Subprime Mortgage Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Subprime Mortgage Crisis - Essay Example However, what was more innovative in this whole episode is the fact that banks in order to hedge themselves against the high risk lending through secrutization. Securitization is a process of bundling or pooling the non-liquid assets into marketability securities. The idea is to recoup the liquidity lost through the sanctioning and disbursement of the loans to subprime borrowers.(Hunton & Williams LLP,2005). There are various ways through which the securitization can take place. Most of the times, financial institutions did so by creating Special Purpose Vehicles in order to enjoy off-balance sheet accounting not only to strenghten their balance sheets but keep the garbage out of it. The problem started when the subprime borrowers started to default on their repayments. These defaults created a chain reaction of events which first overtook the banks but subsequently created further economic problems for the economy. The above graphical representation suggests the two traditional models of the mortgages and how default in both the models can trigger further damage.1 Technically subprime mortgages become a problem when at the default of the payments by the borrowers; financial institutions face a mismatch in the cash flows. As defined earlier that most of the financial institutions attempted to regain the lost liquidity through securitization by creating mortgage backed securities to match the cash inflows from the mortgage payments with the cash outflows from the payments to be made against those mortgage backed securities. When the inflows stopped due to default by the subprime borrowers, financial institutions, in order to keep their ratings intact, started to pay out for their obligations out of other resources. This than started to create a credit crunch in the economy as those resources which were technically should have been used in more productive resources were being utilized in repaymen t of the mortgage backed securities. Thus the available credit to the organizations and firms decreased and hence their output and productivity level started to decrease which slowly and steadily put pressure on various other economic pressures and hence started one of the worst economic crisis of the century. It is believed that the subprime mortgage in United States stand at almost $1.3 trillion however it only comprises a small portion of the US GDP and many believe that at such small magnitude level, it may not impact the US economy as such. (Ramady, 2008). The future seems to be more bleak as one half to two thirds of the subprime loans are Adjustable rate mortgages means that the interest rates on those mortgages are going to increase when they fall due therefore there are estimations that more defaults are yet to come as at higher interest rates, the subprime borrowers may face further hardships to payback their due installments therefore it is feared that crisis are going to further aggravate rather than subside until and unless Federal Reserve Board (FED) does not

Case Study Australia's Airline Industry Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Australia's Airline Industry - Case Study Example This enabled virgin Blue to grow rapidly and became the second largest domestic airline carrier in Australia. Air New Zealand on the other than, is a flag carrier and one of the national airline companies located in Auckland, New Zealand; This airline operates a number of scheduled flights to 24 international and 26 domestic destinations in 15 countries across Europe, Oceanic, Asia and America. It is a member of the star global Alliance having joined in the year 1999. It was originally known as Tasman Empire Airways Limited; where the government of Australia was in ownership by the year 1965. Latter the name changed to Air New Zealand as it is called today. It operates along haul fleet consisting of Boeing 747,767,777 as well as Airbus A320 aircraft on international routes. Qantas airline is one of the Australian airlines based in Sydney Australia. This airline is the oldest continuously operating airline in the whole world. Currently the airline is considered to be a four star airli ne. 2) Summary of current political, social, legal, economical and environmental issues influencing the company Political/ Legal The legal/political segment is an arena were the interest groups and the organizations compete for resources, attention and voice of overseeing the law and regulations guiding the various interactions among nations, This represents how organization try very hard to influence the government and how the governments control them. For instance Blue Virgin is concerned about all the government regulations that affect the business as a whole. This helps the company to effectively achieve its goals considerably since political and legal environment are business friendly to the company (Lowe 2008, P. 126) Social Social-culture is concerned with the society cultural value and attitude. Since attitude and values forms the main cornerstone of the society, then they often drive economical, political/legal, technological and demographical changes and conditions. This m arket segment has a direct effect on the overall performance of the company as it relate passenger who use the companies services from different cultural back grounds with varying attitudes (Robinson 1997, P. 31).. Economical Economical environment refers to the direction and nature of the economy in which a company competes. A firm must forecast, scan, monitor and assess the health of its economy so as to have a higher advantage over competitors in the same economy. As for the case of Blue Virgin it is important to analyze the economy before coming up with any decision that would help it to achieve its goals in such a competitive environment. Technological This includes activities and institutions involved with translating and creating knowledge of new services and various brands in the market. The benefits of these efforts suggest the findings by early adopters of new technology to help in achieving a greater market share as well as high returns. For instance Blue Virgin do verify that the it is continuously scanning the external environment in order to identify the potential substitutes for technologies that are being used and also acquiring new technology which gives it a very high competitive advantage over its competitors (Lowe 2008, P. 126). Environmental The general environment of Virgin group t is composed of dimension in the broader society which influences the company as a whole (Park 2001 P. 134.

Human Resource Management at Mitchells and Butlers

Human Resource Management at Mitchells and Butlers For the completion of this assignment many of the resources have been used and analysed. Books for the libraries and information from the internet have been a major source of information. The data and the information have been collected from all the secondary sources. I have not used any primary source of information as personal interview or direct phone calls or have not taken any questionnaire approach. Internet has been a major source of information as most of the information has been acquired from the internet. Along with that, books related with the courses and the course book itself has been useful for the preparation of the assignment. Table of context Introduction of HRM, changing role of business Environmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.1 How HRM helps in productivityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.1-3 Psychological contractà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦3-4 HR planning and Strategyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦4-8 Conclusionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦09 Referencesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.10 Introduction Human resource management is about how to manage the people and their activities, which helps to mobilise the other resources like financial, social and technical etc. Human resource management is an idiosyncratic come within reach of to employment management which seeks to accomplish bloodthirsty improvement through the strategic exploitation of a highly unswerving and proficient work force using an incorporated array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques.(Storey, 1995) Basically there are three models in the HRM. These are as follows: According to hard model, HR policy should be linked or aligned with the organisational objectives or strategy .So to achieve productivity of the company HR need to integrate with organisational objective. However, according to soft model productivity is not possible until and unless organisation gain commitment from the employee. But sometimes HR also consider about the people which mobilize the other resource so they need to develop their employees mind, skills and ability which is about the resource model of HRM.(Armstrong M, 2009) The organization and staffing of the HR function clearly depends on the size of the business .Every company want to get more profit from their investment so they need to use good hr strategy like out sourcing and bringing new technology in the business which should be faster and the cheapest for the company work ,greater use of electronic HRM giving more responsibility to line managers, outsourcing transactional or routine activities and the evolution of employment regulations so that the HRM role is changing every day.(Camen-Muller M. et.al.2008) Role of HRM in organisational productivity The main aim of the company is optimized the maximum resources and get more profit so HRM policy need to be fit with company strategy .consequently HRM always want to use new method in the organization which should be help in company growth .The main function of the HRM are as follows: 1 Staffing (recruitment and selection) Training and development Performance objective (appraisal and rewards) Change management and administrative objectives. Introduction about the Company Mitchells and butlers is the uks leading operator of managed pubs and pub restaurants. They offer food, drinks, entertainment and accommodation to their customer nationwide. It listed on the London Stock Exchange in April 2003 and is a member of the FTSE250.Mitchells Butlers has a high quality manor, decided on the long-standing enlargement in the informal eating out market where MAB pubs are well placed to detain an unbalanced share. Every time they are trying to use new method and technology and they are also careful to the customers satisfaction, long term growth and the company brand. So they are using new HR function to their company. These are as follow Function of HRM Recruitment and selection: It is the process of having the right person in the right place at the right time. It is vital presentation to organizational performance. It is an essential activity, not just for the HR team but also for line managers who are more and more concerned in the selection process. There is some point which is the step of recruitment and selection these are; Identify the role Attracting applications Application and selection process Making the appointment It is the most important factor of HR function ,Their target is choose the right people to the right position if they choose right person they can help to company productivity because they will do the good job in a company and company growth will be increase. According to the Mitchell and Butlers they are using interview method in their selection process. Most of the company are using this method because they want to know about the employee behave their activities, style, cultural .and they can easily find out, they are fit in the company or not? 2 Training and development: Training and development strategy is intended to support the accomplishment of business goal promoting by human capital improvement. It is also about the skill and knowledge about the employee, what type of skill they want and what type of training they want? They need to consider about their interest because of if employee does not happy with their work it will affect in the company aims. So training and development process provide the skeleton for human being and self directed learning, As a result everyone in the company could be optimistic and given the occasion to learn to develop their skills and gen to the highest of other ability. Nowadays every company are using the new technology in their business about this training and development they started to give online training like video conference because of the cost every company want to minimize their cost and they want to increase the company growth. Appraisal and reward: It is about the employee motivation like promotion staff facilities, free insurance, promotion etc.HR manager also consider about this thing because if employees are happy they can do the good job and their progress will be increase. According to the Mitchell and Butlers they are providing them staff bonus every month and if somebody did the good job they will give them extra benefit like increase the pay and promotion. Psychological contract: The psychological contract is anxious with assumptions, exceptions, promises and joint responsibility. It creates stance and emotions which from and oversee deeds. It is also self-motivated it develops over time as understanding accumulates, member of staff circumstances change and employees re-evaluate their exceptions. (Guestetal 1996) About the employers point of view, it covers the employment relationship as an ability, endeavour, obedience, dedication and loyalty but about the employees point of view they want these thing: Protection of employment Attachment and pressure Trust the management of the company to keep their promises. 3 Opportunity to develop their skills According to the Mitchell and butlers they had good relationship between management teams and employees. So the success of the company depends on the people who work for the organization. They are proud of their staff and they would like to thank all their employees for their hard work and commitment. So that in this way all employees will be satisfy with their team work and they will be motivated. As a result company will achieve the goal. HR functions depend upon the HR strategyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ HR PLANNING AND HR STRATEGY Human resource planning at its essence is identifying the number of employees and skills required for the future and ensuring they are available to the organization when required. (Lecture handouts) Strategy human resource management is about scientifically linking people with the organization. The strategic means companys long term plan for how it will balance its internal strengths and weakness with its external opportunity and threats to maintain a reasonable benefit. Strategic human resource management is largely about integration and adaptation. Its concern is to insure that: HR management is fully integrated with the strategy and strategic needs of the firm. HR policies cohere both across policy areas and across hierarchies HR practices are familiar, acknowledged and used by line managers and employees as part of their every day work. (Schuler 1992) The major three generic strategic are: Innovative: High degree of inspired activities, long term focus, high risk and a judicious degree of concern for value. Quality: recurring and predicable behaviours, more long term or transitional focus, low risk, high distress for method and worth. Cost reduction: Short term focus, feature output, low risk, and individual motion primary concern for result. 4 HR strategy also find out from these two analyses, these are Internal analyses: Swot (strength and weakness) and gap analyses External analyses: Pest analyses SWOT ANALYSES: Strength: Strength is the power of the company but it depends on their resources like human resource, financial resource, quality product, good customers service and team work. Every company want to be strength in the market. So a business Strengths are its possessions and capabilities that can be used as a basic for embryonic an aggressive improvement. Such as: Patents Muscular brand names Good character against customers Approving access to allotment network Weakness: Sometimes a weakness may be the flip side of strength. Some weaknesses are as follow: Lack of patent security High cost constitution, Lack of the access the best natural funds Underprivileged reputation among clients A weak product name, Opportunity: The external environment analysis may reveal certain new changes for gain and growth, these are: Loosening of regulation, Coming of new technology, A discontented customers needs, Removal of international trade barriers, 5 Threats: Changes in the external environment also may present threats to the company such as: New Regulations, Changing customers behaviour or test, Materialization of alternative product, Increased trade barriers (www.quickmba.com) GAP ANALYSES It is about evaluate between the present and future situation what are they doing now and what did they want to change in a future.   A breach is occasionally called the autonomy flanked by where we are and where we want to be. A gap investigation helps overpass that legroom by stress which requirements are being met and which is not. The tool provides a foundation for measuring the investment of time, money and human resources thats required to accomplish a particular upshot. (Lecture handouts) Desire future stages .Purpose .Vision Current position Resources Competences/skills Organisation activities Gap analysis PEST ANALYSIS Political: It is about the political situation about the company and how it affects in the organisation activities, when government change, they can bring the new rules, laws and regulation in the country and atomically it changed everything such as tax and council tax, so HR manager need to be consider about this point: current legislation house promote 6 global legislation government policies government term and change trading policies funding, grants and initiatives home market lobbying/anxiety groups worldwide strain groups Economic: Marketers require allowing for the situation of a trading financial system in the petite and extensive -terms. This is principally accurate when scheduling for worldwide advertising. Which are as follow? Interest rates. The level of price raises Service level per capita. taxation explicit to product/services unambiguous industry factors market routes and division trends Social: The community and enlightening influences on trade fluctuate from nation to nation. It is very imperative that such factors are painstaking. Factors embrace: way of life trends demographics media views law changes affecting social factors brand, company, technology image consumer buying patterns fashion and role models buying access and trends 7 ethnic/devout factors Technology: Technology is fundamental for bloodthirsty improvement and is a chief driver of globalization. Regard as the subsequent points: competing technology progress investigate support replacement technology/solutions industrialized maturity and capacity consumer buying mechanism/technology familiarity legislation innovation potential expertise access, licensing, patents rational property issues(www.businessballs.com/www.marketingteacher.com) 8 Conclusion Mitchells Butlers has a high eminence, well-located manor, focused on long-term expansion in the casual, value-for-money, eating and drinking-out markets. Their sales approach is based on four principal levers, providing their customers with: high-quality amenity; again and again great value; a wide choice of food and drink; and admirable service. Their verified knowledge at every level, pooled with a pub estate of incomparable quality in prime locations, continues to convey on their scheme of pouring commercial quantity development and creating shareholder value. As a summary the HR manager considers about these points, motivation (how to motivate the employee), performance management (increase personal development), recruitment and selection (how to choose the right people to the right place), training and development (increase their capability with training). After that organisation successfully achieve the company goals. 9

Creating A Writing Technology :: Writing Technology Technological Papers

Creating A Writing Technology In reading Tribble and Trubeks’ â€Å"Writing Materials† I learned that writing is a product of historical circumstances and cultural values as well as of individual invention.(2). The reading selections enabled me to realize just how much I and many others take modern technology for granted. In the book writing itself is defined as technology, which threw me off very early in this assignment. I’d previously only thought of technology as something that uses electricity or some type of battery. I do understand that writing has been in many ways perfected by technologies such as the typewriter and computer but writing itself as a technology still seems to be a bit beyond me. My lack of understanding did make this project a little difficult yet interesting but what was more difficult was the project itself. Trying to compose an idea for an invention was a very trying task, but after lots of thought and checklists, I was able to produce an idea that I thought feasible. I found it very easy to think of many different ideas at once and then go through them one by one checking off the things that were wrong or unnatural about them. One of the first ideas I explored was writing in mud. It was natural, I didn’t need many materials and it seemed easy enough. But I came to the conclusion that the text would be difficult to see, as well as understand and the mud would probably crumble into pieces. Another idea I explored was writing in the sand. There were many things wrong with this idea. First, whatever I kept the sand in would be unnatural. Also if the sand was moved, so was the text and lastly where in heck was I going to find sand in my apartment complex. Finally I found an idea that I thought just might work. I would write a message on the bark of a tree with leaves using that sap from the tree to make the leaves stick to the bark. It seemed easy enough, everything was natural but the only thing was that it probably wouldn’t last very long. This I figured would only be a minor obstacle because as with the invention of all new technologies there would be a few glitches.

Compare and Contrast Christians vs Muslims

As with most religions studied all around the world both Islamic and Christian faith are viewed as powerful and life changing lifestyle in a religious aspect. Although, they are both unique in their own way both religions have helped to shape the people in which they are practiced by. In the essay below you will encounter the differences and similarities which make these religions what they are to the people who practice them. Although, no one religion is greater than the other they are only as great as the people who vow to live them daily.Christian and Muslim faith have both help to develop the country, America as two of the most widely practiced religions, and although they are different they both have made positive impact in the development of the country. With a place like America, considering the freedom of the people, the views and morals and values of the people, who inhabit this beautiful country it is not hard to figure out why they call it the â€Å"melting pot. † D epending on who is describing its beauty, to most it would be known as the American dream, mostly to those who do no live here and want to come here.When people speak of America they speak of freedom, freedom to live as they want, freedom to say what they want, freedom to do as they want and the freedom to dream as they want. All of these things and more make up what America is known for. However, although, living freely is something that is precious to those who come here, one of the most important aspects to living freely as they would like is the fact that they are welcomed here no matter what religion. With religion being such a big part in most people's lives it is not uncommon to see people engaging in it everyday.Although there are many different religions, in America two of the most common religion happens to be Christianity and the Islamic religion, Muslim. Although, these two religions differ, they also have their similarities, both religions believe that there is only one true God that sends down a messenger to observe the people, they both believe in a better reward in the after life if they live their lives well and according to the commands of their God. Both religions rely on a books in which they use to guide them through life.They both praise and worship their Gods, although in different ways and they both practice certain commands of their God to show their appreciation for life given to them by the Gods they serve. However, to accurately pick apart these two religions, and translate their full value, would probably be impossible, because neither religion nor how it’s practiced is fully understood by the people who practice it. However, both do have their own views as to how things came about, how things should be done, and the consequences of not doing as their God would have them to do.To know the difference between the two, to understand that aspect, it is first important to understand what each religion is, and how they came about. Practicing Christianity means to practice a religion based on the belief in Jesus Christ. They believe that Jesus, by dying and rising from the dead, made up for the sin of Adam and thus redeemed the world, allowing all who believe in him to enter heaven. Christians rely on the Bible as the inspired word of God.The Bible is their book of direction, written by the disciples and followers of God and translated to them from Him so that the people will follow these directions for their daily lives. To them the word was breathed by God. It is even fair to say that one of the biggest differences between the two is that Christianity is more about the relationship with God rather than the religious practice. The Christian population believe that in order to truly worship God, one must get close to him and develop a relationship with him, with that, the closer you are to him, the more you will become like him.It is believed that God allows each and every Christian to develop and grow their own relationship with God so as to get to a place of love shared between the two. In a sense, if the love you have for God grows outside of a religious sense it is still acceptable by God, and the more the love grows the more you are accepted by him. Although, religious practices go hand in hand with worshiping him so the more love you have for God the more you will do at his command because you know it will show the love you have for him.Other big differences are the belief that God exist as one in three persons which includes The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. In the Muslim religion there is one God, or better known as Allah. Period. Its beliefs are different from the teaching of the Christian faith. To Muslims, there is but one God, and Jesus, is merely a prophet, just as Muhammad was, for the people, born a virgin, but created just as Adam and all mankind was. However, Muhammad is who was chosen by God. The people of Muslim faith do not believe in Jesus dying on the cross, because they do not believe thatGod would allow such a torturous death to one of his followers, with that though Christians believe the death was needed in order to show salvations for all the sins of the people. For the Muslim, the Qu'ran is their book of direction; however it was not created until after the bible. As the Christians believe that the Bible is the only holy word direct from God, Muslims believe the Qu'ran has just the same importance. Christians believe their bible to be the only word, and that nothing can be added or taken away from it which is exactly what the Islamic people did by erecting the Qu'ran.Because of these essential differences and contradictions, Islam and Christianity cannot both be true. The Bible and Qur’an cannot both be God’s Word. The truth has eternal consequences. As stated above both believe in an eternal reward for good deeds, but the way in which you receive them differ as well. In the Christian religion, Jesus died for all si ns and as long as his existence is believed and people repent of their sins they can be forgiven, only by God's grace and granted access to a heavenly existence after earthly existence is finished.As far the Islamic religion is concerned paradise is only earned by keeping the five pillars, which include: The testimony of faith. This means, â€Å"There is no deity but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. † A person can convert to Islam by stating this creed. The shahada shows that a Muslim believes in Allah alone as deity and believes that Muhammad reveals Allah. Prayer, Five ritual prayers must be performed every day. Giving, this almsgiving is a certain percentage given once a year. Fasting. Muslims fast during Ramadan in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.They must not eat or drink from dawn until sunset. Pilgrimage. If physically and financially possible, a Muslim must make the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once. This is performed in the twelfth m onth of the Islamic calendar. These five pillars, are what Muslim followers believe if lived by will assist them in obtaining eternal life with the God in which they serve. When comparing these two religions, the contrast is also apparent in their way of life as well. Education and marriage are also two things common in both religions and cultures but very different.One thing is certain when analyzing the union of marriage or the importance and significance of education in the Muslim faith, religion goes hand in hand with each of these subjects because faith and religious growth is what determines the lifestyle of Muslims in every aspect. The Qur'an lays out clear guidelines for marriage. One of the main traits you should look for in a potential spouse is a similarity in religious outlook. For the sake of compatibility, and the upbringing of future children, it is most recommended for a Muslim to marry another Muslim.However, in some circumstances it is permissible for a Muslim to m arry a non-Muslim. The engagement is the biggest part of the wedding. Once the father has found a groom for his daughter, the wedding plans start rolling. The father than receives a bag of money as a thank you from the man who is about to marry his daughter. These are the oldest form of arraigned marriages and dowry is still a very important part of the proceedings. This is a token of his gratitude and loyalty to his daughter. Muslim beliefs are very strict when it comes to their marriages and the relationships within them.The man in the relationship is just that. He runs the household and everything that needs to be taken care of. In a Muslim relationship, the woman is meant to reproduce and take care of the home while her husband is at work. As the wife you are required to give your husband the utmost respect in absolutely every way. You are also required to accept and deal with any punishment that he feels you require. These are the beliefs of a Muslim marriage. However, these pu nishments and disciplines are not handed out the way that the media would have you believe.While a modern woman in America would have no part of this type of marriage, Muslim women have been taught no other teachings, and the faith is to be respected. While both religions look to their religion to lead their marriage, the Islamic faith is more likely to follow theirs to the letter. Christians also believe in the sanction of marriage and believe the same principles such as not cheating and staying true to the spouse. But, Christians are less likely to follow every step in the process. The penalties in one religion are nothing compared to the penalties in another.If you are a Muslim woman you cannot divorce your husband, he can only divorce you, adultery is punishable with death by stoning and there are almost no second chances, because the faith of the Islamic people are so strong this is excepted. However, Christianity is quite different; a woman may divorce her husband. Both men an d women are equal in marriage and one does not rule the other. However the woman should submit to the man in order to help their marriage to be successful. To be educated is also something that has noted differences between the two religions Education is the birth right of every Muslim and Muslimah.Islam puts considerable emphasis on its followers to acquire knowledge. Investment in education is the best investment one can make, because it eventually leads to intellectual property. Intellectual property is the intangible property, which no one can steal or destroy. This is the property on which no Government can levy a tax. In the Western World the purpose of education is to provide for the economic prosperity of a nation. At a personal level the purpose of education is to acquire academic and professional skills that enable one to earn a respectable living with riches and fame, and also a luxurious and comfortable life.For a Muslim providing economic prosperity of a nation does not contradict his /her Islamic belief, however focusing the goals of education solely for the purpose of money making is unpalatable. Muslims want to impart Islamic education. Women are educated differently than men as well.

To what extent are humans in a technological environment free from natural selection?

Humans in technology environment are not very free from natural selection. According to Charles Darwin, natural selection acts only for the good of each organism, so since our very first human ancestors had no natural defenses, they would die from what is considered today an insignificant disease. It was throughout millions of years, that the human body started to build an immunization to certain diseases and only the stronger humans were the ones to survive and carry on that trait.Likewise, having no fur on their bodies to survive in the cold weather, they learned how to use other animals’ skins and how to build some weapons, in order to chase wild animals. Nowadays, humans have made incredible discoveries; we have created a wonderful world of technology, which leads us to make some enormous progress in the field of medicine; especially in how to treat diseases which were, at some time, considered incurable. My point is, that since we have made such progress in technology, I am scared that we are keeping too many people alive, including some that might not fit the environment in which they live.In addition, we are allowing some infertile people to reproduce through in-vitro fertilization, when apparently they were not capable naturally. We are also letting babies survive by saving their lives at their birth even though they might not be perfectly healthy or other traits which could bedetrimental for the human species. But through science and the new technology, we have let these babies live and we have given them the opportunity to grow up and reproduce, transmitting their traits to other generations.Due to these facts, it is very probable that we are acting against natural selection in human beings, ever since humans became people who think and care for one another and we have made it immoral to kill another individual or to let him die. However, we could think about another definition of natural selection, such as a life on Earth dies if it is not ada pted to its environment and it lives if it has a niche and can reproduce in its surroundings, which is also called survival of the fittest.If we take the example of a fetus in his mother’s womb, the body of the mother can detect some errors coming from the fetus, and it would eliminate the fetus through a miscarriage. So, in this case, natural selection does still act upon human; acting within the womb of a woman, and therefore, not let a human being, which would not fit its environment, survive. For instance, we have not seen any people carrying the traits of Down’s syndrome on the chromosome 14.It is likely that this defect happened before but only inside a woman’s body which eliminated the mistake through a miscarriage, not letting the future human sees the light. So, in this case, the fact that humans are living longer, letting them reproduce thanks to many discoveries such as in vitro fertilization, surgeries, transplants, medication, etc. , is because we a re taking into consideration that the technology is part of our environment.