was promoting social unity between the people of Iran with other people of different nations. The constitution which was brought by this new government divided people and planted enmity in the society of Iran. American foreign policy on Iran changed with the new Iran Government taking a hardliner stance.

Role Of International Ngos In Promoting International Politics Essay

Role Of International Ngos In Promoting International Politics Essay NGOs play a very important role in the field of international relations. The field of international relations has been mainly concerned with wars, struggles for power, and the efforts of countries to achieve best national interest. In the decisive issues of global politics, non state actors such as NGOs are increasingly becoming involved. Over the past four decades more scholars are suggesting the significance roles of NGOs in promoting international understanding and cooperation. Countries are not only losing sovereignty in a globalized economy, but they are also sharing powers including security, political, and social roles at the core of sovereignty with international, business organizations and NGOs. This results from the increased emphasis on private sector initiatives, declining role of states and the emergence of civil society. This shift among private sectors, states and civil society has brought a lot of challenges, opportunities, and issues for many NGOs. In almost every co rner of the world, NGOs have risen to bigger prominence. Many NGOs that consist of nonofficial groups in difference nations have come together with the objective of promoting common interests through global actions. This paper will attempt to comprehend the roles of NGOs in international roles. Discussion Generally speaking, there is no internationally fitting definition of NGOs yet, therefore, it is important to analyze its functions. Due to information revolution and globalization that has made individuals live in the global village, human activity is less restrained by national borders ( ). For example, the internet has made people communicate, trade, and travel in ever growing numbers. However, this has led to more problems in the global society. Such a phenomenon gives NGOs many chances to exhibit their functions in international relations. The range of the work of NGOs is nearly as broad as their interests. Because they provide services; implement, shape, enforce, and monitor national and global commitments; do scientific, legal, and political analysis; and change institutions, norms have been raised. Some NGOs are organized in a bid to promote the interests of a particular group. Some of them are also established to perform a particular task and advance a movement. They normally function as agents of global understanding, as pressure groups, and as shapers of public opinion. NGOs differ in various dimensions, which are highlighted in literature. Such dimensions might be used generally to classify them. And such classifications can deem NGOs as global actors. NGOs as a group are multi-faceted and diverse. The scope of their work is nearly as broad as their interests. Their operations and perspectives might be local, regional, national or global. Some are task oriented or issue oriented; others are driven by ideology. Some NGOs have a broad public interest viewpoint while others have a more narrow and private focus. They range from poorly funded, small, grassroots entities to well supported, large, professionally staffed organizations. Some operate individually and others have formed networks to share tasks and information to enhance their impact. NGOs breed new ideas; protest, advocate and mobilize public support; do scientific, legal, policy and technical analysis; change institutions and norms; and implement, monitor, shape and enforce national and global commitments. In some issue areas, NGOs have attained notable authority in international relations. For example, Amnesty International is a human rights NGO that is mainly supported by donations from almost one million members in one hundred and sixty two counties. This organization initially garnered global prominence by orchestrating letter writing campaigns in 1961. Another example is CARE International which provides clean water, health care, emergency, relief, food and development assistance the poorest populations in the world. Almost half a million citizens from Canada, Australia, Japan, U.S, and international organizations as well as governments support its efforts. It has often been assumed that international relations theory is mainly about the study on the relations between countries. However, such a description of global politics has been increasingly challenged as many other actors, particularly NGOs have become more significant, which finds their roles and positions in international relations theory. This brings to mind, the issue of how international relations theory is of interest to NGOs. The answer to this issue might illustrate the important of NGOs in particular ways. The paradigms of transnationalism, pluralism, international regimes, collective social action, global government and interdependence are compound strands of theory that are related with NGOs. But, these paradigms overlap to a certain extent. To explain the phenomenon of the emerging roles in international relations theory, it is crucial to explain the connection between transnationalism and NGOs. In the transnational paradigm, NGOs operate at global level alongside governments increasing more adversity to the process of policymaking, monitoring the gap between governmental practice and governmental eloquence in policy implementation. According to ( ), transnational relation focuses on interactions among non-governmental bodies and on relations between states and among states and non-governmental entities. Simply put, transnational networks have the capacity to become thornier and important that involve inquiring how interactively and independently NGOs and governments seek to realize their objectives and cope with the issues, which challenge them. In the context of international policy and law, NGOs perform various activities and functions. International policy making is normally characterized by numerous uncertainties. These might include scientific uncertainties about the causes and effects of a problem and potential reactions tactics as well as political and legal uncertainties about the available means and ways to accomplish desired policy goals and their implications ( ). Uncertainty also often exists about the behavioral effects for example, on sub-national actors like consumers and industry, and so forth, as well as the efficiency of implementation of international rules when these rules have been adopted ( ). Even though the precautionary principle might provide an adequate basis to take measures even if full scientific certainty lacks uncertainty is still in numerous cases a significant element that hinders the adoption of effective measures and policies. NGOs play an imperative role in tackling these uncertainties, thus enhancing the knowledge base for global governance. NGOs compile, gather, and disseminate significant information to the broader public and policy makers. In addition to this, independent research institutes and expert NGOs like the World Watch Institute, World Resources Institute, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Tata Energy Research Institute, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, and others are especially active in this respect. In the area of implementation review, a well known example is the TRAFFIC international that has frequently provided information to Parties in counties where illegal trade in endangered species occurs, and it has been officially recognized as a source of relevant information ( ). In providing relevant assessments and information, NGOs often play a substantial role in taking up political issues, which need to be addressed in global politics in global politics. Also, in practice, NGOs enhance the knowledge base in global policy making by distributing and organizing information material through conferences and other activities. These channels and activities of influence, are generally recognized under international law, wither implicitly or explicitly through established practice. NGOs also organize seminars, workshops and conferences independently of inter-governmental meetings that are aimed at enhancing relevant knowledge ( ). Other than providing information, NGOs also partake in and directly influence the global policy making process through advocacy and lobbying. In this context, advocacy refers to the NGOs publicly acting as advocates of their cause by using their formal position in an institution. On the other hand, lobbying can be best understood as the process of unofficially influencing decision makers in meetingsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ corridors. By doing so, they employ various activities as well as both formal and informal channels of influence ( ). Expert conferences or side events during inter-governmental conferences can provide an informal forum for discussion with related government delegates and to create negotiating options that might be taken up by individual delegations. Furthermore, there are other opportunities for informal face-to-face contacts between government representatives and NGOs that exist in numerous settings, for instance, in the corridors of conference buildings during officia l meetings ( ). Contemporary communication technologies like mobile phones and the internet enable representatives from NGOs to communicate and stay in contact with government delegates even during closed negotiating sessions ( ). From an analytical perspective, two different bases for advocacy and lobbying by NGOs can be discerned: political expertise and pressure, which in fact often happen in combination. The political pressure PINGOs (Public Interest NGOs) can have an effect on decision makers in global or international institutions and is a function of the size of their membership and their capacity to manage public support for their grounds outside the official negotiations such as through public information campaigns and media, letter writing, protest boycotts and activities, and so on. As a result, in particular big NGOs can use political pressure as a basis for their lobbying activities. In contrast, BINGOs (Business and Industry NGOs) can rely on their general economic influence. Expertise as a basis of influence is less reliant on the size of an NGO. It becomes relevant where NGOs and governments widely share the same goals in the political process. Additionally, the examples of the provision of advice by NGOs based on their expertise are inestimable ( ). For example, during negotiations under the Basel Convention, Greenpeace advice to African delegations was decisive in attaining agreement on the prohibition of exports of hazardous wastes to developing nations. The function of NGOs as advisers who aid governments to comprehend and order issues at hand seems to increase with the complexity and number of problems addressed at the global level. Transparency of political processes is one of the essential principles of good and democratic governance. Transparency is one of the pre-requisites to make certain that political decision makers can be held responsible by the public. Guaranteeing transparency in global policy making poses a significant challenge because inter-governmental negotiations often occur behind closed doors. Global policy making also seems to be remote from public policy discourses, which are nationally organized whilst a global public does not exist. Under such circumstances, NGOs play an imperative role raising the transparency of global political processes and guaranteeing that global policy makers can be held responsible for their decisions. Reports of representatives from NGOs from inside global negotiations help divulge slacker behavior by governments. And, to this end, NGOs employ several channels and activities of influence. Also, some NGOs have played critical roles in providing order in conflict driven nations such as Rwanda, Bosnia and Somalia. They have forced governments to accept strict rules against the export of banned goods such as ivory and so on. Greenpeace, as mentioned earlier and other NGOs have proved to be more willing than governments to speak out against the violations of the rights of people in critical situations. Such NGOs are a testament that they significantly matter in the global society. In general, NGOs involved in the issues of human rights have more achievements and influence in their practice. For instance, the International Commission of Jurists, Amnesty International, the Human Rights Watch, and the International Committee of the Red Cross have tried to influence states by applying human rights principles in particular environments. Likewise, other NGOS such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace work hold states responsible of global environmental standards. There is significant evidence which reveals that the functions of NGOs specifically in the practice of international relations have considerably contributed a lot to the global society; they have devoted themselves to benefit mankind. Some of them have even received the notable Nobel Peace Prize such as Amnesty International, Institute of International Law, among others. Of the many approaches to evaluating the roles of NGOs in the field of international law, some dominant approach can be observed. For instance, the top down approach highlights conventional diplomacy where multilateral and bilateral bargaining is the main instrument ( ). What is more, the distribution of power and national interests are the main determinants of outcomes. Therefore, how NGOs influence governmentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ behavior is critical to such an approach. Another approach is bottom up that focuses on grassroots movements, community organizing, local decision making and local participation. The strength of such an approach lies in its capacity to encourage locally designed responses to meet local needs. NGOs normally perform very well in such an approach. Conclusion Over the last decades, the magnitude of NGOs in international relations has tremendously increased. NGOs fulfill various functions by employing various channels of influence and activities in promoting international understanding and cooperation. Specified functions ascertain NGOs as significant international elements, which have an influence in all stages of the political process though not all activities and functions may be of equal relevance for every political stages. For instance, whilst improving the knowledge base and guaranteeing that transparency appears to be relevant to all policy states. Likewise, lobbying and advocacy in delegations mainly relate to the process of policy making while support for international organizations and secretariats is not entirely limited to any policy stage.

A New Vision of Science :: Science Scientific Papers

A New Vision of Science ABSTRACT: Traditional convictions regarding science (such as universalism, necessity and eternal validity) are currently in doubt. Relativism seems to destroy scientific claims to rationality. This paper shows a way to keep the traditional convictions of scientific knowledge while acknowledging relativism. With reference to the practicing scientist, we replace descriptivism with constructivism; we modify relative validity with the claim to understanding; and, we offer methodological strategies for acquiring understanding. These strategies we call strangification, which means taking a scientific proposition system out of its context and putting it in another context. We can thus see the implicit presuppositions of the given proposition system by means of the problems arising out of the application of this procedure. Such a change in the understanding of science holds important consequences. There is a personal background for the new understanding of science I am proposing in this article. These ideas that are now comprised within the notion Constructive Realism have been developed over the last twenty years during interactions and in cooperatio with other scientists. Now I am giving them my voice for a couple of short arguments why this new understanding isneeded today. It should be mentioned that the dialogue with my former friends from the Vienna Circle hs, to some extent, been important in this process. The Vienna Circle was so complex and encompassed so many different ideas that some traces of what I am argueing can be found there. Presently, however, my own understanding of sciencehas departed crucially from what is usually considered as the Vienna Circle's stance toward science. Without being aware of it, the Vienna Circle was the last great attempt for a rational metaphysics of science. It was trying to establish a correspondence of purified human mind with the w orld. Probably, this is why they argued so sharply against traditional, i.e. irrational metaphysics. Contrary to the declared position of most of the Vienna Circle's members, however, Constructive Realism does not struggle against metaphysics. I appreciated very much the example of Erwin Schrà ¶dinger because it has wonderfully shown in which degree a scientist is influenced by his metaphysical background. Checking the bckgound of scientific doing one is getting a lot of impressions about metaphysical world.comcepts, metaphysical concepts of knowledge etc. If we lay aside our apprehension to touch metaphysics, science can even bepushed forward by it. In fact we should have many metaphysics. They are offereing unusual perspectives and this is exactly what science needs to progress.

Christian Theology in A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay

â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† by Flannery O’Conner reflects the Christian belief that even the most unlikely of people can be recipients of God’s grace. The grandmother and the Misfit, both â€Å"bad† in their own ways, are each unlikely and undeserving recipients of grace. According to Christian theology, humans are granted salvation through God’s grace, which can be bestowed upon to even the most unlikely. The grandmother’s and the Misfit’s moral codes they live by that affect their actions, decisions and perceptions. The term â€Å"moral† doesn’t necessarily mean good, but is simply the way people choose to live their lives. At first it seems as if it is the Misfit who lacks guidance as he continuously murders people. It is the grandmother whose moral code is weak and inconsistent. She has built her morals solely on what she believes make people â€Å"good.† She pays a great amount of attention in being a lady, repeatedly deceives her family, and lacks a clear standpoint on the world around her. She boasts about her love for Christianity, but does not seem to be able to pray when she finds herself in crisis. She even begins to question the power and divinity of Jesus. It is clear the grandmother is not sincere and aware of her actions. The Misfit has a strong and consistent moral code. The Misfit believes that the punishments he received from his exp erience of being a convicted criminal were always disproportional to his crime, and the crime doesn’t even matter at the end. He also shows a genuine curiosity about religion. The grandmother accepts faith unquestioningly while the Misfit challenges these beliefs and thinks deeply on how he should follow them or not. The Misfit has chosen to live under his assumption that religion is pointless and goes with his own belief â€Å"No pleasure but meanness.† (O’Conner 941). The Misfit only wishes he was present to see Jesus rise from the dead so he could know the events were factual. It is obvious the grandmother in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† lies to her grandchildren, manipulates her son, and makes several remarks as to why the  past times have superiority to the present. She believes she is morally superior to those younger than her. She also believes she has the right to judge the goodness of others and tell them how to live their lives. The grandmother seems quite oblivious to reality as she heads the family to somewhere completely different than where she thought they were. Th e tragic wreck was all due to the grandmother’s ignorance. Towards the final moments of her life, she instructs the Misfit to pray, despite the fact she lacks the sincere qualities herself necessary to form a prayer. As she grows afraid of what will happen to her, she agrees with the Misfit and changes her mind about Jesus rising from the dead. Her doing so reflects she is confused and unsure of her beliefs making her a very unlikely recipient of grace. The Misfit is an unrepentant murderer who finds no pleasure in anything but meanness. He shows no remorse for his actions. The Misfit was aware of Jesus being crucified, but felt that he would have had to see it to believe it for sure. Both characters show habitual sins and ultimately are each undeserving recipients of grace. Even people like the grandmother and the Misfit have potential to be saved by God, according to Christian Theology. The grandmother experiences a moment of grace after the Misfit’s wish to know for sure what Jesus did and didn’t do. Her head clears momentarily and she says â€Å"Why you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my own children!† (O’Conner 948). This suggests that the grandmother is realizing that they both are of the same kind. Given the circumstances, her comment seems pretty insane, but this is the g randmother’s clearest moment in the story. She shows compassion which implies that God has granted her grace just before she is shot by the Misfit. The Misfit too, is open to grace at this moment. He claims earlier in the story there was â€Å"no pleasure but meanness† in life, and now denies there is any pleasure in life at all after killing the grandmother. All his killings have quit giving him happiness, suggesting that he, too, may foster the possibility to change. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† has a strong, somewhat harsh portrayal of religion. The characters in this story are both awakened and their faith is altered. The Christian idea of moments of grace in this story apply to real life. It is believed among many Christian followers that God’s grace is very powerful, unlike any other human could give to another. Most people misunderstand this and think that blessings are granted upon those who do good works and  punishments through bad works. The use of grace has nothing to do with any kinds of works, which is where most people are mistaken. Rather, the principle to the Christian theology of grace is recognized in the bible by Solomon. He said it is vain to judge God on matters of good or bad works. God can surely do as he pleases and His ways are opposite of man’s ways. Solomon says: â€Å"There is vanity that is done under the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous: I said that this is also vanity.† (Ecclesiastes 5:14) This quote suggests that despite the actions one may do, it is up to the grace of God that determines what that person deserves or does not deserve. The use of grace is all part of God’s plan for humans. No matter how many men judge a person, it is only God’s judgment that determines who receives grace. The grandmother and Misfit have been awarded the positive aspects of grace, which is not dependent on works of any kind. According to Christian theology, humans are commanded to be righteous and not evil. It says in the bible that God loves his creations so intensely he gave his only son to die for all human sins, which was a big question mark for the Misfit. If only he had known for sure maybe he would have never committed the immoral crimes he did. If the Misfit would have only known that according to Christian theology, all humans are destined by God’s divine grace no matter what deeds that have been done on earth, he would have made wiser decisions. If only th e grandmother had been shot every day all of her life, according to the Misfit, would she have been a better lady. When thinking of Christian theology, one would agree it just pertains to religion and God. Theology is the study of religion, and God’s relation to the world. Theology is based upon the Old and New Testament in the Bible, as well as historic traditions practiced by Christians. It has been practiced for thousands of years. People have always tried to make justifications to argue, examine, clarify, defend or promote Christianity. The Misfit seems to know most aspects when it comes to the Christian religion, as he talks about all of Christ’s works in the story. The way he viewed Christian beliefs was all an outcome on how he lived his life. â€Å"Our concepts about the divine  inform our lives more deeply than most people can trace. Whether God is viewed as distant or near, as gracious or capricious, as concerned or apathetic, the conclusions we reach—whether the result of careful reflection or negligent assumptions—guide our lives.† (Kapic 1) The wa y people live their lives depends on an individuals’ belief about theology and the way God relates to the world. It is the beliefs people choose to accept that ultimately guides everyday lives. Whether people choose to accept or deny that there is a God, it is all based on individual experiences and beliefs. The grandmother seemed to have thought she knew all about Christianity, but judging by her actions, it is clear she did not genuinely live righteously. There is no factual evidence that Jesus is real, but many have come to receive grace in their final moments, as shown in â€Å"A Good Man.† Believers of Christian faith are thought out to be hypocritical and this stereotype fits the grandmother’s character in â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find.† Just like the grandmother and Misfit in the story, it is grace that enabled them to come to Christ sincerely. The final lines in the story depict both the grandmother’s and Misfit’s realizations as if they have received answers to all questions about life. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† reflects the Christian theology of grace. The grace of God is a gift, and if willing to accept it, even when undeserving, humans can be granted salvation like the grandmother was. The grace of God has been shown not to bestow upon the mere form of actions, but onto ones who are open to Christ, according to â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find.† Works Cited New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982. Print. Kapic, Kelly M. A Little Book for New Theologians. InterVarsity Press, 2012. Print. O’Conner, Flannery. â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find.† The Writer’s Presence. Bedford/St. Martin’s; Fourth Edition, 2003. 931-943. Print.

The Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009

The Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009 An act is a law enacted as legislation. The Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009 was first presented to States Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) in the United States for discussion in July 8 2009. The act covers any financial product or service to be used by a consumer for personal, family, or household purposes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Postner (2009), the Agency has authority over financial products and services ensuring consumers have adequate information on financial products and services so as to make rational decisions. The agency should also be responsible for designing standard products. The agency’s decree is to seek to espouse intelligibility, straightforwardness, justice, answerability, and access in the market for (consumer) financial products or services. Its objective s according to Govtrack (n.d.) include; ensuring that all consumers especially the marginalized have access to financial services, protecting consumers from any form of exploitation and ensure equality in treatment of all consumers, ensuring easy access and use of any information that may help consumers make good decisions in regard to financial products and services, and ensuring smooth running of the financial products and services and bringing out ideas that may bring about growth and development in the markets. Wright and Zywicki (2009) highlight the major setbacks of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency as; It uses high bureaucracy levels which may lead to increased expenses and wastage of time in carrying out the procedures, It has been seen as a major cause of financial crisis as many people result in borrowing to buy houses they could not afford and hence being unable to pay their mortgages and It may reduce competition and availability of credits to consumers and may a lso limit customer choice. Evans and Wright (2010) observe the effects of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency to be; Increased interest rates paid by consumers, reduced borrowing capacity of consumers hence reducing consumer spending and low rate of new jobs created in the economy. Conclusion Although the Consumer Financial Protection Agency has been viewed to have many negative aspects, here are some of the positives aspects I have realized; it ensures that the financial products are of high quality and beneficial to consumers by adhering to set standards. It allows for fair competition and outlaws prepayment penalties and protects consumers against malicious lenders.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Recommendations There should be no stiff regulations on borrowers. Regulation should ensure that lenders deal with informed borrowers hence avoiding deception Co nsumers should be given adequate information on changes on rates that may arise during payments of loans There should be penalties on lenders who deceive consumers by taking advantage of their ignorance on financial products and services. Way forward Implementation of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act will affect providers and consumers of financial products and services in some ways; it will lead to sweeping of consumer financial protection. The act will lead to formation of Consumer Financial Protection Agency which will ensure that other existing financial protection laws are executed in a proper manner. It will also control consumer financial products, authorize disclosures, and necessitate businesses to offer consumers plain vanilla products to ascertain quality and standard and strictly enforce penalties against any malpractices. The agency will also prohibit adjustable-rate mortgages since consumers usually don’t put into consideration the possibility of fut ure increase in interest rates and ban pre-payment penalties on mortgages. Reference List Evans, D.S. and Wright, J.D. (2010). The Effect of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009 on Consumer Credit. George Mason Law Economics Research Paper No. 09-50; Loyola Consumer Law Review, Vol. 22, No. 3, 2010, pp. 277-335. Govtrack (n.d). Text of H.R. 3126: Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009.  Retrieved from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr3126/textAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Postner, A.R (2009). Treating Financial Consumers as Consenting Adults. Wall Street journal, New York: Dow Jones Company. Wright, J D. and Zywicki, T. J. (2009). Three Problematic Truths about the Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009. Lombard Street, Vol. 1, No. 12, September 14, 2009; George Mason Law Econ omics Research Paper No. 09-48.