Descriptive Essay on Basketball Gym -- description, Observation Essay

The gym where I practice to win, the YMCA, is a place where I know who I am. It is a place I can go to escape my problems for awhile and release some stress. It is not the actual physical building, but rather the events that have occurred over the years. It is where I have formed some of the closest friendships. It is the place I have invested years of hard work for many of my accomplishments. To some it may seem odd that a place associated with sweat and physical pain can mean so much to one person. However, in my eyes it is almost like a second home. A certain familiarity has developed over time that makes it home. As I sit here, I can vividly picture myself there. I drive my car into the pot-hole filled parking lot off the main street, and park in the same spot I always have, people just seem to know that’s my spot. Walking around the back I gently push open the wooden door, which is like a barrier between two different worlds. The hot thick air quickly rushes out and escapes past my body. The familiar damp smell of sweat still inundates my nose when I walk into the ...

Causes of Increase in Price of Essentials in the Last Five Years

Term Paper Causes of increase in price of essentials in the last five years Department Of Economics East West University Submitted by: Afia Ibnat Sajoti : 2012-2-31-118 Nusrat Jahan : 2012-3-30- fzuuiuhio Date of submission: Table of contents: 1. Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 2. Abstract: Increases in price level are also referred to as inflation.Such price increases in an economy are usually due to the effect of macroeconomic factors like demand, supply and consumption. All other macroeconomic factors that affect increases in price level are somehow related to these three factors. Those other areas include interest rate, monetary policies and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Since mid-2007 basic food prices have rock eted with disastrous consequences for poor consumers.The spike in international market prices through the first half of 2008 has now subsided. Still prices of rice, wheat, corn (maize), and edible oils remain well above the levels of just a year ago and are likely to remain elevated and volatile for years to come. Two separate dynamics need to be understood in order for countries to make necessary adjustments.A gradual rise in food prices has been under way since at least 2004 with three general and fundamental factors at work: rapid economic growth in the People’s Republic of China and India especially put upward pressure on prices as demand simply outpaced supply; a sustained decline in the United States dollar since mid-decade added to the pressures on dollar-denominated international market prices; and a combination of high and rising fuel prices coupled with legislative mandates to increase production of biofuels has established a firm link between petroleum prices and f ood prices.The causes of price spikes are crop-specific. Drought and disease in 2007 caused wheat prices to jump, and supplies of edible oil were reduced as farmers in the United States shifted acreage out of soybeans into corn for nonfood uses (ethanol). Rice is the clearest example of crop-specific causes—the price spike was driven by export bans that were aimed at helping contain domestic food price inflation in exporting countries, but had the unintended effect of setting off panic as supplies to the already thin world rice market were sharply reduced.Asia will need several years of good rice harvests in order to stabilize the situation and reduce the exposure of the poor to another shock in food prices. This will not be easy to achieve as input costs are driven higher by high energy prices. Thus, it seems unlikely that world food prices will return to the declining trend seen between the mid-1970s and the first few years of this century. Introduction:The world prices of wheat, coarse grains, rice and oilseed crops all nearly doubled between the 2005 and 2007 marketing years and continued rising in early 2008. These increases in agricultural commodity prices have been a significant factor driving up the cost of food and have led to a fuller awareness and a justifiably heightened concern about problems of food security and hunger, especially for developing countries.The causes of this price spike are complex and due to a combination of mutually reinforcing factors, including droughts in key grain-producing regions, low stocks for cereals and oilseeds, increased feedstock use in the production of biofuels, rapidly rising oil prices and a continuing devaluation of the US dollar, the currency in which indicator prices for these commodities are typically quoted. This turmoil in commodity markets has occurred against the backdrop of an unsettled global economy, which in turn appears to have contributed to a substantial increase in speculative interest in agricultural futures markets.Tight market conditions for essential agricultural commodities pose policy challenges for national governments as well as for international organizations. In order to take the right policy decisions, we need to understand what caused the current price spike, what the implications may be for prices and price volatility in the future, and how various countries and members of society may be affected. This note aims to improve this understanding and thereby to contribute to sound policy formulation. Purpose and Scope:Price hike of essential commodities created various problems in the economic growth of Bangladesh. The main purpose of this paper is to provide a clear picture of price spike and its reasons, how it is creating problems in Bangladesh and in the global economy. This paper examines the issues at stake in light of rising food prices and This paper covers the present market situation of price movements that is about more or less within the year 2005 to 2011. This research only covers the essential commodities. Overall price movements of the economy are not the concern of this paper. Literature review:The focus of this literature review thus far has been price discovery in the beef sector. There are also several additional issues related to price discovery that should be considered. Among these issues are price transmission and identity preservation. By reading economical research PRICE OF DAILY ESSENTIALS: A DIAGNOSTIC STUDY OF RECENT TRENDS by Centre Policy Dialogue (CPD) it mentioned that Price hike of essential commodities has been one of the major challenges facing the incumbent Caretaker Government (CTG) of Bangladesh. The economy has been experiencing a creeping inflation over the recent past.Two most distinctive features of this inflationary trend had been the following: (i) increase in food prices had been more than that of non-food prices, and (ii) consumer price index was higher in the rural areas than in the urban c ounterparts. These trends had adverse implications particularly for the poorest segments of the society, given that there has not been any tangible increase in their real income. It broadly provided the current situation of our economics by showing an analysis of the supply chain of selected essentials items and distribution of recent commodity prices like rice, wheat flour, potato, onion, vegetables, eggs etc.It also demonstrated the current supply situation of selected essential items and projections like to estimate national demand for essential commodities for 2007, import scenarios in 2007, product-wise global production and price scenarios, comparison between Indian and Bangladeshi retail prices etc. Methodology: This research is conducted on the basis of secondary information and the market research done by various parties.Information has been collected from relevant papers and documents provided by the different governmental departments and international organizations, publi cations of different research think tanks and newspaper and web site. The steps that can be taken are This term paper is based on secondary data. It is a quantitative and research. Data is mainly from some renowned institutions like CPD, BB, BIDS, BBS, BEA, IPB etc. Limitations: Due to data limitation, this assessment is done by a simple methodology of comparing pre and post price shock. The literature reviewed in this study covers many of the topics important to price discovery.However it should be noted that the literature covers many decades of work by many authors. Therefore this study has focused on the significant and broad based work found in the literature. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS Price changes and trends Global food and oil price hike have also increased the bar of food price in the local market. The food price of essential commodities has been increasing hastily since 2005 and climbed at the highest peak of the decade in 2008. However, prices declined a bit in 2009 but again started to increase since 2010 and till November 2011 prices of most of the essential commodities has risen more than those of 2008.If taken 2005 as the base year, the scenario of food prices in 2011 becomes a matter of stun and awe. From the table- 1, it is comprehensible that the prices of coarse, medium and fine rice have been doubled in 2011 than those of 2005. The price of Atta (white) increased by 83. 33 percent by November compared to 2005. The price of soybean and palm oil increased by 147 percent and 151. 22 percent respectively by November 2011 relative to 2005. The price of garlic in 2005 was Tk. 54/Kg while it increased by 122. 22 percent by November 2011. The prices of different types of pulses have increased over the years at an incredible rate.The prices of baby food items, powder milk and sugar are also on an upward movement. It might be very difficult for the poor people to manage three meals a day when the prices of essential commodities are on the rise at an acce lerating rate and volatile. As a result of this volatile nature of the price of essential commodities, the poorest segment and the limited earners are in great distressed. Consumer Price Index and Trend of Food and Non-food Inflation A measure that examines the weighted average prices of a basket of consumer goods and services, such as transportation, essential food and medical care.Specially, here we consider consumer goods i. e. ;essential food items. However, the CPI measures how much the price of consumer goods has changed over a given time period. It measures the inflation and deflation. If the large rises in CPI during short period of time indicate a period of inflation and large drops indicate deflation. From the table-2, it is caught sighted that recent data indicates the upward trend of consumer price index (CPI) in general and prices of essential commodities exceeds beyond the limit of poor income group or fixed earners. National (CPI) average is 10. 24 percent and 12. 2 p ercent for the month of October’ 2011. While the food prices of rural areas continued to boost at an accelerating rate compare to the food prices of urban. It is really a threat for the developing country like Bangladesh. This is clearly shown in the figure-1. Causes of the Current Increase in Food Prices * Black Marketing: In some cases, when governments or regulatory bodies set a maximum price for a good, this leads to black markets. To be effective, the maximum price has to be below the market price that prevails as a result of the interaction of demand and supply. For example, the market price of wheat is $5.The government is regulating the industry and fixes a price of $4 as the maximum price. Supply of wheat is going to reduce and demand is going to increase based on the laws of demand and supply. This will lead to a shortage as people are demanding more wheat than is being supplied. Some consumers will be willing to pay the original market price for wheat ($5) and some will be willing to pay even higher. This leads to a black market where suppliers will provide the willing consumers with wheat at a price higher than the prevailing one. It broadly means holding the inventories and selling it at a higher price.It creates artificial scarcity in the economy in spite of increase in production and results in price rise, * Black money: Black money encourages the people to the demand of goods and services in the economy thereby leading to high rise in the general price level. Tax evasion here is widespread with a new study by the finance ministry finding that undeclared income or ‘black money’ could account for up to 80 per cent of Gross Domestic Product — some $110 billion. Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Research Director Binayak Sen argued that the housing sector has seen one of the most visible growths. †¦ why only took 450 to Tk 500 million is earned as tax and why the number of people having above Tk 200 million property is only 4000?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ It should not be less than 20 to 30 million if the valuation is calculated at market rate and not at the source rate,† said Binayak. Economists hold the view that black money breeding can become a major factor behind persistent inflation through misallocation of resources and shifts of resources from productive investment to current profligate consumption. Rapid Growth of Population: The rapid growth of population means more mouths to feed, more demand of clothing and basic necessities as compared to supply of goods and services which result in price rise. Several population factors play an important role in the increasing and changing nature of the demand for food, while also constricting supply and access to food. The population's role is often neither direct nor simple, and its impacts can vary at the local and global level.Nonetheless, many demographic trends that affect food supply and demand, especially rapid population growth , urbanization, population density of the rural poor, and migration for employment, are projected to continue. Urbanization, the growth of the middle class and associated changes in consumption patterns, migration and wage employment, large family size are all contributing factors as well. * Deficit Financing: Deficit financing, practice in which a government spends more money than it receives as revenue, the difference being made up by borrowing or minting new funds. Although budget deficits may occur for numerous reasons, the term sually refers to a conscious attempt to stimulate the economy by lowering tax rates or increasing government expenditures. It means printing more currency notes and coins. Deficit financing is done mainly to meet the budgetary deficit. It results in more supply of money in the economy but when the increase in the supply of money corresponds with less increase in the supply of goods and services (National output) there is a rise in the price of goods and services * High and rising price of energy: Energy and agricultural prices have become increasingly intertwined. With oil prices at an all-time high approaching $150/barrel, the U.S. government is subsidizing farmers to grow crops for energy. The U. S. farmers have massively shifted their cultivation towards bio-fuel feedstocks. High energy prices have also made agricultural production more expensive by raising the cost of mechanical cultivation and fertilizers, as well as marketing including cost of transportation. At the same time, the growing world population is demanding more and different kinds of food. * Rapid economic growth: Rapid economic growth in many developing countries, especially China and India have pushed up consumers' purchasing power, generating increased demand for food.This has shifted food demand away from traditional staples and toward higher-value foods like meat and milk. In the last five years, the  world economy  has grown on average by 8. 6% per year. The means our incomes have increased by this amount in real terms every year. Most of the contribution to economic growth has come from service industries, and manufacturing industries to a lesser extent. On the flip side of this, the agricultural sector has seen extremely poor growth in the last five years. While the overall economy has been growing 8. 6% per year, the agricultural sector has grown by a paltry 3. % per year in the last five years, on average. Thus, our income is rising a lot faster than food production. Demand is rising much faster than supply, and this is causing the high levels of food price in inflation. In addition, population is also growing by 1. 3% per year, further increasing the demand for food. * Dollar- depreciation: The rapid depreciation of the dollar against the euro and some other important currencies drives up the price of commodities quoted in dollars for both supply and demand reasons (see below). The depreciation of the dollar also causes invest ors â€Å"long† in dollars (i. e. most US-based investors, but holders of dollars globally as well) to seek hedges against this loss of value, with commodities being one attractive option. a sustained decline in the dollar since mid-decade added to the upward price. Pressure on dollar-denominated commodity prices directly, and indirectly fueled a search for speculative hedges against the declining dollar. Increasingly since 2006, these hedges were found first in petroleum, then in other widely traded commodities, including wheat, corn, and vegetable oils. * Increase in Money Supply: Money supply includes currency notes and coins, demands and time deposits.Increase in money supply shows that people in an economy are ready to spend more money for buying goods and services. Conclusion Essential commodities especially food in our country are important concerns at policy level to ensure the welfare of the mass people. In this regard price hike comes to top most concern with respec t to food security because if the price hike causes food insecurity for the mass of the people of our country. Availability of food, though indispensable for food security, is not enough to significantly improve food security at the household level.For improved household food security, all our efforts are needed to ensure nutrition of the poor through improving their accessibility to food and ensuring full biological utilization of the food. The overall food security can be well attained when increased accessibility to food is ensured through enhanced skill in domestic agriculture and increased availability of cereals and non-cereals, through attaining food accessibility by a sustained increase in the income of the poor and through education and health services leading to effective utilization of food of the malnourished people.It is expected that the people of the country will be able to enjoy their desired needs through essential commodities. For ensuring this situation price hike in essential commodities are to be taken into control. All the government initiatives should be targeted to increase production, reducing costs, ensure fair competition (competition law may be enacted and enforced) and gaining confidence of the business community and by ensuring these supplies could be increased and be able to keep pace with demand and price could be handled. References 1. Bangladesh institute of development studies (BIDS)Global Commodity Price Volatility and Domestic Inflation: Impact on the Performance of the Financial Sector in Bangladesh. 2. Center For Policy Dialogue PRICE OF DAILY ESSENTIALS: A DIAGNOSTIC STUDY OF RECENT TRENDS A report prepared for the Ministry of Commerce, Government of Bangladesh 3. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) 4. The Finance Express (FE) Rising food prices in Bangladesh: Causes, poverty impacts and policy actions 5. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Research Current State of Price Hike In Bangladesh: An Analysis Of Food Items. 6. Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA)

Finance The Five Highest Caused Of Divorce - 994 Words

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Stalin s Power Of The Communist Party Essay - 3755 Words

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Ethno 50B Essay #1 - 1347 Words

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Bioethics Roman Catholicism vs Buddhism Free Essays

string(44) " but the use of them to prevent conception\." Roman Catholicism and Buddhism are two very different religions. They vary greatly on many aspects of contemporary life issues, such as the environment, personal health and violence. The following essay will contain similarities and differences between Roman Catholicism and Buddhism, focusing on the contemporary issue of Bioethics. We will write a custom essay sample on Bioethics: Roman Catholicism vs Buddhism or any similar topic only for you Order Now The ideas debated will include views on abortion, in vitro fertilization, organ transplantation, euthanasia, contraception and cloning. The Collins Australian Dictionary definition of Bioethics is the study of ethical problems arising from biological research and its applications. Roman Catholicism and Buddhism both have similar views about Abortion. The definition of Abortion reads as an operation or other procedure to terminate pregnancy before the foetus is viable. The Roman Catholic view about abortion is that it is gravely evil at all times. James 2:26 states that the body without the spirit is dead. Since from the moment of conception the human body starts to develop, it is considered to be alive and to then have spirit. This view also ties in with the fifth commandment, Thou Shalt Not Kill. In Buddhism, there is no actual rule on Abortion, but many view it as wrong. Buddhists believe that life should not be destroyed, and believe that causing death is wrong if the death is caused purposely or through carelessness. Traditional Buddhists disapprove of abortion due to the fact that it is deliberately destroying a life. Buddhists also believe that life starts at conception. Some less traditional Buddhists believe that abortion should be permissible if the child is to be severely handicapped as to cause suffering when they are born. The Dalai Lama stated in 1993 stated that abortion, from a Buddhist viewpoint, is an act of killing and is negative, generally speaking. But it depends on the circumstances. He then went on to mention the child being born handicapped or the birth putting the parents into serious problems, that the pregnancy should be stopped. The first of the eight precepts of Buddhism states that the Buddhist will abstain from being harmful to living beings. Hence, to have an abortion is breaking the 8 Precepts of Buddhism, just as it is violating the Ten Commandments in Christianity. Euthanasia is the act of killing someone painlessly, especially to relieve suffering from an incurable illness. Roman Catholics and Buddhists generally have the same view on the way euthanasia is approached in everyday life. Roman Catholics mostly believe that euthanasia is wrong. They mostly base their arguments around the teachings that life is given by God, and that the natural process of death should not be interfered with. Roman Catholics are taught to believe that all life is sacred and that life should be valued no matter to which level of pleasure and well-being the person living such a life is receiving. This means that no person should be purposefully killed, even if they wish to be euthanized. This conclusion can be supported once again with the fifth commandment, Thou Shalt Not Kill. In Buddhist tradition, there is no final answer as to whether euthanasia is morally correct or not, however most Buddhists are against involuntary euthanasia. Their views on voluntary euthanasia are less clear. Most Buddhists are against voluntary euthanasia, as it depicts that the person who is suffering is not at a peaceful state of mind and has let their physical suffering affect their mental state. A problem regarding Buddhism and euthanasia is the factor of reincarnation. In their current form, Buddhists are unaware of what their next life will bring. This means that if Buddhists were to permit euthanasia, it would be practically wrong because it would be shortening ones suffering in this life to be born into a life that could possibly be even worse. Another reason why euthanasia is an issue is because the way that a Buddhist ends one life greatly affects the way they are to start the next. Buddhists are meant to reach a state where their thoughts are free of anger hatred or fear, and should be selfless and enlightened. Voluntary euthanasia is only permitted for those who have reached such a state, and should be avoided by anybody who has not yet reached a sense of enlightenment. The practice of euthanasia is also breaking the first of the 8 precepts of Buddhism, which is abstaining from being harmful to living beings. Consequently, euthanasia is a similarity between Roman Catholicism and Buddhism, because, though at varying degrees of severity, both religions generally disagree with euthanizing a human being. Contraception is another bioethical field in which Roman Catholicism and Buddhism share common grounds. Contraception refers to the intentional prevention of conception by artificial or natural methods. Roman Catholics and Buddhists both accept and reject the use of certain types of contraceptives and the ways that they prevent conception. In the Roman Catholic Church, all uses of contraception other than family planning are looked upon sourly. (Note that the Roman Catholic Church teaches its followers that sexual intercourse should only be present between man and woman who are married to each other to begin with, and so the following views on contraceptives should be viewed in the position of man and wife. The Roman Catholic Church believes that intercourse is an act that was created for couples to procreate, and so any method which prevents such chances is considered to be immoral. If couples wish to engage in intercourse and not conceive a child, they are to do so naturally, in the period that a woman is infertile, that is, the time when a woman isn’t ovulating. As said in Genesis 1:28, man was specially made by God to be fruitful and multiply. This basically says that man was engineered by God to procreate; hence forth contraceptives are directly doing the opposite of what man was created to do. Though, the Roman Catholic Church does not directly condemn contraceptives in themselves, but the use of them to prevent conception. You read "Bioethics: Roman Catholicism vs Buddhism" in category "Essay examples" For example, if a woman who is not in a sexual relationship is to use the pill to regulate her cycle it is not wrong in one bit. Buddhism permits the use of contraceptives if that particular method prevents contraception, however it is not acceptable is that certain type of contraception works by stopping the development of a fertilized egg. Buddhists believe that life begins, or a form of consciousness is created as soon as an egg is fertilized. As the Buddhist religion believes that no living being should be harmed, many types of contraceptives are unacceptable, such as the IUD. However, using contraceptives is not against the religion. Although the Buddhist teachings do not condemn intercourse with no desire for conception, the Third Precept teaches that Buddhists will abstain from all sexual practices that are inconvenient. This says that Buddhists seeking enlightenment should not use contraceptives for one’s sexual pleasure. Unlike Roman Catholicism, the Buddhist religion does not regard having children as a religious duty, but the two religions meet in their views on how certain types of contraceptives are acceptable and others are not, with the Roman Catholic views being more strict rather than the more lenient Buddhist views. Though Roman Catholicism and Buddhism can have very similar views on different aspects of Bioethics, the two religions also have very differing viewpoints on other aspects on the issue. One area of Bioethics in which Roman Catholicism and Buddhism do not meet on is the idea of Organ Donation. Organ donation is the act of giving up one’s organs to help others in need of such organs to live. Roman Catholicism encourages organ donation, and it is seen as an act of charity, fraternal love and self-sacrifice. Roman Catholics believe that it is a Christian duty to help others, and so organ donation is praised as it is giving other a chance of life that they may have otherwise not of been given. Pope John Paul 11 spoke of organ donation and stated that there is an everyday heroism, made up of gestures of sharing†¦ A particularly praiseworthy example of such gestures is the donation of organs†¦ offering a chance of health and even of life itself to the sick that sometimes have no other hope. The Current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, is a registered organ and tissue donor. The Buddhist faith teaches that organ donation is neither right nor wrong, and it is more of a personal decision rather than a Church teaching whether to donate organs or not. In some instances, organ donation is seen as an act of charity. Many Buddhists, Tibetan Buddhists in particular, have concerns about organ donation due to their beliefs of when consciousness leaves the body. Because donation from a deceased body has to occur immediately after the person dies. Tibetan Buddhists worry that the human body will be tampered with before the consciousness leaves the body. This is a worry to them because they believe that if the body is touched before consciousness leaves, it could potentially cause harm to the deceased’s future lives. As it can be seen from the above two examples, the Roman Catholic and Buddhists religions have differing views on organ donation, as Roman Catholicism is all for the issue and certain fields of Buddhism have a few more concerns about the matter. Cloning is an area of bioethics in which Roman Catholicism and Buddhist views differ greatly. A clone is a segment of DNA that has been isolated and replicated by laboratory manipulation. Cloning has achieved great scientific feat in previous years, with the successful cloning of dolly the sheep in 1996. There are no teachings in Roman Catholicism that directly state negative views on cloning as it has only been a matter in the past few decades, but there are principles in scripture that reveal opinions on such matters. In an excerpt from Genesis 1:26-27, it is revealed that God said, ‘and now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us’†¦ So God created human beings, making them to be like himself† It is taught that all human beings are created in the image of God and are therefore unique, hence cloning contradicts this theory as it is indeed, creating an exact duplicate of another human being. Also, Roman Catholicism teaches their followers that life is sacred and it should not be treated as an inanimate and worthless object, due to the fact that cloning causes scientists to experiment with human cells and embryos as if they have to spiritual value. Pope John Paul II stated in a speech to Vatican-based diplomats that one’s right to life is the most fundamental of human rights. Abortion, euthanasia, [and] human cloning . . . risk reducing the human person to a mere object. Buddhist belief with the matter is significantly on the other end of the scale. Buddhists do not have such a concept of individuality between each other, so Buddhist scholars don’t necessarily feel that there is any relevance in the way a child is born, rather than Roman Catholicism. The religion of Buddhism teaches that the earth is a place of suffering in which sickness, old age and death are unavoidable. Buddhism also teaches that to be healed from such a place is to reach a state of enlightenment. Some Buddhists believe that reproductive cloning can even help people reach such a state due to the fact that one can possible select certain attributes, such as selectively breeding people with advanced moral qualities. Professor Yong Moon from Seoul National University stated that Cloning is a different way of thinking about the recycling of life. It’s a Buddhist way of thinking. As the above examples show, Roman Catholicism and Buddhism have greatly differing views on the concept of cloning. Since it was first used in 1978, In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF, has caused significant amounts of controversy between many of the world’s religions and cultures. IVF is a technique enabling some women who are unable to conceive to bear children, in which egg cells removed from a woman’s ovary are fertilized by sperm in vitro. Some of these eggs are then incubated until the blastocyst stage, which are then implanted into the woman’s uterus. The Roman Catholic church condemns IVF births as children are meant to be conceived though natural means, that is, sexual intercourse between man and wife. It is also due to the fact that children are meant to be created through man, woman and God, rather than man, woman and doctor. Another reason why Roman Catholicism disagrees with IVF is because of the way that the sperm from the male is produced – masturbation. Such acts are looked on dishonourably by the Roman Catholic faith. An excerpt from CCC2352 states that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action. The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose. Roman Catholics also believe that a life is created the moment a child is conceived, and that every blastocyst deserves the right to life. IVF contradicts this as for most IVF procedures, the woman will produce many eggs, and only a select few will be implanted into her uterus, leaving many to be either washed down a sink or kept for medical research. The Roman Catholic Church does not agree with stem cell research on embryos for the reason that these embryos will inevitably die. There is little information on Buddhist belief and IVF, but it is known that Buddhism presents greatly opposing beliefs on IVF. They believe that every human has been closely connected with another and one time or another, due to the belief of previous lives. Also, Buddhists believe that any person involved in the creation of a child has a karmic connection. A karmic connection is a sense that one feels instantly comfortable and familiar with another, as in the relationship between mother and child. In a â€Å"regular† pregnancy, this connection is felt between the mother, father and child. However, in a pregnancy which was a result of IVF, the connection is evident between the mother, father, child and doctor, as they all played a role in the creation of the life. To sum up, Roman Catholicism and Buddhism have greatly differing views on whether or not IVF should or should not be used when trying to conceive a child. In conclusion, Roman Catholicism and Buddhism share common grounds on many Bioethical issues, yet their views and beliefs can also differ greatly. Buddhism tends to accept bioethical issues that do not affect the life and death process of the human person, such as contraception, cloning and IVF. The Roman Catholic Church disagrees with forms of Bioethics that prevent, end or create life in an unnatural manner, such as euthanasia, abortion and cloning. The Roman Catholic Church has more set in rules and restrictions, rather than Buddhism in which many bioethical issues are left to the individual person to decide whether they are right choice to make or not. References http://www.jfinternational.com/psy/karmic-connections.html http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2352.htm http://www.gotquestions.org/birth-control.html http://www.gotquestions.org/cloning-Christian.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/buddhistethics/organdonation.shtml http://www.bioethics.org.au/Resources/Resource%20Topics/Cloning.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/buddhistethics/contraception.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/christianethics/contraception_1.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/buddhistethics/euthanasiasuicide.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/christianethics/euthanasia_1.shtml How to cite Bioethics: Roman Catholicism vs Buddhism, Essay examples

Nature- to Build a Fire free essay sample

These two authors apply a unique perspective of how nature can apply to everyday life. The aspects of interacting with nature and human emotions analyzed and examined in the works of Jack London and Henry David Thoreau. Nature can be a dreaded enemy and can drain life out of humans and animals that are not aware and cautious. In the short story â€Å"To Build a Fire† by Jack London, nature sets and controls the tone throughout and interacts with the man and his dog. In the story, a man and his dog are traveling through the Yukon, in Alaska, to meet the man’s friends in a cabin miles away. They encounter an enormous amount of adversity and pain while trying to reach his friends. The Yukon is one of the coldest places on Earth and the man and his dog have to travel for hours in the bitter cold. They discover the power and ruthlessness of nature head on in their journey. The man had an estimation of how cold it really is while he and his dog were walking, the temperature is, â€Å"Fifty degrees below zero meant eighty-odd degrees of frost. Such fact impressed him as being cold and uncomfortable, that was all. It did not lead him to meditate upon his frailty as a creature of temperature, and upon mans frailty in general, able to live within certain narrow limits of cold† (London). This quote shows that the man believes that he is stronger and more powerful than the cold. Nature interacts with the man and slowly causes him to loose his human sense. The man becomes mentally and physically weak and eventually dies from frostbite and vulnerability to nature. Nature’s interaction with the man and his dog clearly set the scene for the whole story. On the other hand, nature can be a person’s best friend and fantasy. In the book Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Thoreau becomes one with nature and lives on the shores of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. He moves to the woods and lives by himself and observes nature first hand. Thoreau states exactly why he goes to the woods, â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach† (Thoreau 406). Thoreau believes that nature is an essential part of his life. Thoreau moves to the shores of Walden Pond because he believes that he needs to simplify his life, believing that the best way to live was uncommitted, free, and as long as possible. Rather than nature being a threatening part of life, as in â€Å"To Build a Fire†, Walden describes nature as calm and inviting. Thoreau values the opportunity to control what he does and when he does it. He knows that he is free in nature and enjoys the fact that he can go fishing on the river and exploring in the woods, whenever he desires. Thoreau interacts and connects with nature in a calm and productive way. The way that nature interacts with Thoreau creates a distinct tone for the whole story. Jack London bases his short story on the fact that nature is always pushing man to his limits. James R. Giles, in his Introduction to American Realism, states London inspired a fiction that can best be described as the naturalistic and imperialistic epic that has been a mainstay of twentieth-century American popular literature and culture† (Giles). This shows that London encompasses all of the assets to be known as a naturalist writer. London creates a way to make readers feel scared, cold, and lost in Jill Widdicombe’s overview of â€Å"To Build a Fire†. Widdicombe describes how London incorporates the story of a Yup’ik (a people group indigenous to Alaska) family traveling throughout Alaska in a car, when they become jammed in a snow bank and have nowhere to go being far from any major roads. While in temperatures below negative sixty degrees fahrenheit, the family tries to build a bonfire to keep warm, but their attempt at the fire fails. When the attempt at building the fire fails the family has nothing else to save them and eventually all die because of the horrendous cold and hypothermia. In addition to the aspect of nature, the aspect of the family being alone in nature also applies to the transcendental approach London is using. In â€Å"To Build a Fire†, London’s uses his love and knowledge of nature to provide a naturalist approach. London describes how a man has to survive in terribly cold temperatures, â€Å"When it is seventy five below zero, a man must not fail in his first attempt to build a fire – that is, if his feet are wet† (London), showing that nature is extremely powerful and man has no time for istakes when nature is at full force. London’s naturalist writing style helps bring out the real human characteristics in all of his characters. The naturalist approach to incorporate the outdoors and the ideals of nature, add tremendously to the short story â€Å"To Build a Fire†. In contrast, Henry David Thoreau shows the aspects of transcendentalism throughout his book Walden. According to Perry D. Westbrook, an Amer ican Social philosopher, â€Å"Walden is a major literary expression of New England transcendentalism. It records its authors experiences and thoughts while living for two years and two months in a hut that he had built on the wooded shores of Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts† (Westbrook). Thoreau values the simplicity and pureness of nature rather than the complex hustle of normal society. The transcendental value of being alone in nature is reflected by Thoreau when he says, â€Å"But I would say to my fellows, once for all, as long as possible live free and uncommitted. It makes little difference whether you are committed to a farm or the county jail† (Thoreau 405). Thoreau wants his readers to live free and to the full potential and he believes that can only be done alone and in nature. According to Overview: Walden†, Thoreau â€Å"urges his readers to simplify their lives† (Overview: Walden. ), and to live as one in nature. Thoreau perfectly imitates the fundamental aspects of transcendental writing in Walden. Jack London uses his imagery in â€Å"To Build a Fire† to show the emotions of his characters, painting a picture in the heads of his readers. London uses his words in a unique way to show how human emotions are in fact a reflection of nature. Throughout the story, the man struggles with the fierce cold in the Yukon territory and continuously tries to complete his goal of reaching his friends miles down the trail. The man tries for the last time to light the match to start a fire, â€Å"At last, when he could endure no more, he jerked his hands apart. The blazing matches fell sizzling into the snow† (London), showing that his emotions and body could endure no more and that nature had taken its toll on the man. Nature and its powerful ways, throughout â€Å"To Build a Fire†, cause the man to build up numerous emotions that compile and eventually lead to his death. Human emotions are a reflection and response to the brutal effects of nature. In Walden, Henry David Thoreau also expresses that human emotions are a reflection of nature. According to Kent C. Ryden an American scholar, â€Å"First, Thoreau sought to live a life grounded imaginatively, ethically, and sensuously in the textures of the natural world. Second, over the course of his career he became more and more interested in natural life itself, in understanding how nature worked† (Ryden). Throughout most of Walden, Thoreau’s mood is directly related with the weather in Walden Pond. During the winter season, Thoreau’s mood is calm and silent due to the gray skies and quiet woods; he has few visitors and is left alone to think during the winter months. Nature plays a pivotal role in expressing human emotions in â€Å"To Build a Fire† and Walden. Nature is a defining force in the lives of every single person living on this magnificent planet. The weather controls what people do and when they can do what they desire, no person in their right mind will go on a jog in the middle of a tsunami. Jack London brings out the brutal force of nature in his short story â€Å"To Build a Fire†. On the other hand, Henry David Thoreau brings out the calm and in depth part of nature in his book Walden. Even though the way nature acts is completely different in these two stories, many comparisons can be made. The aspects of involving nature and becoming one with nature show transcendentalist and naturalist values in the respective stories. Also, the reflection between human emotions and nature are demonstrated throughout â€Å"To Build a Fire† and Walden. Jack London and Henry David Thoreau show exemplary skill to be able to apply such detailed aspects of nature in each of their stories. Word Count: 1621 Works Cited Giles, James R. Introduction. The Naturalistic Inner-City Novel in America: Encounters with the Fat Man. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1995. 1-14. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 182. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Literature Resource Center. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. London, Jack. To Build a Fire. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. JackLondons. net. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. Ryden, Kent C. Thoreaus landscape within: how he came to know nature, and through it came to know himself. American Scholar 74. 1 (2005): 132+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Thoreau, Henry D. Walden. Prentice Hall Literature. Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: The American Experience. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. 400-11. Print. Westbrook, Perry D. Walden: Overview. Reference Guide to American Literature. Ed. Jim Kamp. 3rd ed. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Widdicombe, Jill. An overview of To Build a Fire,. Gale Online Encyclopedia. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. Overview: Walden. Nonfiction Classics for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Nonfiction Works. Ed. David M. Galens, Jennifer Smi th, and Elizabeth Thomason. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.