Martin Luther and His Impact on the Modern Church Essay

Western Europe was in desperate need of change during the sixteenth century. The popular cry among the Europeans was a call for â€Å"reform†. The political atmosphere was unstable as a result of violent leadership changes during the dismantling of the feudal system. This disunity of the people created a general atmosphere among the Europeans of discontent, unrest, and frustration. Economically, the inhabitants experienced increased poverty and financial troubles. The church was severely plagued by greed and corruption among the clergy, even in the upper echelons. The spiritual quality of the clergy was being degraded through the appointment of familial or political candidates. The theological minds, like Martin Luther’s, sought a reformation of church doctrine and a return to the basics of Christianity. The emphasis placed on Luther’s doctrine of justification and scriptural authority helped to reform church traditions and break the binding hold of corrupt leade rs over the church. The sixteenth century was a tumultuous time for Western Europe and the Church. Many Europeans were fraught with worry concerning the economical, religious, and social disorder. As the printing press became popular, the middle and lower classes were being flooded with information that had previously been unavailable; several competing doctrines were being given a voice through printed media. Previously, people would turn to religious institutions for hope and guidance amidst this type of chaos. However, the state of the church in the sixteenth century was fragile. This is due in part to the effects of the Great Schism in the fourteenth century. â€Å"[The Great Schism] divided the political, as well as the ecclesiastical world, and breaks up the Christian Europe into several hostile camps†. The Great Schism was a result of a gradual decline along political and theological lines. Prior to the Great Schism, the Papacy had risen to a level of prominence in the hearts and minds of Western European Christians. The Church controlled virtually every aspect of human life within Western Europe and the Pope was looked to as the authority on all matters; spiritual and secular. The Church possessed a large percentage of the region and had established one of the most efficient systems of government in history. At this time, theological justification for the supremacy of the papacy had been established under the principle of â€Å"the subordination of the state to the church† by Pope Innocent III. However, in Eastern Europe, the Pope was more of a foreign authority; available only when their own political leadership could not settle matters. The empire was recognized as the supreme power. They argued that unity for the citizens could only be realized through obedience to one authority; the empire. Since Christ had not given the authority of the state to the church, the church had no right to claim supremacy over the empire. Several religious leaders in the East sought to inhibit the power and authority of the Papacy. The climate of Europe was poised for division. The beginning of the division came in the form of the â€Å"Babylonian Captivity of the Church† that lasted from 1309 to 1377. During this period, the French King Phillip IV held Pope Boniface VIII captive, and sequestered the College Cardinals to Avignon. This would introduce a reign of corruption among the French papacy and introduce a dividing line between European Christians; one side supporting the French papacy and another side that opposed it. These factors led to a final cataclysmic event that earned the title â€Å"The Great Schism†. When Gregory IX, the final Avigonese pope, returned to Rome, the Church attempted to re-establish the papacy in its historic setting. Upon his death, the papacy faced a great challenge. Urban IV, an Italian pope, was elected at the urging of the local mob, while Clement VII, a Frenchman, claimed rights to the seat as well. This caused confusion over the authority of the church and division among political lines; England, Germany, I taly, and their allies support Urban IV, while France, Scotland, Spain, and their allies supported the â€Å"anti-pope† Clement VII. The Great Schism had a great effect on the faith and spirituality of the masses. There was a general feeling of distrust toward the Church and leadership. Even after the Great Schism had ended, â€Å"many found it difficult to reconcile their faith in the papacy with their distrust for its actual occupants†.Corruption and bribery were now commonplace among the upper level clergy; the practice of â€Å"the sale of indulgences† would even substitute for the process of salvation. Morally, the church was failing the believers. However, there were other flaws within the church during the sixteenth century. At the end of the fifteenth century, Western Europe had been flooded with literature from divergent theological schools of thought. â€Å"New philosophical outlooks were introduced†. Mysticism and humanism were now beginning to replace the previously solid scholastic theology of the church. Supporters of Reform were calling for a change of the traditional practices. It is in this context with which Martin Luther was influenced during the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Martin Luther grew up in an austere environment in Germany in the 1500’s. As a young adult, Luther entered the monastery out of concern for his own salvation. He thought, â€Å"’Oh, if I go into a monastery, and serve God in shaven crown and cowl, he will reward and welcome’†. Luther began a diligent study of theology during his time at the Augustinian Priory in Erfurt. He excelled intellectually and spiritually, though he experienced severe personal struggles. â€Å"He sought to work out his own salvation by careful observance of the monastic rule, constant confession, and self mortification†. This careful obedience to the monastic life was to no avail; Luther was plagued with despair at the thought of his sinfulness. Added to his frustrations, Luther had experienced disillusionment during his tenure at the monastery. The carnally minded clergy of Rome shocked him. â€Å"In Rome, the first sparks of doubt flew into his soul, which, perhaps, while he was unconscious of it, faintly glimmered, but which, with the first opportunity that might present itself, were destined to rise up into a flaming fire†. It is through these experiences that Luther would come to significant theological conclusions concerning the doctrine of justification by faith. These conclusions helped to spark a movement that would forever change the mindset of the Christian community. As Martin Luther continued his studies of scripture, he was tortured by the guilt of sin. â€Å"He was struck by the prayer of Psalm 31:1, ‘in thy righteousness deliver me’. But how could God’s righteousness deliver him? The righteousness of God was surely calculated rather to condemn the sinner than to save him†. His questions required him to review Paul’s’ doctrine of justification detailed in Romans. The doctrine of justification by faith is the basic message of God’s forgiveness towards the sin of man. Job pondered this question in the Old Testament; â€Å"How can a person be justified before God?† (Job 9:2, HCSB). Justification, then, is an act of grace by God, where he accepts the righteousness of Christ as our own by our faith in Christ. Paul comments that â€Å"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.† (Romans 1:16-16, HCSB) The righteousness of God now holds new meaning for Luther; the message of the gospel, or good news in Christ. The justice or righteousness of God does not mean punishment as Luther originally thought, but rather the imputation of God’s righteousness to the believer. The righteousness of God is imputed to the believer, even as the believer is a sinner, because of God’s grace and mercy. Essentially, as Christians we are both sinful and justified. God does not excuse or ignore the sin of man. However, God declares us as justified because of the sacrifice of Christ once we believe and trust in Him. Our faith is not the cause of justification, as if we are rewarded for faith. But rather, faith and justification are free gifts to sinners who accept them. Luther’s new revelation led him to a new way of thinking and preaching. His thoughts concluded that â€Å"I soon felt as if born again; as if I had found the gates of Paradise thrown wide open to me. Now I also looked upon the blessed Scriptures more reverently than in former times, and read them through rapidly† . This message of justification was received warmly by the masses. The western Europeans felt that Luther spoke to their condition, and increased their desire for reform. For Luther, the Word of God was of utmost importance and it helped him find the answers to the issues of salvation that overwhelmed him. In the mind of Martin Luther, the Word of God was more than the text of the Bible. â€Å"For the laws of the Bible become sweet unto us when we read and understand them, not only in books, but in the wounds of our precious Savior†. The word of God is essentially more than scriptural text; it is the revelation of God and the Word of God working together. In the primary sense we are told in John 1:1 that the Word of God is actually God himself. â€Å"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.† Here detailed, the Word of God is actually the personage of Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity. This means that when God speaks, He also acts. This is depicted in Genesis as the Word of God is involved in creation; God said, let there be†¦and there was. Christ, now God’s greatest action is also His greatest revelation; the victory of God through Christ. The Bible is the Word of God, not because it is infallible, but because in it we find Christ. The final authority of the Word of God is now realized in Christ. â€Å"Luther responded that it was neither the Church that had made the Bible, nor the Bible that had made the Church, but the gospel, Jesus Christ, that had made both the Bible and the Church. Final authority rest neither in the church nor in the Bible, but in the gospel, in the message of Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God incarnate†. Luther came to a transformative knowledge through his theological doctrines of justification by faith and the scriptural authority of the Word of God. His new emphasis greatly challenged the traditional views of the church. In sharing his knowledge, he penned ninety seven theses to stimulate debate about the theological traditions of the church. He expected to cause a stir, but the theses never received a wide circulation outside of the university. Luther pens another theses in response to the misrepresentation of doctrine by John Teztel, a German Dominican preacher. Tetzel, authorized by Pope Leo X, was responsible for the sale of indulgences in Germany. The sale of indulgences was the practice of granting absolution to a sinner through a monetary remuneration. Family members were also able to purchase an indulgence for the deceased. Pope Leo granted the authorization of the sale of indulgences with the conditions that half of the proceeds would be used by the papal coffers. The monies would then be used for the refurbishing of Rome; more specifically â€Å"the refurbishment of the great basilica that is now the pride of Roman Catholicism†. With righteous indignation, Luther refutes the practice of the sale of indulgences in his Ninety Five Theses. The sale of indulgences was popular at the time, though a theologically gray area. Luther believed that this practice was indicative of the loss of the foundational truths present in the gospel. Luther wrote the theses through his new mindset in the doctrine of justification by faith. Luther established that the sale of indulgences financially exploited the believer whereas salvation was intended to be a free gift from God. He also inadvertently challenged the authority of the Pope: â€Å"if it is true that the Pope is able to free souls from purgatory, he ought to use that power, not for trivial reasons such as the building of a church, but simply out of love, and freely†. With his nailing of the Ninety Five Theses on the door of the church in Wittenburg, on the Eve of All Saints, Luther is said to have sparked the Protestant Reformation Though the religious nature of the Reformation reverberated throughout Western Europe, there was a significant political aspect as well. Though Luther was nothing more than a friar, however, his text was an endangerment to the profits of the empire. The Emperor Maximillian wanted to silence the indignation of Luther. To the emperor’s chagrin, this could not be accomplished through Luther’s Augustinian Order; many of his fellow friars favored his teachings. The pope was forced to use an alternate method in commissioning Cardinal Cajetan to arrest Luther; an unfruitful undertaking. When Luther learned of Cajetan’s plans, he escaped back to Wittenburg to file an appeal with the general council. During this time he remained under the protection of Frederick the Wise, and attempted to gain support for his cause. Shortly following this, the Emperor Maximillian died. The Imperial Throne was vacant, and Pope Leo was searching for a candidate that he could control. Out of the three possibilities, he believed Frederick the Wise would help to balance the power in the region and allow Leo greater influence. Leo allowed the condemnation of Luther to be postponed. During this time, Luther gained the support of a colleague, Andrea von Karlstadt, at the University of Wittenburg who helped him to reform the schools theological curriculum. Karlstadt and Luther would enter into the academic debate with a shrewd theologian, John Eckk at the University of Leipzig in Ingerstoldt. It proved disastrous for Luther. His theological doctrine concerning the authority of scripture agreed with the findings an early theologian, John Huss, who had been declared a heretic. By agreeing with Huss, Luther, was therefore declared a heretic. This catalytic event began a series of struggles and triumphs for the Reformers. To his success, the debate with Eckk gained him support among humanists and the German nationals. Throughout Germany, and beyond, Luther’s protest began a movement in those who desired reform. Luther also ignited the ire of Charles V, the new emperor, with his seemingly heretical stance. Through a series of events, Luther was issued a papal bull that required the burning of his books and his excommunication. He burned this order in public, which prompted him to be brought before the Imperial Diet at Worms. It is here that Luther refuses the opportunity to recant and makes his boldest affirmation â€Å"My conscience is a prisoner of God’s Word. I cannot and will not recant, for to disobey one’s conscience is neither just nor safe. God help me. Amen†. The Reformation that Luther desired was a positive renewal of the church internally. However, Luther was unable to carry out the necessary steps to cement the reform movement. After the Diet of Worms, Luther retreated and Karlstadt was left to further the Reformation. Initially Luther was advocated the changes taking place, including the marriage of monks, the simplification of worship, and the abolition of mass for the dead. However, things soon began to spiral when rebellion broke out among the peasants. Luther never supported rebellious undertakings and urged a more peaceful solution, but to no avail. â€Å"Protestantism† would be blamed and it would create a division in the religious community; Protestants on one side, and Catholics on the other. The Protestant Reformation did not cause other reform movements, but would parallel them. Reform movements would spring up in various European states. In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli would be credited with the beginning of the reform movement. Zwingli was a pastor who would draw national attention by declaring many of the same theological doctrines as Martin Luther. He spoke out against the requirement of pilgrimages for salvation, and denounced the exploitation of the Swiss people at the hands of church leadership. Similar to Luther, Zwingli even spoke out against a seller of indulgences that had come to Zurich. The Swiss Reformation saw the New Testament as central to its program of renewal. Their main goal was the â€Å"restoration of biblical faith and practice†. This is where Zwingli held differing opinions than Luther and his followers. Zwingli believed that they should return to the ways of the New Testament and Christ. Zwingli agreed with Luther on several points, but they could not agree on predestination or the understanding of the sacrament. Concerning predestination, Zwingli saw it as a natural consequence of the all knowing nature of God. Luther though content to determine that salvation was the work of God, could not completely agree with Zwingli. This affected their understandings of the sacrament. â€Å"Zwingli dreaded a physical interpretation; Luther, on the contrary, dreaded the evaporation of the of the spiritual element of the sacrament of communion†. The religious community and the citizens of Western Europe were in a state of chaos during the sixteenth century. In desperate need of change, the Europeans called for reform against the traditions passed down from the medieval era. Through the revelations of Martin Luther concerning his doctrines of justification by faith and scriptural authority, the popular sentiment was organized into a movement that would of forever change the religious landscape of the West. Ultimately, a reformed Europe would be divided between the Catholic states of the south and the Protestant states of the north. From these efforts, several differing denominations would result that would inspire religious diversity and other reforms within the church. No longer would the believer be held to the sacrilegious traditions that had pervaded the papacy for over two centuries. Luther’s reformation was more than a â€Å"protest against the pope†; it [was] a positive and constructive renewal of the chu rch†.

Celia Behind Me analysis Essay Example

Celia Behind Me analysis Essay Example Celia Behind Me analysis Paper Celia Behind Me analysis Paper Being bullied is a serious matter, filling the news are stories of young boys and girls resorting to what they feel is their last option committing suicide. Suicide may have been the victim Of this short storys last resort. In the novel Celia Behind Me by Isabel Hugging, the reader is presented With the horrible story of the 4th grader Celia, told by her own bully and the main character Elizabeth. The story is told as a memory of Elizabeth and is therefore written in past tense. Elizabeth is, in the memory, the age of 9 and is having trouble ruing to fit in with the cool kids at school. These kids favorite hobby is bullying their classmate Celia and though she and Elizabeth are very much alike, she joins in on the bullying. The reader is informed of the recent death of Elizabethan two aunts and an immediate connection between Celia their death is made. Elizabeth makes the simile herself when she compares her mothers description of her aunts accident to the shape of Cilias head. By connecting these things Elizabeth channels all her unresolved feelings to Celia making her hatred of her grow. Elizabethan mother and father seem to be somewhat neglecting her. They have failed in helping her process the loss of her aunts, causing her to be filled with so much hatred, as well as in educating her properly. The mother is instead of teaching her the wrongs of bullying and helping her to handle the situation appropriately, threatening her with karma and a spanking: P. 3, l. 37-p. 4, I. 1. With this absence of instruction in how to handle herself Elizabeth, afraid to be the next victim, bullies Celia and excuses herself with the justification that she is the one who allies Celia the least. The story makes its peak when Elizabeth in the end breaks down and starts beating Celia. She describes the memory of this day as being one she will never forget for this was the day she discovered the darkness inside of her. She goes on explaining how Celia forgave her rather quickly but how she could never forgive her for revealing this darkness inside of her. Elizabeth is a disturbed girl filled with hatred and fear. In the last paragraph of the short story she describes the connection between her fears, tater and social position. She uses the word Echoing P. 6, l. 172-174 clearly displaying the link between these three. The thought of losing her social status with her friends and the hatred of Celia keeps echoing in her mind reminding her of her fear of becoming the next Celia. She explains in the story that she is aware that were it not for Celia she would be the victim; P. 3, l. 56-57. The fear of this brings the negative motivation to bully Celia. The theme of bullying and the consequences that follow clearly dominates this short story. Though other themes such as guilt, shame and visualization come to mind while reading the story, bullying is still the strongest and also most important theme presented in the short story. The fact that she never forgave Celia could explain the title of the short story. By never forgiving Celia she never truly let go or moved on and therefore Celia is still behind her as she was when they were kids walking home from school. Celia reminds Elizabeth of the darkness she discovered that day and now haunts her as a constant reminder echoing in her head.

DIVIDEND POLICY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DIVIDEND POLICY - Essay Example The management increased both the interim and final dividend throughout the four-year period. In 2007 the company paid an interim dividend of 6.5p which increased to 6.75p in 2008, 6.9p in 2009,7.6p in 2010 and finally 7.9p in 2011. For the case of the final dividend, the amount paid in 2008 was 13.5p, which was increased to 14.1p, 16.2p, 16.85p in 2009,200 and 2011 respectively (Associated British food, 2011). This is attributed to the increasing performance and profitability together with the increase in the performance of the general economy. Since the economy recovered from the recession and the inflation rates reduced, the company realized a reduction in the cost that made it post positive performance. The improving global economic performance also resulted in the increase in the sales turnover and improvement in ABF cash flows (Associated British food, 2011). Since the payments of dividends depends on the availability of cash flows, an increase in the cash inflows would result into an increase in the dividend that can be distributed to the company. Several theories have been developed o elucidate the relevance or irrelevance of dividends decision on the value of a firm (Lease, 2000). Modigliani and Millar dividend irrelevance theory asserts that dividends have no effect on the firms value in a perfect market because dividends are paid out of earnings and therefore whether distributed or not, it does not affect the firms earnings. Dividends have no effect on both equity and cost of equity (Baker, Powell & Veit, 2002). The bird in hand theory was also developed. According to this theory, dividend payments affect the value of a firm since investors are sure about the dividend earnings than the expected capital gains, which they consider as a bird in the bush (Miller & Kevin, 1985). The tax preference theory on the contrary claims that investors will prefer capital gains to the dividend because of the tax advantage associated with the capital gain. Since divi dends attract higher taxes, investors will prefer capital gain. The signaling theory further argues that dividend payment is significant in a firm’s investment decisions because it acts as a signal to the performance of the company. A company with high dividends is said to have better future prospects hence this will attract investors; the theory is based on the assumption that capital markets are imperfect and investors have different levels of knowledge (Benartzi, Roni & Thaler,1997). Before selecting a dividend policy, company managements must take into consideration the likely impact of their dividend decisions. Dividend decisions of a firm are important, as it can be use in influencing the value to the shareholders. In paying dividend, firms will considerer several factors. First, the dividend policy can be determined by the financial requirements of a firm. A firm that has several positive investment projects may decide to increase the proportion that is retained to inv est in the positive projects (Baker, Powell & Veit, 2002). Retention in this case provides the capital required to undertake the positive projects. Secondly, the dividend policy can also be determined by the nature of the company’s earnings. A company that realizes stable income in the financial performance can decide to increase the amount of dividends paid because of stability in the earnings whereas those with fluctuating incomes may reduce the amount of dividend distributed to the shareholders (Clayman, 2012). Moreover, firms’ liquidity also affects its dividend policy. A firm with better cash flows and which is liquid has the ability to make large dividend payments than that is not liquid. This is because dividends are always distributed out of cash and is therefore determined by the

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Essay

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Essay Example The paper tells that despite the presence of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), US have been faced by many crimes that have not been researched on to get helpful information. Many of these crimes have been cases of terrorism. Terrorism has really threatened the security in United States. All the presidents in the country have been addressing this issue. This is evident from the efforts of Barrack Obama to capture Osama bin Laden, one of the most notorious terrorists who hit US. There are some causes of failures of the projects like inefficiency technology; lack of trained personnel; lack of funds; and lack of corporation from other organs. There are reports that are given on this agency an annual basis giving some recommendations that have to be implemented but this has not been enough since there is much information that the urgency not yet has about terrorism. There are some recommendations that may act as long-term solutions to this basing them on the ways of improving eff iciency of a project as it is in project management. The FBI as an agency of investigation on major crimes in the United States has been successful in different ways. It is the expectation of everyone that US, the most powerful country in the world, has all possible ways of ensuring security of its people. This has not been the case since security in its states has been threatened occasionally through some major crimes. They have increased their technology for instance introduction of DNA tests, fingerprint tracking, among other technologies that are used in crime investigation. (Jenkins, 2005, p.13). Despite the many achievements the FBI has, it has not been able to end and get enough information on some major crimes like terrorism. Terrorism has been a challenge to the agency and this is observable from the chronology of terrorist attacks from 1995. However, they have been successful on some terrorist activities; there are some that they still lack information on. This does not me an that the agency is a failure. There is a need to find out the causes of such challenges and give recommendations. The recommendations should be different from the ones that are given at the end of each year in such a way that they give long-term solutions. The agency has been regularly financed thus it becomes a surprise what the problem could really be. Analysis of FBI Database Project FBI as an agency of investigation has not been able to get information on some major issues like terrorism. It has been faced by some challenges that are expected in any project. Terrorism is one area in which the agency has failed. They lack much information on the issue and this has seen the rise of terrorist attacks over the years. However, they have not sat back to watch this happen, most of the measures that they have put to fight this have not bore any fruits. Forensic sciences are one of the fields they have advanced in to carry out investigation. They have been able to use some forensic te chnologies like fingerprints to track nagging criminals. This has however been successful with minor crimes within the states like robbery and murder but it has not helped much to get adequate on some major crimes like terrorism. This is what has led to negative judgments of their performance from different parties. They cannot despair since it is connected directly with the people’s lives on this project. There are some reasons that have been highlighted in different publications, in speeches, in

Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Response Paper - Essay Example The author is so much into the work that he feels ‘consumed’ at his first encounter with ‘Tianshu’; one of the literary works by Xu Bing. My expectation, and any other person’s for that matter would be that Perry Link would join the opposition since that seems the easiest thing to do. Interestingly, he supported the author; as such, one thing is apparent, the Chinese calligraphy was not that bad as portrayed by the activists. But again, one would also conclude that Perry Link was a fan of feudalism, the system that Chinese calligraphy is a part, and which most of the activists passionately hated. The most problematic and surprising part of this book is Perry Links reaction after carefully scrutinizing the writings. Apparently, he felt not only frustrated but also angry at his discovery that the texts were unreadable. Can we all conclude that all the opposition was because the others could not read the books as well, or because there was some hidden message that Perry and his fellows just seemed not to figure out? All the same, I cannot just seem to find an answer to that question. Perry Link judged a book by its cover. What he would later come to find out completely changed his thinking and his moods. In the real life, I, and probably you, have been into several such situations. When shopping for a new cloth, for example, I have severally judged the piece of clothing from outside only to realize that some part of it is torn after carrying it home. In a nutshell, all that glitters is never gold. This reading mainly focuses on the chines calligraphy and its relation to modern politics. Likewise, other readings in the course cover some of the elements of Chinese calligraphy; even though they may not be exactly related, the presence of the tiniest bit of similarity demonstrates the relationship. Throughout my life, there are several decisions I have always made whose basis and meaning only I can understand. As such, just like Perry

It’s Only Child Abuse if it is Violent Essay Example for Free

It’s Only Child Abuse if it is Violent Essay Child abuse is defined as the physical, emotional or sexual mistreatment of a child. Child maltreatment is defined as acts of omission or commission by parent or any other caregiver which may result to harm or potential of harm as well as harm threat to any child (MedlinePlus, 2010). Most of child abuse are known to occur in the child’s home but smaller occurrences has been noticed in schools, organizations as well as community, which the child is interacting with. Child abuse is not only through violent acts but there are several ways and acts which can be said as abuse to a child. In this paper, I argue that child abuse is not only perpetrated through violent means but also through other nonviolent means. Child abuse is in different forms. It is much more than broken bones and bruises that can be noticed on a child who has been physically abused. Other forms of child abuse such emotional abuse as well as child neglect may also leave a child with long lasting and deep scars, which may not be seen but in the heart of the child (Wolfe, 1999). Some of the signs that can show a child has been abused may be subtler than the others. Smoking in front of children or inside cars which is carrying children may serve as one form of child abuse. This is because one smoking in places where children are present would mean ruining the health of the children as they are not aware of that and even they can not stop you from smoking. Cot deaths in children are linked to mothers smoking while they are pregnant (UNICEF, 2000). In America evidence has shown that many children die as a result of the effects of their parents smoking and is more than the deaths which results from accidents. Neglecting a child is known to be another form of child abuse. Neglecting child encompasses many things which may include non-compliance with the recommendation of health care, depriving a child food which may result to the child being hungry as well as failing to enable the child to thrive physically (Baskerville, 2006). Other areas of concern may include exposure of children to drugs as well as lack of protecting them from the dangers of environment. Furthermore, child abuse can as well include abandonment of child, poor hygiene, inadequate supervision and depriving a child the right of education. In addition, there are several other forms of child abuse which may include ridiculing a child, degrading a child, destruction or torture of child’s pet, destroying personal belongings of a child, criticizing a child excessively, withholding communication with a child as well as humiliating a child (UNICEF, 2000). All these form of child abuse does not mean one is using violence but the fact is that these acts can result to child abuse. This form of abuse can hurt the child internally and may make the child to live uncomfortable life through out his or her life. In conclusion, not all forms of child abuse require one to use violence so as to be considered as child violence. Emotional abuse is one of the worst practices of child abuse since its effect is long lasting and may even cause the life of a child to change completely through out his or her life. Therefore, emotional child abuse and other forms of child abuse that does not involve violence should be considered as equally affecting the life of child negatively.

Study of Organizational Culture and the Indian Army

Study of Organizational Culture and the Indian Army THE INDIAN ARMY is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. It came into being in 1947 when India gained independence, and inherited most of the infrastructure of the British Indian Army that was located in post-partition India. It is a voluntary service and though there is a provision for military conscription in the Indian constitution, it has never been imposed. The Indian Army is the worlds second-largest standing army whose primary mission is to ensure the national security and defense of the Republic of India from external aggression and threats and maintaining peace and security within its borders. It also conducts humanitarian rescue operations during natural calamities and other disturbances. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Army. CULTURE is comprised by the customs, heritage and achievements of a particular segment of society. Organizational culture is the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values of an organization and its employees. In this case, we talk about the army. As an organization, its culture is the sum total of the activities and ideas shared by this group of people with its common requirements, customs, laws and traditions. These are percolated across the Army by the thoughts and feelings of the people concerned and are reinforced by actions of individuals and sub-groups to present a whole picture of a common and shared perception of a uniform blend of ideals working and striving towards the achievement of a common goal. By ultimately working in accordance with and in response to a single will, political and military they attain the objectives laid down for them in peace, and particularly during operations in war. This is how the Army is designed and it is mandatory that this design is followed in the best manner possible for maintaining and preserving the solidarity and cohesion of the force and its professional competence. The two epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata constitute the framework on which the edifice of Army is built. The elements of culture have been imbibed a lot from these two epics. Even in the Indian army just like Mahabharata, the good of the nation is put first rather than the individual. In terms of power distribution just like the Ramayana the Indian Army is a well structured organisation. There is a central authority of power which releases orders, the people at various levels follow orders from the superior and respect them at the same time. There are clear cut guidelines for each and every army personnel to follow and deviations from the same are not appreciated in the Institute. Army as an institute lays special emphasis on attention to details as they need to be sure of everything before going out for war. The armed personnel have both facets in their personality they are aggressive when required and can be stable when required. The Indian army has people orientation also as part of its culture. It believes more than the artillery the men are their biggest strength. They have proper training facilities to inculcate them into the culture of the Indian Army. To further understand the culture of the Indian Army we interviewed three Army personnel. The following is a gist of the three interviews What are key facets of Culture of the Indian Army? The key facets of Indian Army include a sense of bonding, they are a unit which is closely knit, an extremely disciplined bunch of people with high levels of motivation. They have high respect for what they do and their peer group. In practise, a lot of times the Indian Army does not receive its promised share of returns and hence the general moral of the troops takes a dip. This can be attributed to bureaucratic interference. How does the organisation structure impact culture? The organisation structure helps them integrate with the culture, since it clearly defines roles of individuals. At the same time it also brings in a sense of respect towards their seniors. How do the forces men get to know about the culture of Indian Army when they are recruited? Culture is imbibed in the men right from the days of training. It is a rigorous training method followed at the IMA/NDA/OTA to train these bright young individuals to become men of the Indian army. During the training period through their interactions with seniors the recruits learn more than the functionalities of the Indian Army. They say it is one the best ways in which culture is imbibed in the minds of these young individuals. What is sought after in Indian Army the larger Interest or Individual requests? Its the interest of the nation that is the most important thing for any of the armed forces men. He puts the nation before everything in his life. How clearly are roles defined in the Indian Army? Roles are very clearly defined in the Indian Army. A hierarchy structure is in place. The posting of individuals happens on the basis of role requirement and then finding the best fit. Does culture also evolve and is there scope for new traditions? Indian army is an institute which believes in continuous development for the better, at the same it believes in maintaining its rich heritage. In a nutshell it amalgamates the old and new and ensures the best is created. But it likes to hold on to its past a lot. Any knowledge of cross culture impact of the people as they come from various backgrounds? It is probably the best example to understand homogeneity in heterogeneity. The backgrounds which people come from are diverse but at the same time at the centre of their diversity is unity which binds them to guard their nations boundaries. Due to varied backgrounds, individuals learn to appreciate others and also at the same time learn to celebrate differences. How important is detailing as a facet of culture in the Indian Army? The most important facet of Indian Armys culture is detailing. One cannot go to battle field without knowing every detail of war. Special emphasis is laid on detailing right from the training period of each and every personnel. An eye for detailing is extremely important as well as highly appreciated in the Indian Army. How does the Indian army communicate its culture to the outside world? Each army personnel is the brand ambassador of the Indian army. He/She is role model for todays youth and carries himself accordingly. Besides Indian army leads by example in every aspect it gets itself involved in. But in totality the army is a very closed organisation and not appreciative unwarranted interaction with the outside world. How do you deal with someone who does not follow the culture of Indian Army? For somebody who is not in line with the culture, they are various stages of ensuring that the person is brought in line with the culture like warnings and annual reports. But if all the options dont work out then Court Marshall is also an option which is exercised where the armed personnel is made to forfeit his position and honour associated with it. FUNCTIONAL AND DYSFUNCTIONAL ASPECTS The mission statement of the Indian Army is not a very clearly defined one. On a broader perspective the Indian Army stands for the following ideology: The Indian Army doctrine defines it as The Indian Army is the land component of the Indian Armed Forces which exist to uphold the ideals of the Constitution of India. As a major component of national power, along with the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, the roles of the Indian Army are as follows: Primary: Preserve national interests and safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of India against any external threats by deterrence or by waging war. Secondary: Assist Government agencies to cope with proxy war and other internal threats and provide aid to civil authority when requisitioned for the purpose. Following is the tabulation of the functional and dysfunctional aspects of the Indian Army: Functional Aspects Dysfunctional Aspects It is a highly integrated organization Interference by the bureaucracy. The bureaucracy tries to influence decision making and hence some decisions tend to go haywire, creating confusions for the people around. The motivational levels of the personnel of the Armed Forces are extremely high which is needed for the job profile that they have. Red Tapism. There is a lot of lethargy in some departments to get the things to action. This is quite unacceptable for an institution like the Indian Army. There is immense respect for an individual as well as for the team spirit. Distributed decision making. This causes some crucial decisions to be delayed. The organization has an excellent training programme, which grooms the complete personality of an individual instead of focussing on one aspect. Budget allocations are not defined within the Organization. Hence, the allocation is not even sometimes. They have extremely high standards for selection to the Indian Army, and despite a manpower crunch they have decided not to lower the selection criterion. Indian Army needs to attract the correct talent, which currently it is unable to do. This can be attributed to the lack of proper and correct information to the youth. Very good quality of life for the people who are a part of the Indian Army. Lobbying for promotions. At the senior level, there is a lot of push and pull for getting the coveted positions. This creates an unhealthy environment in the organization. Indian Army ensure a good post retirement life. Low incentive remunerations. Anomalies in the pay structure for the armed forces are a common occurrence. Indian Army provides opportunities to experience various cultures and live in various places as a part of their tenures. ACTION PLAN Based on the derived dysfunctional aspects, we can note that the discrepancies occur on two fronts: External influences Internal functions The issues caused by external influences include: Interference by the bureaucracy The Army should set such high standards that its perceived image is one where it only serves its mission and cannot be influenced. This image will deter all kinds of informal requests and interferences. This can be done by giving more autonomy to the forces in the framework of the organizations serving the country. The issues caused by internal functions include: Red tapism The Army witnesses excessive regulation and rigid conformity to formal rules that at times prevents swift action or decision-making. The organization should allow for flexibility in structure of actions and decision making. Also, it can include cutting of red tape as a policy promise. Hierarchical decision making Orders issued by Army personnel are of critical importance, and thus the decisions to these orders need to be taken on time without any delays. This can be done by empowering officials at different levels so that decisions can be immediately taken and there arises no need to wait for sanctions from the top order when it is urgent. Uneven budget allocations Studying and understanding of every departments needs, will help carry out equal and effective budget distributions. This will ensure availability of all needed resources to all departments. Poor perceived image The armys current image is unable to attract attention of the youth for new recruits. This can be fixed by better communication and public relations exercise. Lobbying for promotions It is crucial for every organization to ensure that there are no unethical practises taking place. To prevent any lobbying for promotions, the Army should give due appraisals based on merit at the right time. It should also devise a protective mechanism for all those who report these unethical practises; this will help report all such malpractices. Unequal remuneration compared to other Government Organizations This brings about lack of motivation in the Army officials. The Government must ensure that the relative appraisals in all its organizations are at par. Acknowledgement We would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Shubhra Gaur for giving us this opportunity to conduct research on the Indian Army and its Culture and to study the various functional and dysfunctional aspects associated with this organization. We would also like to thank Maj.Gen.(Retd) D.V. Kalra, VSM for helping us understand the culture and working style of the Indian Army..