Spirit Airlines Strategic Choice and Evaluation

Strategic Choice and EvaluationThe next phase associated with strategy formulation is the strategic analysis and choice phase of the process. According to Pearce & Robinson (2013), â€Å"Business managers examine and choose a business strategy that allows their business to maintain or create a sustainable competitive advantage† (p. 238). Therefore, a business such as Spirit Airlines should evaluate their current strategy and determine areas of improvement in order to grow the business in a way that aligns with their company mission.The airline industry hosts a number of significant external factors that influence business strategies and alternatives. The purpose of this paper is to evaluation and present alternative strategies for Spirit Airline’s future growth as a company. Furthermore, the following paper will seek to identify the best value discipline for Spirit Airlines and in turn suggest a generic strategy and grand strategic for the organization.Evaluation of Alt ernativesSpirit Airlines is universally known for its ultra-low-cost, low-fare airline services that provide affordable travel opportunities throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America (Spirit Airlines, 2012). Maintaining a strategically low-cost structure directly aligns with Spirit Airline’s target market, which allows the company to offer low priced basic services combined with a range of optional services for additional fees (Spirit Airline, 2012).The airline has earned a reputation for delivering cost effective fares and reliable on-time service with a no frills. In order to realize maximum growth, enhancements to the existing low cost strategy must be implemented to create a greater advantage in the market. Spirit Airlines has identified opportunities for growth with the release of the latest 10k Annual report. By the airlines own admission, the company is suffering with a failing reputation and insufficient customer service  interactions (Spirit Ann ual Report, 2012).In addition, Spirit Airlines recognizes that its current conditions, if not corrected, will have a significant impact their competitive stance in the industry. The airline industry is highly competitive with respect to routes, fees and services and although Spirit is well known for lower fares, the fares alone will not protect the company from the risk of future failure. The implementation of long term strategic goals will not only correct inefficiencies with the existing strategy, it will also focus on necessary improvements to help Spirit achieve its growth potential.Pearce & Robinson (2013) identifies the implementation of long term objectives as tools used to correct significant issues for the long run. Therefore, the solution will not only impact the present, but the future as well. According to Pearce & Robinson (2013), â€Å"Strategic managers recognize that short-run profit maximization is rarely the best approach to achieving sustained corporate growth an d profitability† (pg. 191). An evaluation of Spirit Airline’s current issues with customer service and competition warrants the use of value disciplines and new strategies.Value DisciplineBest value disciplines are similar to generic strategies; however value disciplines place significant emphasis on superior customer value, using a selected discipline. The value discipline is comprised of three values: operational excellence, customer intimacy or product leadership (Pearce & Robinson, 2013). Previously it was established that Spirit Airlines would need to improve customer service interaction to experience growth in the future and gain sustainability among competitors in the market. Of the three value discipline identified, customer intimacy is the strategy that would provide the most benefit for the organization. Spirit Airlines currently uses the operational excellence strategy, as the company focuses on providing its best value products at all times.Spirit Airlineâ⠂¬â„¢s product base consists of low fares, easy online booking, on-time service, deluxe leather seating and an expanding route selection. Spirit is able to offer these amenities at a low cost due to their reduced unit operating cost and other cost cutting strategies. For example, Spirit Airlines reduces overhead expenses in the area of marketing as it utilizes its website and direct-to-consumer marketing to drive ticket sales (Spirit Airlines, 2013).The main focus of the airlines strategy is to deliver on its product base at competitively low prices by reducing overhead. While Spirit Airlines has perfected their operational excellence discipline, there is room for improvement in the customer intimacy strategy. According to Pearce & Robinson (2013), â€Å"Customer Intimacy strategy continually tailors and shapes products and services to fit the increasingly redefined definition of customer service† (p. 205). This strategy is precisely what Spirit Airlines is lacking in their c urrent business model strategy. Spirit Airlines contends that customer loyalty and intimacy are a huge risk for the organizations future success and their reputation (Spirit Airlines Annual Report, 2012).Customer intimacy strategy as it pertains to Spirit Airline will seek to better the company’s reputation by aligning customer service activities with the business model, thereby responding quickly and professionally to customer needs. Additionally, the implementation of this strategy will drive the airline to place emphasis on the profitability of a loyal customer relationship as opposed to the revenue of a ticket sale.Generic StrategyGeneric strategies enable the implementation of long term objectives and provide a foundation for how the organization will best influence the market. Pearce & Robinson (2013) defines generic strategies as, â€Å"A core idea about how a firm can best compete in the marketplace†. (pg. 195). Generic strategy includes striving for low cost l eadership within the industry, the promotion of differentiation methods to bring a unique image to the market and lastly, it impresses upon the importance of focus strategy in order to accommodate the needs of the market segment (Pearce & Robinson, 2013). Currently, Spirit Airlines utilizes the generic strategy of low-cost leadership to achieve and sustain their low cost position.According to the Spirit Airlines Annual Report (2012), â€Å"Our operating costs per available seat mile is 10.09 cents, which is significantly lower than that of major network carriers, American Airlines, Delta, United, and US Airways†, (p. 7). Spirit has successful achieved this with a low-cost leadership strategy that ensures high aircraft utilization, operation of a modern single fleet type of Airbus, which is associated with lower maintenance costs and efficient flight scheduling (Spirit, 2012). The company is consistently seeking  innovative cost savings ideas to improve processes and custome r satisfaction.Continuous improvement of Grand StrategyA grand strategy is a long tern plan that provides an organization with basic direction for implementing its long term goals. Additionally, grand strategies are imperative as they provide a basic timeframe for achieving long term business objectives. The grand strategy is comprised of 15 strategic principles: concentrated growth, market development, product development, innovation, horizontal acquisition, vertical acquisition, concentric diversification, conglomerate diversification, turnaround, divestiture, liquidation, bankruptcy, joint venture, strategic alliances, and consortia (Pearce & Robinson, 2013).Spirit Airlines uses the innovation strategy to allow customers the freedom to choose buy-up options that appeal to them. Thereby unbundling packages and making it more affordable to travelers. â€Å"This innovative approach is utilized to grow the travel market and stimulate new economic activity while creating new jobsâ₠¬ , (Spirit Airlines, 2013 p. 1). According to the Spirit Airlines Annual Report, the organization lacks marketing alliances that may harm them in the future (Spirit Airlines Annual Report, 2012). Many airlines including American, Delta, United and US Airways have marketing alliances with other airlines under which they market and advertise their status as a marketing alliance (Spirit Airlines Annual Report, 2012).The Annual Report state, â€Å"These alliances, such as One World, Sky Team and Star Alliance, generally provide for code-sharing, frequent flier reciprocity, coordinated scheduling of flights to permit convenient connections and other joint marketing activities. Such arrangements permit an airline to market flights operated by other alliance members as its own. This increases destinations, connections and frequencies offered by the airline. Our lack of marketing alliances puts us at a competitive disadvantage† (Spirit Airlines Annual Report, 2012 p 18). Since one of Spirits long term objective is to gain a better competitive position in the market, the addition of a strategic alliance grand strategy would be best suited for the organization.Strategic alliances as described by Pearce & Robinson (2013) are, â€Å"Partnerships that exist for a defined period during which partners contribute their skills and expertise to a cooperative project (p. 231). In the case of Spirit Airlines, the use of alliances between other organizations related to the airline industry would work to together to gain a mutual benefit. For example, Sky Team provides comprehensive access to an extensive global network with over 1,000 destinations for traveler to explore.SkyTeam partners with 19 airlines to provide travelers with a more flexible, convenient and beneficial travelling experience (SkyTeam.com, 2013). As part of Spirit Airline’s long term objective a strategic alliance would expose the organization to a greater customer base, more routes and destinati ons. On the other hand, an organization like SkyTeam also benefits as travelers utilize their services to book travel reservations.RecommendationSpirit Airlines is currently has the lowest per seat operating cost of any other domestic airline company; however they are still confronted with strong competition in the industry (Spirit Airlines Annual Report, 2012). Therefore, additional strategy enhancements are needed to grow the company. After careful consideration of all strategies and value disciplines, it is recommended that Spirit Airlines utilizes the customer intimacy strategy to build brand and customer loyalty. As previously mentioned, an overhaul of customer service would be necessary to aid in relationship building technique between Spirit and its customer base.Another strategy recommendation previously mentioned is the implementation of a grand strategy used to determine the course of action for many of Spirits long term goals. Specifically, a strategic alliance strategy i s the most critical strategy, as it will allow the company to expand the product selection with the help of a strong mutual alliance in the industry. This strategy is a more cost effective approach than spending millions of dollars on marketing campaigns.Thereby keeping operation cost low and pass-through the benefit onto the travelers. Spirit Airlines has been successful over the years with their current strategy, but competitive position will always be a risk. Therefore, the implementation of this strategy will add competitive leverage.

Original Sin: A Cultural History Essay

â€Å"Original Sin: A Cultural History† has been written by Alan Jacobs. What makes this book distinctive is that it is a â€Å"cultural history† of original sin, not a work of theology or spirituality though, it does engage with some theological work, predominantly with Augustine. It is an exemplary history not because it represents excellence that other historians would do well to emulate, but because it makes its case through examples. It highlights narratives about people, people who engage in a serious and considerate way with the idea of original sin, whether by accepting it, refusing it, or brawling with the possibility of it. It is an appealing book though it doesn’t answer all the questions about the doctrine but it is more or less not fair to criticize it for that as it was not Jacob’s intention to write a work of theological history. What makes it so useful is its assessment of how the doctrine has inclined literature, philosophy, politics or in short, how it has influenced Western culture. An indispensable question through the time has been whether human nature is basically good or basically evil. If it is good, general human development may be assumed; if it is intrinsically faulty, then the American Founders were right in proclaiming that nature has to be constrained by justice. Though some people have suggested that original sin is the only empirically provable Christian doctrine, however, views vary on what original sin is. In this deep, original, and witty book, Professor Alan Jacobs displays wide learning worn lightly as he scrutinizes the views of writers like Benjamin Franklin and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Jonathan Edwards and C. S. Lewis, and Sigmund Freud and J.  R. R. Tolkien. The concept of original sin predates Christianity, Jacobs points out, citing not only Genesis 3, in which Adam and Eve eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and are expelled from Paradise, but also Psalm 51, which declares that humans are conceived in sin and born in iniquity. â€Å"The universality of sin,† Jacobs concludes, â€Å"is certainly a Jewish belief. † He explains that the traditions of both Eastern and Western Christianity, though changeable in their details, have that God created human nature intrinsically good. The writer is of the view that goodness must require freedom if it is not to be robotic, and that Adam and Eve freely chose their own will over that of God, thus consigning original  ¬sin. All humans take part in original sin, whether it is passed on from generation to generation through time, or whether the whole human race decides in one everlasting moment to disobey  ¬God. In the book, Jacobs efficiently defends Augustine against the many attacks against him, demonstrating that doctrines of original sin similar to Augustine’s headed him by at least two centuries in both the East and the West. Jacobs quickly neglects the belief that original sin was  ¬sexual.  ¬Adam and Eve practiced free sex in Eden before their expulsion. Original sin is the initial declaration of human pride against God. Augustine did maintain that original sin, once it existed, was inherited through generations, in the same way that today we understand genetic flaws are passed on. Contrary to another common misconception about Augustine, he was obdurate that the source of sin does not lie in the body but rather in the corruption of the will. Writer’s most unique and thought provoking argument is that original sin has strong self-governing impli ¬ca ¬tions. Refutation of original sin leads to elitism. For instance, the Duchess simply refuses to believe that she shares a common nature with the  ¬self–righteous people who trust that they can make themselves good by stacking up a higher pile of good deeds than of bad ones. Another point that the writers emphasizes is that no one receives the full brunt of his rage as much as Rousseau and the myth of the noble savage. Writing of the â€Å"Wordsworthian fluff† about the innocence and wholesomeness of children,† he argues, â€Å"certainly I have always wondered whether those who talk about ‘childlike innocence’ have had children of their own or even spent much time around them. † When he narrates the sad outcome of the child of an intellectual who was sent to Rousseau to be raised according to the philosopher’s indulging theories in Emile, he notes that the boy never afterwards took well to education of any kind. He became a sailor and ultimately immigrated to America, dying in North Carolina at the age of thirty-two. † At least Jacobs is honest in not repressing his Schadenfreude over the underdeveloped moral growth of the young man. This of course raises a perfectly valid question that how profitable is this book for a nonbeliever? Jacobs, as prominent, never hides his positions, and he certainly lays out a historically informed defense of what many have considered a most destructive doctrine that grew out of the particular self-loathing anti-humanism of Paul and Augustine. If I see myself on such position on the doctrine of original sin, I personally agree with the concept of the original sin as discussed by the writer in this book. It illuminates that original sin has strong independent impli ¬ca ¬tions. It also illustrates that the basis of sin does not lie in the body but relatively in the dishonesty of the will. On the other hand it obscures or doesn’t explain the answer to the vital question that whether the human nature is good or evil. If it is good, general human progress can be understood; if it is intrinsically faulty, then it can be concluded that nature has to be constrained by justice.

Barn Burning And Aandp Rite Of Passage

Journeies By Young Men Essay, Research Paper Rite of Passage: Journeies by Young Men The glorification of the state rests in the character of her work forces. And character comes from boyhood. Therefore every male child is a challenge to his seniors. Herbert Hoover Obtaining rite of transition can take topographic point anyplace from childhood upward into the mid-twentiess or even mid-thirtiess, but is most normally under-taken in the late adolescent old ages. In the short narratives A A ; P by John Updike, and Barn Burning by William Faulkner, the elements of inflexible societal systems, grownup regulations and authorization illustrates how a twosome of immature work forces make their grade on society by traveling against the grain in order to gain their rite of transition. Updike s narrative takes topographic point in a food market shop located in the centre of a really conservative New England community. Much like the little town, the A A ; P food market shop observes inflexible societal systems such as proper shopping etiquette and appropriate frock codification. The normal clients, houseslaves and sheep as referred to by Sammy, baulk at the audaciousness of the immature misss entire neglect for proper frock codification and normal traffic flow of the aisles. Sammy, on the other manus, is enamored by the immature misss and sees nil incorrect with their apparels, even though he understands their pick of vesture is non appropriate harmonizing to shop policy. Furthermore, Sammy is amused and entertained by the misss jokes of resiling around the shop like pinballs. Ultimately, Sammy s broad point of view on the state of affairs leads to his determination to support both his and the misss beliefs by symbolically flinging his compulsory garb of waistcoat and bow tie. Sammy realizes that he feels so strongly about the state of affairs that he sacrifices his occupation in order to turn out his point and back up his beliefs. In making so he inquiries adult regulations and authorization by standing up to Lengal and saying, I quit, and You didn Ts have to abash them. Lengal, as an older solid citizen and figure of authorization, lectures Sammy on his error after he retorts, It was they who were abashing us. Lengal so finds it prudent to affect other authorization figures in Sammy s life by saying, Sammy, you don t privation to make this to your Mom and Dad with an extra kicker of You ll experience this for the remainder of your life. Sammy knows that both statements from Lengal are true ; nevertheless he feels it necessary to transport out what he has started. At this point Sammy merely turns off from Lengal and saunters outdoors. Faulkner s narrative takes topographic point in early twentieth century deep South. The Snopes are forced to travel invariably due to Abner s refusal to collaborate with society. In consequence, Abner has isolated his household and enforces their obedient following by ordaining rigorous subject and expects them to transport out his every want and demand. At the first mark of incompliance Abner is speedy to impart a stiff manus of rectification to the faulting household member. Unfortunately, the lone household member that falls into this class is the 10 twelvemonth old Sarty. Sarty urgently wants to delight his male parent ; nevertheless he finds himself in a predicament between bash ing what he believes is morally right and his sensed duty to be loyal to his male parent. In the test against his male parent for the burned barn, Sarty is faced with taking trueness to his male parent or stating the truth as he believes. Sarty s ideas during the test are reflected our enemy he thought in that desperation ; ourn! Mine and hisn both! He s my male parent! [ sic ] Abner has evidently prepared his boy before the test. Sarty is fighting to convert himself that his male parent s side is right. However, at this point, he decides to side with his male parent even though he sees the wrong in making so. He aims for me to lie. [ a ] neodymium I will hold to make hit. [ sic ] Sarty can t travel against his male parent and face the evident wrath that will follow. After the test and half manner through another move, Abner has a talk with his boy and provinces You were repairing to state them. You would hold told him. Your acquiring to be a adult male. You got to larn. You got to l arn to lodge to your ain blood or you ain t traveling to hold any blood to lodge to you. As the narrative progresses, Abner is about to ship on yet another barn-burning incident. He is fixing to go forth his house and orders his married woman to keep onto Sarty. Abner is fearful that Sarty will follow him and alarm the proprietors. Sarty, desperate to halt his male parent, conveys his feelings Ain T you traveling to even direct a nigga? He cried. At least you sent a nigga before! Abner contemplates binding him up but settees for his married woman keeping on to him. Finally, Sarty interruptions free from his female parents grasp and hastes to alarm the new victims. Sarty has eventually decided to stand up for what he believes to be right and merely. After he notifies DeSpain he bolts from the house and continues running off from the scene. He hears a shooting followed by two more ; he stops running long plenty to shout Pap! Pap! He resumes running, inadvertently, and decides to run as far off as he can while he sobs Father! Father! In both narratives the immature work forces recognize the exact point where they have eventually made a scruples determination to stay by their ain beliefs and ethical motives, therefore obtaining their single topographic point in society for better or worse. With Sammy go forthing the A A ; P and looking back in, he sees Lengal in his old topographic point look intoing through the sheep. His tummy falls as he imagines how difficult the universe will be to him hereinafter. Likewise, Sarty eventually tires from running and sits to reflect on what had merely taken topographic point and realizes the magnitude of his actions and knows he can neer return. Sarty thinks about the difficult life in the hereafter in front but can t aid feeling relieved for interrupting the ironss of bondage that were emplaced on him by his male parent. The delicate dance from childhood to manhood is undertaken and seen in all civilizations and walks of life. Some passages are of greater magnitude than others. But, all transmutations stem from a scruples determination to do a base on what is believed to be of import and right. In both illustrations the immature work forces have rebelled against the inflexible societal systems that surrounded them thereby gaining their rite of transition into manhood. The lone autocrat I accept in this universe is the still voice within. Mahatma Gandhi

The Innovation and Learning Perspective of the Balanced Scorecard Research Paper

The Innovation and Learning Perspective of the Balanced Scorecard - Research Paper Example There are two main causes of variances in a business’s budget. One of the main causes is spending more than the budget allows. This could be due to the fact that the management budgeted for less than required; there was mismanagement of funds or general poor planning. Secondly, there may be an unexpected emergency in a business that may cause a major rift in the use of funds from the budget (Berry et. al. 2006). Mechanical damages to a major processing asset, for instance, could lead to an urgent purchase of another one in order to maintain the expected level of production. As an example, the Manchester Meerkat Company (MMC) suffered a blow when floods drained the fibre filling. This caused emergency spending that may have resulted in variance in the budget. This would cause destabilization in the budget hence a variance. These variances can either cause adverse effects to an organization if ignored or lead to success in business if noted and improved. This is because there ex ist two categories of variances namely favourable and unfavourable variances. The favourable variances occur where the results of business operations are better as compared to the expected results. On the other hand, the unfavourable variances occur whenever the end results of business operations are worse than expected results. Therefore, managers always carry out variance analysis in order to the look-after-the fact at what caused the difference. Furthermore, according to Blocher & Cokins (2005), this analysis helps the management to pinpoint the effects the variances have to the business and how to correct or improve on them.

Self-Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self-Branding - Essay Example Evidence for the need of self branding in today's highly competitive labor market will be presented. Tom Peters, a well known management writer went on to say in an article in Fast Company 1997, "Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called you." Self-branding, most simply stated is a source through which one can have a more successful career by promoting his or her accomplishments by the effective use of self-marketing. It's a technique of making oneself visible and letting one's accomplishments be known. Self branding is proving to be a new competitive edge that companies as well as individuals are focusing on. A business that is self branded is appealing to customers as it creates an emotional connection with the target market and makes the buyers feel more comfortable and interested in the company. Similarly, a person that is self branded gives the impression of a more professional, competent and attractive employee as compared to the competitors in the labor market. It is now well known and widespread that the world is a 'global village'. This means that globalization has shaken the world creating a unified society or community that needs to interact in order to survive. The shrinking of the communication boundaries has been impacting every facet of a business especially by creating more competition in the worldwide industry. The competitive environment due to the expansion of the markets has a direct impact over the labor market and makes it more important for each and every person to market themselves through the process of self branding and create a place in the global supply chain. (Stimpson, 2002) Another emerging phenomenon is the advent of Internet and other Technologies, anyone entering the labor market faces substantial competition and has to create an impact to stand out and be noticed. Employers can look all over the world for workers with the skills to meet their firm's needs. But are we as individuals ready for these challenges The answer is lies within the beholder. Self-branding, whether we consciously acknowledge it or not, is the ultimate personal resource we can tap into, not only to compete but to stand out in a global community. It is often claimed by people that they would not want to follow the approach of self branding for the reason that they may want to stick to their routines and see where their careers take them. Or at other times some believe that they are not good at marketing themselves. However, this is a misconception and misinterpretation of the concept of self branding because the fact is that if you do not brand yourself, others definitely will! This will prove to be a major drawback, the reason being that self branding is something that will show what one has to offer and letting go of this opportunity can prove to be the act of letting others make the best use of it and hence, benefiting from better career opportunities and openings. (Kaputa,

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 200

Summary - Essay Example Grouping together of the nodes forms an ad hoc network that exposes the system to errors. The allowance of each node to interfere with each others transmission causes hidden and revealed problems within a wireless network station. The solution for this problem is available using the IEE standard and Point Coordination. The wireless networks have more chances of undetected frame collisions at the MAC sub layer. Detecting the collision and retransmitting the lost frame is imperative practice in preventing the loss of data integrity. However, the wired (Ethernet) local data networks rarely experience data integrity issues. Therefore, collision control is unnecessary for the Ethernet and wired LANs. The wireless network faces transmission issues when signal problems occur due to signal-bounce. Consequently, this necessitates the need for the MAC layer to solve these challenges. The MAC sub-layer for wired segments does not need collision avoidance protocol despite not having much transmission capabilities as those in wireless LANs. The wireless LANs is prevalent than the wired ones as they have various benefits found at the MAC sub layer of the network

Criminology- prisons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Criminology- prisons - Essay Example It is a place to prepare the prisoners to meet the challenges of the outside world upon their release. The person responsible for training the prisoners and mentoring and transforming them into good citizens is known as the prison officer (The role and function of prison 2000). The job of a prison officer is quite complicated and involves risks as well as rewards. The present day conditions of the prisons in the UK have made this complex job even more challenging. Many controversies associated with the prisons in UK, deaths in the custody and suicide attempts have made matters worse. The frequent incidents of bullying and assaulting of prisoners by prison officers have added insult to injury (Dawkins 2008). Condemning such practices and other flaws in the prison system, Dawkins a former prison officer highlighted the job of prison officers. In Dawkins (2008) opinion the most important job a police officer performs is to make the prisoners under their care, realize their wrong doings and help them amend their ways. Prison officers are unfortunately portrayed negatively in media and in literature. They are shown as violent individuals who are corrupt as well. They are portrayed as uniformed men whose daily rituals are beating and torturing the prisoners. It is portrayed that prison officers can commit these felonies and escape without facing any consequences. However, this is not always correct as they are the upholders of law and never at any point are above the law (Champion & Champion Jr. 2011, p. 105). Nevertheless, there are some aggressive kind of prison officers who take undue advantage of their power and authority and this is just because of it all of the prison officers are referred to negatively. It is true that not all prison officers are tolerant and amiable individuals; there are some officers who behave rather

Article Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Article - Research Paper Example The most common environmental factors are toxins and exposure to pesticides. Toxic chemicals like MPTP, Toluene, Carbon Disulphide, and cyanide; and certain pesticides like rotenone and paraquat affect significant changes in vital neural components. Exposure to toxic chemicals and pesticides are found to cause damage and loss of â€Å"dopaminergic neurons and clinical Parkinsonism† (Chao et al.). Pesticides like paraquat and rotenone has also been observed to depreciate both dopaminergic neurons and typical Parkinsonism. Furthermore, these chemicals inspire contact with genetic expression thereby curbing genetic mutations. As a result, genetics have been particularly considered in the continuing research on Parkinson’s disease. There is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease so far; and most of the treatments available today are used to either prevent or contain the degeneration of the disease. According to Chao et al (2012), current treatments for Parkinsonâ€⠄¢s disease are categorized into two main subgroups: symptom-relieving drugs and surgical treatments. Common symptom-relieving drugs include L-dopa, dopamine agonists, bromocriptine, ropinirole, cabergoline, and pergolide among others. Examples of surgical treatments for Parkinson’s disease patients are â€Å"deep brain stimulation, implantation of embryonic dopaminergic cells, and gene therapy† (Chao et al.). These surgical treatments generally aim for tempering motor and non-motor symptoms. Recently, the use of nutraceuticals has been widely employed as an alternative to treating degenerative symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. One example of nutraceuticals – essentially refers to â€Å"food or food products† (Chao et al.) that are scientifically found to provide medical and health benefits, and which exhibit potential preventive capabilities against certain diseases – are antioxidants like Vitamins C and E. According to Anderson et al., consuming foods

Given the current economic downturn argue the case for AND against Essay

Given the current economic downturn argue the case for AND against employers maintaining work life balance initiatives - Essay Example Therefore, complains from different families and housewives have triggered discussions concerning the issue of work-life balance. Scholars have also tried to support the idea of work-life and work-family balance form the point of view that; there is critical importance of play and relaxation in the generation of mental energy (Guest, 2002: 261). Others have also argued from the point of view of the proverb that says ‘All work but no play makes Jack a dull boy’. With the current economic downturn, there are a lot of activities that a person can engage in other than concentrating on work only. Statistics also show that the rate of family break ups in the United States is exceptionally high due to work reasons. Husbands have all their time taken by work without setting aside time for family and other extra-curricular activities. Scholars also assert that the productivity at work is directly related to the social life of a person (Clutterback, 2003: 1). Therefore, work-balan ce is an issue that has gained attention over the recent past years. Studies conducted have shown that imbalance of employees’ lives and their work creates a lot of problems to both the organization and their families. Some of the problems reported noticed from employees include absenteeism due to stress, failure to retain talent, insufficient initiative and creativity, low levels of customer service, unethical behaviour and low commitment and motivation (Chick, 2004). Other conflicts involved with work-life imbalance include role overload, work-family interference and family-work interference. Role overload occurs when there are a lot of responsibilities both at home and work. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the individual to perform well at any of the roles. On the other hand, work-family interference conflict occurs when an individual is overwhelmed by work duties until he neglects his family responsibilities. With family-work interference, family responsibilities beco me more demanding making an individual to perform poorly at his or her work duties (CCOHS, 2010: 1). This is a conflict that is mainly experienced by women since they tend to be more involved in house work, neglecting job responsibilities. Thus, clearly both the individual and the company will be negatively affected since the individual may end up being laid off. Border theory is a cognitive theory that states that there is an ultra thin boundary between the way in which individuals change their roles from family to work and back. The theory tries to examine the way in which people assign different meanings to work and home responsibilities and frequency of transitioning between these roles. However, the major objective of the theory is to ensure balance between work, family and life. The theory seeks to ensure satisfaction on the side of the individual and good functioning both at work and home (Desrochers & Sergent, 2004: 40). The border theory gives a number for propositions in i ts application, which include it affirms that keeping work and family separate makes it easier to manage the work and family border. It can be argued from the point of view that when a person has separated family issues from work issues, he or she will be able to perform well at both of them, producing good results in both roles. This way, there will be no such issues as lack of concentration at work due to

Enforcement action of the commission against EU member states Assignment

Enforcement action of the commission against EU member states - Assignment Example ‘Economists certainly argue that reducing trade barriers will improve economic welfare or, at least, potentially so depending on whether losers can be and are, in fact, compensated by those who gain.’(Bob 2003) The law and legislation of the European Union is actually a whole body that regulates and governs a 28 member body. ‘The European law already has some sort of a constitution’ (Jurgen 2011). The law has its backbone on three main sources; the primary law, which composes different treaties, secondary comprising of regulations and different directives that are in tandem with such treaties The European Union was put in place by treaties from the member. Raisch (2007) posits that treaties form the backbone of the laws of the European Union. February 1992 welcomed the ‘Treaty on European Union.’ Up to date, this is a very important treaty. This is because; it realigns institutional arrangement as well as political systems. According to Raisch, â€Å"It added a new treaty alongside the Treaty Establishing the European Community.† (1992) Another important treaty that institutes the European Union is the â€Å"Treaty of Nice.† 2003 was the year the treaty received its approval. This treaty provided a complete amendment into other treaties. This treaty boosts the role of the parliament as a partner-legislator and establishes fresh legal arrangements. It mandates the council to drop regulations presiding over political parties at the level of the European Union. With an expectation of an increase in members of the European parliament, the treaty restricts membership to 732 and reserves seats for member states as well as countries represented as candidates. This is not all, we have several treaties that have been ratified and accepted at different times in order to improve the functioning and progress of the

Wedding Proposal Essay Example for Free

Wedding Proposal Essay Now that you’ve made the decision to get married you may feel overwhelmed with all of the planning, arranging and organizing that goes into achieving that perfect wedding you’ve always dreamed of. No need to panic, however. I will be with you every step of the way, acting as your advisor when needed, coordinator, confidant, organizer, travel planner, fashion advisor and anything else you might need to make your special day all that you have dreamed of. I will personally see to all of the details, making sure everything stays within budget and comes together as smoothly as possible, with the least amount of delays so that you are left free of stress and able to enjoy the celebration of the beginning of your new lives together. SCOPE: Planning and executing a wedding with all of its intricate parts is a very involved process. I understand this and, as your Project Manager, I will work diligently with you from the beginning until you are happily on your way to enjoy your honeymoon. Every detail, no matter how miniscule or grand, will be effectively and efficiently seen to and followed closely by my expert Quality Assurance and Quality Control practices. I will listen to your wishes and implement as many as feasible, leaving you less stress and more time to enjoy. Consider me your Subject Matter Expert; helping at every stage, from picking the perfect location, bridal gown and groom’s attire, ceremony, reception, music, food, and all of the little things that mean so much to your special day. COST: The average cost of a wedding is around $20,000. This price usually does not include consultant fees (Penn Foster). My goal is to work with you to stay well within your budget, providing you with the best possible wedding day, and possibly having extra left over from your budget to spend on your honeymoon. Approximate time scale leading up to the day of the wedding: * 12 months before: Locate and book the locations for the wedding and reception and order the wedding gown. * 6-9 months before: Choose and order flower arrangements, audition and book the band, choose the caterer and menu, order bridesmaids’ dresses, pick out the wedding party gifts and book the photographer. *4-6 months before: Finalize guest list and arrange guest hotel and other accommodations, order the wedding cake, choose and order invitations and thank you cards, order any other decorations. * 2-4 months before: Finalize the ceremony and vows. * 4-8 weeks before: Send out invitations, bridal shower, finalizing all plans (Little Wedding Guide). IMPLEMENTATION: You and your partner are essential to accomplishing your ideal wedding. Your input, ideas, feelings and cooperation along with my expertise, knowledge, and enthusiasm will help us achieve the greatest results. There are many horror stories describing wedding disasters that leave bride and groom fearful and full of dread, afraid these disasters will permeate their wedding day as well. Rest assured that I am constantly assessing all risks, monitoring each and every situation, and running interference while we ramp up to your event. Together we will plan and execute every aspect, making sure all deadlines are met so that your wedding will go according to schedule and within your budget, giving you peace of mind and a wonderful beginning to your new lives. References Little Wedding Guide. Retrieved March 25, 2010, from http://www. littleweddingguide. com/planning/ Penn Foster Career School. Retrieved March 25, 2010, from http://www. pennfoster. edu/bridalconsultant/index. html Project Management Basics Glossary. Retrieved March 25, 2010, from http://www. allpm. com/

Sad - Online Grading System Essay Example for Free

Sad Online Grading System Essay Currently these are the problems that usually occurs in distributing the students’ report cards. What is the extent of the problems faced by the student in terms of the following? a) Accessibility of the student’s grades. b) Accuracy of the student’s grades given by their teachers. c) Disputes or discrepancies of the students with their grades. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY In order to provide excellent distribution of student’s grades, Trinity Christian School needs to develop an online grading system with an easy to use interface for teachers, and also the students to see their grades. a) To be able to create a system that allows the students all-access to their grades at any given point of time and date. b) To provide a system that updates the data of the grades in real time if not then on a specific time. c) To create a system that notifies the teacher that his/her students has problems/disputes to their grades. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The following below are the users that would benefit greatly on the system: To the Students Students would benefit in using the Online Grading System for involving themselves to partake justifying their grades. Students can also use this system to access or view their grades if ever they took an early vacation and aren’t able to get their report cards. And most importantly is that the student will enhance their sense of responsibility. To the Teachers Teachers will benefit this system in regards to lessening the time distributing report cards to parents/ guardians. To the Parents/Guardians There are some cases that a student would lie about their grades and won’t show the report cards to their parents, this system  will make that situation impossible since the parents or the guardians will have access to the student’s grades and they would know if the student is lying or not. To the Researchers That the researchers would be able to create a fully functional system that would implement the lessons and theories that the researchers have learned. It would give the researchers an idea on how the information technology professionals do their works. To the Future Researchers That this Feasibility study would serve as guidelines. And give an idea to the future researchers in what are the basic needs of an online grading system. DEFINITION OF TERMS Terms here are conceptually and operationally defined for better understanding. Administrator a person who manages a computer system.  Information Technology It defines an industry that uses computers, networking, software programming, and other equipment and processes to store, process, retrieve, transmit, and protect information. Internet a vast computer network linking smaller computer networks worldwide. The Internet includes commercial, educational, governmental, and other networks, all of which use the same set of communications protocols. LAN local area network (LAN) consists of two or more computers connected together in a building or home using software and hardware. A LAN is contrasted to a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, which covers a large geographic area. Network Is a collection of computers and devices interconnected by communications channels that facilitate communications among users and allows users to share resources. Online connected to, served by, or available through a system and especially a computer or telecommunications system. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS Trinity Christian School is one of the outstanding private schools in Bacolod City which is located at Villa Angela Subdivision, Phase 3, Bacolod City,  Philippines, 6100. They create, teach and provide high education standards that caters to the needs of their students, and also engraves the spirit of Christianity to their students, faculty and staff. Trinity Christian Schools offers a continuum of learning from nursery up to high school. Trinity Christian School believes in the importance of building a strong foundation in the learning experience of the student, and in building the values of self-discipline, diligence, and respect for self and others along with the students intellectual development. The study is only implemented for Trinity Christian School and can be networked through the internet by the administrator. The researchers are not liable to the changes of the grades made by the teacher.

Theories of African Christian Ethics

Theories of African Christian Ethics INTRODUCTION Before I begin, let me first suggest to you the overall task of Christian Ethics. If I speak about ethics, I speak about Who we are, how we are to perceive our world and how we are to live in this world. This is the main crux of Christian Ethics. In this assignment I would like to demonstrate a working knowledge of African, Western and African Christian Ethics. I will also look at the differences between selected ethical theories. ASSIGNMENT 1 Explain Western Ethics and evaluate the effect it has on our understanding of ethics. Underscore both the positives and negatives it has brought about in ethical thinking. According to Barnhill (2009) the Western tradition has four major approaches to ethics: The first two listed (Utilitarian Ethics and Deontological Ethics) are modern developments and they dominate modern philosophy. He says that Virtue ethics is as old as Plato and is making a bit of a come-back. Natural law ethics is relatively popular among environmental ethicists. After reading his Environmental studies, I have come to realise the following: This study speaks about goodness and badness. We can identify happiness with the good and sees virtue as a major part of happiness. We can explain that happiness and virtue should be detached. If we look at virtue it relates to good will, a good will is good in every circumstance and is absolute or unconditional good. It grows when you act for the sake of duty. A human action is morally good and is done for the sake of duty. Western Ethics shows us that an action can be motivated by duty and has moral worth. Not because of the results it achieved, but for satisfying a formal principle. The principle of performing ones duty, whatever it may be. People have impulses and desires and that is why the moral law appears to us as a law that we must obey. This impulses and desires is our only source for moral judgement. This is our free will. Our free will can create a moral law and we will obey it. The human mind is able to know what is good and evil. To have value judgement is born from ins ide of us. This is called your conscience. Most people recognize that man is free to make his or her moral decisions. On the other hand, all the things that we do wrong come from our human desires. Men and women should follow the will of God. Use the will of God to make certain decisions in life. There is a universal moral law, the knowledge to free ourselves from human desires. We are free to make good and sound moral judgements. In the approach of care and the community, too much Western Ethics has given individuals the right to think about themselves. We must build love and compassionate relationships among people. The full theory of ethics would have to accommodate all four aspects of Western ethics. One way to sometimes approach Western ethics and the influence it has on ethics is based on four aspects like rights, goods, virtues and our relationship with each other. We must look at the following questions like: Do our actions violate another persons rights? We must try to achieve good in life. Look at our integrity. Care for each other. Ethics and even Western Ethics can never be static and with Western Ethics there are certain frameworks and principles. We dont know whether Western Ethic has a future, but it really and most definitely do have a past. We can see that the patterns of the Western moral personality will continue to surface and really have to be dealt with, either through painful reflection or painful restructuring (Kunhiyop, 2004:29). Define in your own words Contemporary African Ethics. Highlight its important characteristics. Kigongo (nd) says that Contemporary African Ethics is a combination of African ethical tradition and European ethical tradition. What better way to describe Contemporary African Ethics than the word Ubuntu. Ubuntu means that people are people because of other people. In Africa nobody can survive alone, we need each other to survive. I think that we are all searching and suggesting new directions which to follow in pursuit of African values. We can say that the foundation of African ethics is definitely a humanistic worldview. Everything about the community is seen to exist not just in the here and now, but also in the past, through those who have already gone and also in the future, those who have yet to come. It is the past that influence the present and the present the future. Why, we ask, has this worldview, with the emphasis on respect for all mankind, support and responsibility not travel through the whole world yet? You remember in the second paragraph I spoke about Ubuntu. Well, I can say that this worldview is expressed by the very society that lives according to it. If the community follows Contemporary African Ethics, they are living testimonies to their worldview. This worldview is worth reviving and respect for another, especially a stranger, is well known to communities in the south of the Sahara. With them a visitor was to be welcomed and feted, not suspected and resisted like in some of our communities (Kunhiyop, 2004:23-27). Africa is currently looking at a new future when it comes to African Ethics. Africa believes that its own worldview has so much potential and contemporary messages to give. Africa does not have all the above on record, but the culture itself speaks of enrichment and value. Definitely African values can be included in everything in life, for example in institutions of higher learning. The world needs more Contemporary African Ethics (Kunhiyop, 2004:13). Identify the key aspects of African Christian Ethics. I hear what Okolo (nd) says: First, the African may well count himself fortunate to be blessed with such a basically sound and enduring religious and moral tradition. But this does not at all mean that the Christian religion based on Christs love ethic constitutes a mere superficial dimension in his moral life. The Christian religion means for the African fundamental changes in many of his cultural values and options such that a real conversion is required for him to be a Christian in the authentic meaning of the term and in its ethical implication. I think that the African society is in a moral crisis. The African are having an identity crisis and have shifted away from their value system. Their moral values they gave away for other value systems. In a sense the first aspects is the fact that they have betrayed the African value system by analyzing it with the socio-economic and political implications that are taken from all the different value systems. The second aspect for me is the fact that Africans are now abandoning their value system by trying to embrace other systems, namely liberalism and utilitarianism. The consequence of this above mentioned shift is that the African will no longer be known by what he is, but by what he has acquired by different means. The African have lost the sense of Who am I and this created the moral crisis in South Africa. If we look at virtue ethics, I think it could help us to redeem the African value system as well as every individual in South Africa. Virtue ethics is intended to provide a s ociety in which people can live a meaningful life. There is a general agreement amongst the African people that the African cannot be defined except in the closeness of the community. We can see the closeness of relationship between the individual and the social nature of the African. The African system is not concerned with material issues; it is concerned primarily with human beings in their relationship with one another. It is like that, the community means that the community alone can constitute the context, their social and cultural space. Africans needs to find freedom and responsibility in themselves and also in other people in South Africa. CONCLUSION Whether African Christian Ethics will start a different socio-economic and political arrangement remains a question that needs to be explored in-depth. Bibliography Barnhill D L 2007. Four Traditional Western Approaches to Ethics. Online article: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/barnhill/ES_375/ethics.html, 07/01/2009. Kunhiyop S W 2004. African Christian Ethics. United States of America: Hippo Books. Kigongo J K n.d. The Relevance of African Ethics To Contemporary African Society. Online article: http://www.crvp.org/book/Series02/II-8/chapter_ii.htm, 13/01/2009. Okolo C B n.d. The African Experience of Christian Values: Dimensions of The Problematic. Online article: http://www.crvp.org/book/Series02/II-3/chapter_xi.htm, 13/01/2009. INTRODUCTION The Bible is an expression of Gods will to us and possesses the right supremely to define what we are to believe and how we are to conduct ourselves. In the book African Christian Ethics Samuel W. Kunhiyop gives us guidelines in biblical Christianity for Africa. Although Samuel Kunhiyops book does not deal exclusively with the role of the Bible, I will review his book to get to the core. We know that everything stays the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. To review a great Theologian like Samuel W. Kunhiyop, I dont think it is for me to comment on the way he wrote his book. ASSIGNMENT 2 Write a critical book review of the course textbook: Samuel Kunhiyop (2004), African Christian Ethics. In the introduction Samuel describes the need for writing this book: Christian ethics is often regarded the same as Western ethics, but they are really not the same. The two have become confused because Western missionaries did not bring a true and honest gospel but one that is different from the true gospel. Students who should be studying African Christian ethics are too often busy with the wrong ethical theories coming from the West. What should be taught in African theological colleges is an ethics that is African, biblical and Christian. That is what this book seeks to give to its reader (Kunhiyop, 2004:8-10). We can find a lot of information on African Christian Ethics through the internet and there is a lot of information for Western churches to use. Hippo books are so popular that they are used by many publishers and are well known throughout the world. Some of the publishers like Zondervan and African publishing houses also make use of Hippo books. Hippo books create an environment for the learner or student to get acquainted with all sections of Theology. Hippo books have got information and theories of many of scholars who share their knowledge and experience with us. Hippo books have got a vision to help with the growth in all African churches so they can see their culture from an evangelical perspective. Hippo books also published African Christian Ethics which I am about to review (Davy, 2010). Samuel Waje Kunhiyop was previously the Professor of Theology and Ethics at ECWA Theological Seminary. He holds a Bachelor of Theology, Masters of Theology and PhD at Trinity International University, Illinois. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop was ordained by the Evangelical Church of West Africa as a minister. Currently he is one of the heads of the Postgraduate School at the South African Theological Seminary (Kunhiyop, 2004:4-5). The need for an interpretation of Christianity and all its aspects from an African point of view was necessary. One such aspect is the question of Christian ethics and how it is affected by Africa and its enormous cultural variety. Samuel identified the need to explore and explain the many questions that arose around the issue of African Christian ethics. According to Kunhiyop he started in his life seeking to find all information and truths about African Christianity. He studies for 8 years in Nigeria for his undergraduate theological training and another 7 years in the United States for his graduate theological training. In 1993 he went back to Nigeria and has been teaching now there for 11 years. Samuel is a great teacher of the Bible, Theology, Ethics and Philosophy. In 1994 he was teaching to a group of students and after finishing with them he asked the students What did you learn from this course? One of the students stood up and answered with the words nothing. Samuel was stu nned and because of that answer, he started to investigate and wanted to seek for the right answers. He realised that the information he gave through to the students did not pertain to them and their culture. He knew that he needed to do more for the students for them to succeed in life (Kunhiyop, 2004:8-9). If I can mention that it was very difficult to find the book in the library and Protea Bookshop gave an indication that it would take 10 weeks if I order the book. The book had to come from Kenya. When we look at the life of Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, we can see a Christian who believes in Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. Although he did most of his studies overseas, he was born and raised in Africa. He wanted to help and assist African Christians struggling with their own situations and problems. He recognized that Africans, and even more so, African Christians, needed guidance in relation to the interpretation of their everyday personal problems within an ethical frame of reference (Kunhiyop, 2004:9). At first I didnt know what to make of the book African Christian Ethics. The book seemed extremely difficult to read, interpret and understand. Why might that be, I asked myself. Then I came to a conclusion. It was because I knew nothing about the Africans and their unique, intricate and diverse cultures. The only knowledge I have is about my own culture and roots. In Ethical Foundation: Section one Samuel Waje Kunhiyop explains what African morality and the African culture consists of (Kunhiyop, 2004:11). It is wonderful to read about my fellow African inhabitants within their interesting context. The songs they love to sing and the stories they love to tell. Then suddenly, the way of the African opens up to you and you begin to understand everything. The style in which the book has been written became much easier to read and interpret. As soon as I caught the drift of things, I enjoyed reading the book immensely. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop has done a lot of research to get to the truth. He also incorporated Biblical content to support his findings and to better explain the interpretation of these findings from a Christian point of view. At work my responsibilities include informing the soldiers about HIV and AIDS. With the knowledge that I gained from Samuels book I can now understand the African soldier better. It also helped me in building better relationships with the soldiers, as I better comprehend their training of thought and understanding of Christianity. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, through this book, opened up the eyes of many people, scholars and foreigners, although I think there is many more to explore and more information to gain. In South Africa a lot of African people are still confused and do not have identity. I can see that when I work with the youth in South Africa. The youth are lacking the strong morals and values they need to become better human beings in their communities and societies. The content of this book is magnificent and I would definitely encourage other individuals to read it and apply it to future situations with the African cultures. Let us explore the content of the book in detail to grasp the crux of what Samuel Waje Kunhiyop want to explain to us. I believe Kunhiyops work is excellent and I want to give him all the credit for this book. The book is divided into two sections, section one: Ethical Foundations, Chapter one, two and three deals with the theory of ethics, while section two: Contemporary Ethical Issues, Chapter four to thirteen discusses practical issues. Issues that is so relevant that we can apply it in our daily lives. The issues are grouped in the following order, as given in the Table of content: Political Issues, Religious Issues, Medical Issues, Welfare Issues, Financial Issues, Witchcraft Issues, AIDS Issues, Marriage Issues, Sexual Issues and Reproductive Technologies. Each chapter begins with a general introduction followed by the chapters dealing with the specific issues in that area. Samuel does not go into a detailed debate regarding War, rather, he looks at the wars and conflicts in Africa and then examines the Bible to find an answer (Kunhiyop, 2004:2). Starting with Contemporary African ethics, we can see that the African society does believe in God as the highest order and as the sole creator of earth and mankind. Secondly they stand under the authority of spirits and ancestors who are the leaders and instructors of good and evil. The distinct differences between morality and ethics are not acknowledged as they experience it as one with their religion. These assumptions are only written on paper as there is no documentary proof of the history or origin thereof. The growing up and teaching or learning through the elderly and community by word of mouth is their reference in life. Most important is the tribe, community and family rules for belonging and not to be a single individual with his or her own set of rules and regulations. Believing in the spirits and the ancestors justifies certain actions as long as you dont get caught and therefore has a deterrent effect on your family or community. They also believe that you must keep th e spirits happy in order to be blessed and not to be cursed in life. Mostly the interaction between family (grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews) and the community (neighbors, friends, etc.) is a vital link to the forming of the African cultural inheritance (Kunhiyop, 2004:11-28). Secondly, while Western ethics were founded and applied by numerous leaders of the Enlightenment eras, it had different positive as well as negative impacts on society. One example that has a negative impact on the biblical views of the religious community is the privacy factor where a woman has the sole right to apply abortion if she wishes to. Furthermore I do believe that technology is good for anybody except where it is applied have a negative result to humanity (Kunhiyop, 2004:29-46). The reading and understanding of African Christian Ethics was very difficult. Samuel makes mention of many authors and in text citing. The English language he used in Chapter three to point out his facts is confusing as to get the history facts straight. What I do understand from this Chapter is that Samuel writes that Christian theology is the backbone of African Christian ethics and that it will be useless if the Scriptures are not part of the guidance to the rules of African Christian ethics. The Black African Christian has a rule of ethics whereby their ancestors are always consulted and is a part and parcel of their decision making. Therefore in their ethics within certain issues they leave out God in certain other issues they consult Him. He explains that African ethics is deeply rooted in the soul and that it becomes personal, influencing the mind, heart, body and spirit of a person. If a family member has got an issue, that issue will affect the immediate family, as well as t heir distant relatives. It will influence those who are living and those who are dead, but still interested in the affairs of the living. To understand the community is to understand African ethics. This is a critical tool and must be used when studying African ethics. These ethics are developed in interaction with the past, the present and the future, nothing or nobody can be excluded. God, the spirits of the departed, the ancestors and good and evil will always have an enormous influence on the morality of the people. Why, because they are African and full of culture. Although the Bible does not support the doctrines of demons, evil spirits and witchcraft, many Christians are unaware of what the Bible teaches on the subject. Christians believe the Bible also serves as an authoritative moral influence, thus in Africa there is no such thing as an ethical system that has no practical and religious implications. There will always be principles or rules that guide behaviour. These prin ciples or rules are intertwined with practices of ethics and work nicely together (Kunhiyop, 2004:47-70). Samuel takes into account all the factors that are historically tied to the given topic and describes each problem in detail. In each problem he looks for a Biblical perspective on the issue, usually asking what the Old Testament says and what the New Testament says. This he does by also including the churchs response and the separate African churchs response before drawing an overall final conclusion. This method which he is using is effective because it keeps the Western reader aware of the differences between the West and Africa approach to ethical problems. The Western and traditional African understanding of ethics has affected the ethical thinking of Christians. We need to change our perspective of the church because the church is constantly growing and becoming stronger in other parts of the world. To conclude his thoughts Kunhiyop offers an outline for decision making. He based this outline on five important principles: God is the ultimate model of morality. The Scriptures pr ovide the only authority in matters of morality. Every aspect of life is subject to the laws of the Scriptures. The scriptures must be properly interpreted and the community of faith can provide support, responsibility and accountability. The world provides the boundaries in which we live out this morality and ethics (Kunhiyop, 2004). I really dont see any difference between Western Christian Ethics and African Christian Ethics. Kunhiyops point is actually what is underlying these ethics. Understanding the different world views on Christian ethics paves the way for Western churches to be influenced by and to have a greater influence on the African churches and their day to day functions. It is important for Christianity to overcome the barriers of culture and language. We are after all loved by Christ regardless of ethnicity and the limitations of the human race. I regard it important to note that even though the ethical values between the Western civilization and the African cultures are similar, the traditions within the set framework of each group changes the interpretation and thus also the outcome of the ethical concepts. It is in this idea that the key to unlocking Samuels thinking process lies. He understands, having been exposed to both African and Western culture, that these differences, however subtle so me may be, have an immense impact on the eventual interpretation of a persons set of ethical values. Christian ethics cannot be separated from its religious foundation. The important thing is that God requires something of man and that He stands ready to reward the obedience and punish violation. God has something to do with the very meaning of obligation. This book explains these issues well. The Western world is now faced with a choice: are we going to utilize the tools that will enable us to bridge the gap between two very different civilizations or are we going to sit back and do nothing? With the right understanding of Africans and how they interpret ethical values we can incorporate a set of Christian ethical values that will, without a doubt, benefit both parties (Kunhiyop, 2004). CONCLUSION The churches need to understand and interpret African Christian Ethics for them to survive in their communities. Let us think about this and understand where Kunhiyop comes from. Bibliography Davy T J 2010. HippoBooks African Evangelical Imprint. Online article: http://bibleandmission.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/hippobooks-african-evangelical-imprint/, 15/01/2009. Kunhiyop S W 2004. African Christian Ethics. United States of America: Hippo Books. INTRODUCTION Must Christians become involved in politics? In Romans 13:1-7 God is proclaiming that the government belongs to Him. God also tells us that we must follow the government of the day. Let us now try and establish a link between the church and the state. ASSIGNMENT 3 Evaluate the practical value and effectiveness of the four factors of change in the church and state relations. Political Factor Bishop Desmond Tutu exclaimed, Now I am going back to the church to do the real business of the church and leave politics to those well qualified to do it (Kumalo, 2009). When Nelson Mandela became the new president of South Africa that was then that there was an active democratic development in South Africa. Bishop Buthelezi also made the same statement on his farewell function. If we look at the church leaders we can see that most of these prominent leaders came from the political milieu and then go over to the church. On the other hand the other side of the coin is also true, church leaders sometimes also join departments and commissions. We dont know if what the two theologians above said, made the church to withdraw from politics, but they do make us to think about the church and their leaders in South Africa. The Sociological Factor It is true that Muslim politicians go to the Muslim community for their votes. In the Christian community the Christian politicians will go to the Christian community for their votes. The recent call by General Muhammadu Buhari from Nigeria that Muslims should vote only for Muslim candidates in the forthcoming elections in 2003 has generated a lot of controversy. It is important to understand why this is the case. The morality issue of Buhari could be defended from the point of view of his fundamental right. In other words, he has the freedom and fundamental right to take any position on any issue. The changing relationship between religious groups and the state opens up new challenges and new possibilities. More and more people of different religious groups are getting intertwined and use each other to accomplish goals (Kofarmata, 2009). The Economic Factor God has not called Christians just to work in the church, but however he has called us to get involved with all the economical issues in the world. In any case, God is in us and not just in the church. The gifts of the Holy Spirit that God has bestowed upon us and the calling from God, means getting involved in identifying the causes of poverty. We can address these problems and help the needy with the support of God. This means that it is not only the responsibility of the government, but a responsibility of the church. Christianity also means getting involved in politics so that the people can have a better life. Christians must try to create and provide on the job training for other people also encouraging them to find jobs. The African church specifically must get involved in politics and government. The church needs to educate their people so that everybody can make positive contributions to our country and government (Kunhiyop, 2004:74). The Religious Factor According to McCain (2008) the last two decades of the twentieth century have been known by for great explosion of Christian activity and Christian growth. Kunhiyop (2004:74) said: During the 1970s it was not uncommon to hear Christians, especially Christian youth, praying for the nation, which was believed to be under the forces of darkness. All night prayer meetings, fasting and prayers for the nation were common in the church and parachurch organisations such as the one mentioned above. I want to say that the above is true, but the opposite is also true and if we as Christians dont wake up, we are going to miss the opportunity to have an influence in politics. People all over the world still think that religion in politics is a negative and harmful issue that needs to be avoided. We really need to change the way people are thinking and acting in our country. We need to have transformation in our religion, having some objective value that can guide us. If we look at our political leaders when they speak, we must be able to say they are right or wrong, not from a political perspective, but from a religious perspective. The scriptures that we use must be not white or black, but the scriptures of the Holy Word of God. It is the absence of religion in politics that creates this huge gap in our society. We really have to be critical in this analysis. What are we going to do as a nation? Can a nation return to God? I think the question is, can we as a nation rise above our racial and discrimination issues and form one church? If black and white churches unite and stand together, the prayer and fasting for our nation will come back. The youth in this country will stand together and fight for religion and not for politics (MCain, 2008). Distinguish between the concepts state, government, politics and church. State A State is a self-governing political driven place. A state has territory which has internationally recognised boundaries and sometimes there can be quarrels over boundaries. A state has got the following in it: People that are staying and living there permanently. A strong or weak economic structure. A government that must supply things like police services and public services. A state can enter into relations with other states. A state is a nation? Where there is a state there is a nation? Governments can change but a state can stay static and not change for a very long time. Most of the States have sovereignty over their countries so that other states cant interfere. In Somalia this very same thing happened due to civil war. Somalia was part of the internal strife and because it had little authority outside Afghanistan, Somalia collapsed (Global Policy, nd). Government A government can be seen as a body within the community or an organisation that makes and enforce the laws, rules and regulations. A government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and human dignity. They are there to establish a society based on democratic values and social justice. The government must lay the foundation for a democratic and open society which is based on the will of people and where every citizen is equally protected by law. They definitely have to improve the quality of life of all the people supporting the government of that day. It is necessary to construct a culture of peace and replacing a culture of violence and disregard for human life. For me, this is what a government must consist of (Kunhiyop, 2004:77). Politics Politics is a need for the general public to have a representative in places other than the ordinary home or workplace. Candidates make themselves available to be elected through votes so that they can represent the people in different public and government organisations (Wikipedia, 2010). Church A church is a Christian religious organisation made up of a congregation, its members and clergy. The religious body is organised with constitutions and laws so that the church can function well. Churches often belong to a broader tradition within the Christian religion, like the Dutch Reformed church, sharing in a sense a history, culture and doctrinal rules with other church (Davies, 2009). Renwick and Harman (1958) said the following with regards to the church: Here we see the fulfillment of our Lords words that, although His kingdom was like a grain of mustard seed, it would yet become a great tree sheltering the birds of the air (Luke 13:19). The small and apparently weak church became a mighty organisation known throughout the earth. Its history shows its moral grandeur; it shows, too, certain defects arising from human weakness and the love of worldly pomp and power contrary to the spirit of the Master. We Theories of African Christian Ethics Theories of African Christian Ethics INTRODUCTION Before I begin, let me first suggest to you the overall task of Christian Ethics. If I speak about ethics, I speak about Who we are, how we are to perceive our world and how we are to live in this world. This is the main crux of Christian Ethics. In this assignment I would like to demonstrate a working knowledge of African, Western and African Christian Ethics. I will also look at the differences between selected ethical theories. ASSIGNMENT 1 Explain Western Ethics and evaluate the effect it has on our understanding of ethics. Underscore both the positives and negatives it has brought about in ethical thinking. According to Barnhill (2009) the Western tradition has four major approaches to ethics: The first two listed (Utilitarian Ethics and Deontological Ethics) are modern developments and they dominate modern philosophy. He says that Virtue ethics is as old as Plato and is making a bit of a come-back. Natural law ethics is relatively popular among environmental ethicists. After reading his Environmental studies, I have come to realise the following: This study speaks about goodness and badness. We can identify happiness with the good and sees virtue as a major part of happiness. We can explain that happiness and virtue should be detached. If we look at virtue it relates to good will, a good will is good in every circumstance and is absolute or unconditional good. It grows when you act for the sake of duty. A human action is morally good and is done for the sake of duty. Western Ethics shows us that an action can be motivated by duty and has moral worth. Not because of the results it achieved, but for satisfying a formal principle. The principle of performing ones duty, whatever it may be. People have impulses and desires and that is why the moral law appears to us as a law that we must obey. This impulses and desires is our only source for moral judgement. This is our free will. Our free will can create a moral law and we will obey it. The human mind is able to know what is good and evil. To have value judgement is born from ins ide of us. This is called your conscience. Most people recognize that man is free to make his or her moral decisions. On the other hand, all the things that we do wrong come from our human desires. Men and women should follow the will of God. Use the will of God to make certain decisions in life. There is a universal moral law, the knowledge to free ourselves from human desires. We are free to make good and sound moral judgements. In the approach of care and the community, too much Western Ethics has given individuals the right to think about themselves. We must build love and compassionate relationships among people. The full theory of ethics would have to accommodate all four aspects of Western ethics. One way to sometimes approach Western ethics and the influence it has on ethics is based on four aspects like rights, goods, virtues and our relationship with each other. We must look at the following questions like: Do our actions violate another persons rights? We must try to achieve good in life. Look at our integrity. Care for each other. Ethics and even Western Ethics can never be static and with Western Ethics there are certain frameworks and principles. We dont know whether Western Ethic has a future, but it really and most definitely do have a past. We can see that the patterns of the Western moral personality will continue to surface and really have to be dealt with, either through painful reflection or painful restructuring (Kunhiyop, 2004:29). Define in your own words Contemporary African Ethics. Highlight its important characteristics. Kigongo (nd) says that Contemporary African Ethics is a combination of African ethical tradition and European ethical tradition. What better way to describe Contemporary African Ethics than the word Ubuntu. Ubuntu means that people are people because of other people. In Africa nobody can survive alone, we need each other to survive. I think that we are all searching and suggesting new directions which to follow in pursuit of African values. We can say that the foundation of African ethics is definitely a humanistic worldview. Everything about the community is seen to exist not just in the here and now, but also in the past, through those who have already gone and also in the future, those who have yet to come. It is the past that influence the present and the present the future. Why, we ask, has this worldview, with the emphasis on respect for all mankind, support and responsibility not travel through the whole world yet? You remember in the second paragraph I spoke about Ubuntu. Well, I can say that this worldview is expressed by the very society that lives according to it. If the community follows Contemporary African Ethics, they are living testimonies to their worldview. This worldview is worth reviving and respect for another, especially a stranger, is well known to communities in the south of the Sahara. With them a visitor was to be welcomed and feted, not suspected and resisted like in some of our communities (Kunhiyop, 2004:23-27). Africa is currently looking at a new future when it comes to African Ethics. Africa believes that its own worldview has so much potential and contemporary messages to give. Africa does not have all the above on record, but the culture itself speaks of enrichment and value. Definitely African values can be included in everything in life, for example in institutions of higher learning. The world needs more Contemporary African Ethics (Kunhiyop, 2004:13). Identify the key aspects of African Christian Ethics. I hear what Okolo (nd) says: First, the African may well count himself fortunate to be blessed with such a basically sound and enduring religious and moral tradition. But this does not at all mean that the Christian religion based on Christs love ethic constitutes a mere superficial dimension in his moral life. The Christian religion means for the African fundamental changes in many of his cultural values and options such that a real conversion is required for him to be a Christian in the authentic meaning of the term and in its ethical implication. I think that the African society is in a moral crisis. The African are having an identity crisis and have shifted away from their value system. Their moral values they gave away for other value systems. In a sense the first aspects is the fact that they have betrayed the African value system by analyzing it with the socio-economic and political implications that are taken from all the different value systems. The second aspect for me is the fact that Africans are now abandoning their value system by trying to embrace other systems, namely liberalism and utilitarianism. The consequence of this above mentioned shift is that the African will no longer be known by what he is, but by what he has acquired by different means. The African have lost the sense of Who am I and this created the moral crisis in South Africa. If we look at virtue ethics, I think it could help us to redeem the African value system as well as every individual in South Africa. Virtue ethics is intended to provide a s ociety in which people can live a meaningful life. There is a general agreement amongst the African people that the African cannot be defined except in the closeness of the community. We can see the closeness of relationship between the individual and the social nature of the African. The African system is not concerned with material issues; it is concerned primarily with human beings in their relationship with one another. It is like that, the community means that the community alone can constitute the context, their social and cultural space. Africans needs to find freedom and responsibility in themselves and also in other people in South Africa. CONCLUSION Whether African Christian Ethics will start a different socio-economic and political arrangement remains a question that needs to be explored in-depth. Bibliography Barnhill D L 2007. Four Traditional Western Approaches to Ethics. Online article: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/barnhill/ES_375/ethics.html, 07/01/2009. Kunhiyop S W 2004. African Christian Ethics. United States of America: Hippo Books. Kigongo J K n.d. The Relevance of African Ethics To Contemporary African Society. Online article: http://www.crvp.org/book/Series02/II-8/chapter_ii.htm, 13/01/2009. Okolo C B n.d. The African Experience of Christian Values: Dimensions of The Problematic. Online article: http://www.crvp.org/book/Series02/II-3/chapter_xi.htm, 13/01/2009. INTRODUCTION The Bible is an expression of Gods will to us and possesses the right supremely to define what we are to believe and how we are to conduct ourselves. In the book African Christian Ethics Samuel W. Kunhiyop gives us guidelines in biblical Christianity for Africa. Although Samuel Kunhiyops book does not deal exclusively with the role of the Bible, I will review his book to get to the core. We know that everything stays the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. To review a great Theologian like Samuel W. Kunhiyop, I dont think it is for me to comment on the way he wrote his book. ASSIGNMENT 2 Write a critical book review of the course textbook: Samuel Kunhiyop (2004), African Christian Ethics. In the introduction Samuel describes the need for writing this book: Christian ethics is often regarded the same as Western ethics, but they are really not the same. The two have become confused because Western missionaries did not bring a true and honest gospel but one that is different from the true gospel. Students who should be studying African Christian ethics are too often busy with the wrong ethical theories coming from the West. What should be taught in African theological colleges is an ethics that is African, biblical and Christian. That is what this book seeks to give to its reader (Kunhiyop, 2004:8-10). We can find a lot of information on African Christian Ethics through the internet and there is a lot of information for Western churches to use. Hippo books are so popular that they are used by many publishers and are well known throughout the world. Some of the publishers like Zondervan and African publishing houses also make use of Hippo books. Hippo books create an environment for the learner or student to get acquainted with all sections of Theology. Hippo books have got information and theories of many of scholars who share their knowledge and experience with us. Hippo books have got a vision to help with the growth in all African churches so they can see their culture from an evangelical perspective. Hippo books also published African Christian Ethics which I am about to review (Davy, 2010). Samuel Waje Kunhiyop was previously the Professor of Theology and Ethics at ECWA Theological Seminary. He holds a Bachelor of Theology, Masters of Theology and PhD at Trinity International University, Illinois. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop was ordained by the Evangelical Church of West Africa as a minister. Currently he is one of the heads of the Postgraduate School at the South African Theological Seminary (Kunhiyop, 2004:4-5). The need for an interpretation of Christianity and all its aspects from an African point of view was necessary. One such aspect is the question of Christian ethics and how it is affected by Africa and its enormous cultural variety. Samuel identified the need to explore and explain the many questions that arose around the issue of African Christian ethics. According to Kunhiyop he started in his life seeking to find all information and truths about African Christianity. He studies for 8 years in Nigeria for his undergraduate theological training and another 7 years in the United States for his graduate theological training. In 1993 he went back to Nigeria and has been teaching now there for 11 years. Samuel is a great teacher of the Bible, Theology, Ethics and Philosophy. In 1994 he was teaching to a group of students and after finishing with them he asked the students What did you learn from this course? One of the students stood up and answered with the words nothing. Samuel was stu nned and because of that answer, he started to investigate and wanted to seek for the right answers. He realised that the information he gave through to the students did not pertain to them and their culture. He knew that he needed to do more for the students for them to succeed in life (Kunhiyop, 2004:8-9). If I can mention that it was very difficult to find the book in the library and Protea Bookshop gave an indication that it would take 10 weeks if I order the book. The book had to come from Kenya. When we look at the life of Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, we can see a Christian who believes in Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. Although he did most of his studies overseas, he was born and raised in Africa. He wanted to help and assist African Christians struggling with their own situations and problems. He recognized that Africans, and even more so, African Christians, needed guidance in relation to the interpretation of their everyday personal problems within an ethical frame of reference (Kunhiyop, 2004:9). At first I didnt know what to make of the book African Christian Ethics. The book seemed extremely difficult to read, interpret and understand. Why might that be, I asked myself. Then I came to a conclusion. It was because I knew nothing about the Africans and their unique, intricate and diverse cultures. The only knowledge I have is about my own culture and roots. In Ethical Foundation: Section one Samuel Waje Kunhiyop explains what African morality and the African culture consists of (Kunhiyop, 2004:11). It is wonderful to read about my fellow African inhabitants within their interesting context. The songs they love to sing and the stories they love to tell. Then suddenly, the way of the African opens up to you and you begin to understand everything. The style in which the book has been written became much easier to read and interpret. As soon as I caught the drift of things, I enjoyed reading the book immensely. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop has done a lot of research to get to the truth. He also incorporated Biblical content to support his findings and to better explain the interpretation of these findings from a Christian point of view. At work my responsibilities include informing the soldiers about HIV and AIDS. With the knowledge that I gained from Samuels book I can now understand the African soldier better. It also helped me in building better relationships with the soldiers, as I better comprehend their training of thought and understanding of Christianity. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, through this book, opened up the eyes of many people, scholars and foreigners, although I think there is many more to explore and more information to gain. In South Africa a lot of African people are still confused and do not have identity. I can see that when I work with the youth in South Africa. The youth are lacking the strong morals and values they need to become better human beings in their communities and societies. The content of this book is magnificent and I would definitely encourage other individuals to read it and apply it to future situations with the African cultures. Let us explore the content of the book in detail to grasp the crux of what Samuel Waje Kunhiyop want to explain to us. I believe Kunhiyops work is excellent and I want to give him all the credit for this book. The book is divided into two sections, section one: Ethical Foundations, Chapter one, two and three deals with the theory of ethics, while section two: Contemporary Ethical Issues, Chapter four to thirteen discusses practical issues. Issues that is so relevant that we can apply it in our daily lives. The issues are grouped in the following order, as given in the Table of content: Political Issues, Religious Issues, Medical Issues, Welfare Issues, Financial Issues, Witchcraft Issues, AIDS Issues, Marriage Issues, Sexual Issues and Reproductive Technologies. Each chapter begins with a general introduction followed by the chapters dealing with the specific issues in that area. Samuel does not go into a detailed debate regarding War, rather, he looks at the wars and conflicts in Africa and then examines the Bible to find an answer (Kunhiyop, 2004:2). Starting with Contemporary African ethics, we can see that the African society does believe in God as the highest order and as the sole creator of earth and mankind. Secondly they stand under the authority of spirits and ancestors who are the leaders and instructors of good and evil. The distinct differences between morality and ethics are not acknowledged as they experience it as one with their religion. These assumptions are only written on paper as there is no documentary proof of the history or origin thereof. The growing up and teaching or learning through the elderly and community by word of mouth is their reference in life. Most important is the tribe, community and family rules for belonging and not to be a single individual with his or her own set of rules and regulations. Believing in the spirits and the ancestors justifies certain actions as long as you dont get caught and therefore has a deterrent effect on your family or community. They also believe that you must keep th e spirits happy in order to be blessed and not to be cursed in life. Mostly the interaction between family (grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews) and the community (neighbors, friends, etc.) is a vital link to the forming of the African cultural inheritance (Kunhiyop, 2004:11-28). Secondly, while Western ethics were founded and applied by numerous leaders of the Enlightenment eras, it had different positive as well as negative impacts on society. One example that has a negative impact on the biblical views of the religious community is the privacy factor where a woman has the sole right to apply abortion if she wishes to. Furthermore I do believe that technology is good for anybody except where it is applied have a negative result to humanity (Kunhiyop, 2004:29-46). The reading and understanding of African Christian Ethics was very difficult. Samuel makes mention of many authors and in text citing. The English language he used in Chapter three to point out his facts is confusing as to get the history facts straight. What I do understand from this Chapter is that Samuel writes that Christian theology is the backbone of African Christian ethics and that it will be useless if the Scriptures are not part of the guidance to the rules of African Christian ethics. The Black African Christian has a rule of ethics whereby their ancestors are always consulted and is a part and parcel of their decision making. Therefore in their ethics within certain issues they leave out God in certain other issues they consult Him. He explains that African ethics is deeply rooted in the soul and that it becomes personal, influencing the mind, heart, body and spirit of a person. If a family member has got an issue, that issue will affect the immediate family, as well as t heir distant relatives. It will influence those who are living and those who are dead, but still interested in the affairs of the living. To understand the community is to understand African ethics. This is a critical tool and must be used when studying African ethics. These ethics are developed in interaction with the past, the present and the future, nothing or nobody can be excluded. God, the spirits of the departed, the ancestors and good and evil will always have an enormous influence on the morality of the people. Why, because they are African and full of culture. Although the Bible does not support the doctrines of demons, evil spirits and witchcraft, many Christians are unaware of what the Bible teaches on the subject. Christians believe the Bible also serves as an authoritative moral influence, thus in Africa there is no such thing as an ethical system that has no practical and religious implications. There will always be principles or rules that guide behaviour. These prin ciples or rules are intertwined with practices of ethics and work nicely together (Kunhiyop, 2004:47-70). Samuel takes into account all the factors that are historically tied to the given topic and describes each problem in detail. In each problem he looks for a Biblical perspective on the issue, usually asking what the Old Testament says and what the New Testament says. This he does by also including the churchs response and the separate African churchs response before drawing an overall final conclusion. This method which he is using is effective because it keeps the Western reader aware of the differences between the West and Africa approach to ethical problems. The Western and traditional African understanding of ethics has affected the ethical thinking of Christians. We need to change our perspective of the church because the church is constantly growing and becoming stronger in other parts of the world. To conclude his thoughts Kunhiyop offers an outline for decision making. He based this outline on five important principles: God is the ultimate model of morality. The Scriptures pr ovide the only authority in matters of morality. Every aspect of life is subject to the laws of the Scriptures. The scriptures must be properly interpreted and the community of faith can provide support, responsibility and accountability. The world provides the boundaries in which we live out this morality and ethics (Kunhiyop, 2004). I really dont see any difference between Western Christian Ethics and African Christian Ethics. Kunhiyops point is actually what is underlying these ethics. Understanding the different world views on Christian ethics paves the way for Western churches to be influenced by and to have a greater influence on the African churches and their day to day functions. It is important for Christianity to overcome the barriers of culture and language. We are after all loved by Christ regardless of ethnicity and the limitations of the human race. I regard it important to note that even though the ethical values between the Western civilization and the African cultures are similar, the traditions within the set framework of each group changes the interpretation and thus also the outcome of the ethical concepts. It is in this idea that the key to unlocking Samuels thinking process lies. He understands, having been exposed to both African and Western culture, that these differences, however subtle so me may be, have an immense impact on the eventual interpretation of a persons set of ethical values. Christian ethics cannot be separated from its religious foundation. The important thing is that God requires something of man and that He stands ready to reward the obedience and punish violation. God has something to do with the very meaning of obligation. This book explains these issues well. The Western world is now faced with a choice: are we going to utilize the tools that will enable us to bridge the gap between two very different civilizations or are we going to sit back and do nothing? With the right understanding of Africans and how they interpret ethical values we can incorporate a set of Christian ethical values that will, without a doubt, benefit both parties (Kunhiyop, 2004). CONCLUSION The churches need to understand and interpret African Christian Ethics for them to survive in their communities. Let us think about this and understand where Kunhiyop comes from. Bibliography Davy T J 2010. HippoBooks African Evangelical Imprint. Online article: http://bibleandmission.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/hippobooks-african-evangelical-imprint/, 15/01/2009. Kunhiyop S W 2004. African Christian Ethics. United States of America: Hippo Books. INTRODUCTION Must Christians become involved in politics? In Romans 13:1-7 God is proclaiming that the government belongs to Him. God also tells us that we must follow the government of the day. Let us now try and establish a link between the church and the state. ASSIGNMENT 3 Evaluate the practical value and effectiveness of the four factors of change in the church and state relations. Political Factor Bishop Desmond Tutu exclaimed, Now I am going back to the church to do the real business of the church and leave politics to those well qualified to do it (Kumalo, 2009). When Nelson Mandela became the new president of South Africa that was then that there was an active democratic development in South Africa. Bishop Buthelezi also made the same statement on his farewell function. If we look at the church leaders we can see that most of these prominent leaders came from the political milieu and then go over to the church. On the other hand the other side of the coin is also true, church leaders sometimes also join departments and commissions. We dont know if what the two theologians above said, made the church to withdraw from politics, but they do make us to think about the church and their leaders in South Africa. The Sociological Factor It is true that Muslim politicians go to the Muslim community for their votes. In the Christian community the Christian politicians will go to the Christian community for their votes. The recent call by General Muhammadu Buhari from Nigeria that Muslims should vote only for Muslim candidates in the forthcoming elections in 2003 has generated a lot of controversy. It is important to understand why this is the case. The morality issue of Buhari could be defended from the point of view of his fundamental right. In other words, he has the freedom and fundamental right to take any position on any issue. The changing relationship between religious groups and the state opens up new challenges and new possibilities. More and more people of different religious groups are getting intertwined and use each other to accomplish goals (Kofarmata, 2009). The Economic Factor God has not called Christians just to work in the church, but however he has called us to get involved with all the economical issues in the world. In any case, God is in us and not just in the church. The gifts of the Holy Spirit that God has bestowed upon us and the calling from God, means getting involved in identifying the causes of poverty. We can address these problems and help the needy with the support of God. This means that it is not only the responsibility of the government, but a responsibility of the church. Christianity also means getting involved in politics so that the people can have a better life. Christians must try to create and provide on the job training for other people also encouraging them to find jobs. The African church specifically must get involved in politics and government. The church needs to educate their people so that everybody can make positive contributions to our country and government (Kunhiyop, 2004:74). The Religious Factor According to McCain (2008) the last two decades of the twentieth century have been known by for great explosion of Christian activity and Christian growth. Kunhiyop (2004:74) said: During the 1970s it was not uncommon to hear Christians, especially Christian youth, praying for the nation, which was believed to be under the forces of darkness. All night prayer meetings, fasting and prayers for the nation were common in the church and parachurch organisations such as the one mentioned above. I want to say that the above is true, but the opposite is also true and if we as Christians dont wake up, we are going to miss the opportunity to have an influence in politics. People all over the world still think that religion in politics is a negative and harmful issue that needs to be avoided. We really need to change the way people are thinking and acting in our country. We need to have transformation in our religion, having some objective value that can guide us. If we look at our political leaders when they speak, we must be able to say they are right or wrong, not from a political perspective, but from a religious perspective. The scriptures that we use must be not white or black, but the scriptures of the Holy Word of God. It is the absence of religion in politics that creates this huge gap in our society. We really have to be critical in this analysis. What are we going to do as a nation? Can a nation return to God? I think the question is, can we as a nation rise above our racial and discrimination issues and form one church? If black and white churches unite and stand together, the prayer and fasting for our nation will come back. The youth in this country will stand together and fight for religion and not for politics (MCain, 2008). Distinguish between the concepts state, government, politics and church. State A State is a self-governing political driven place. A state has territory which has internationally recognised boundaries and sometimes there can be quarrels over boundaries. A state has got the following in it: People that are staying and living there permanently. A strong or weak economic structure. A government that must supply things like police services and public services. A state can enter into relations with other states. A state is a nation? Where there is a state there is a nation? Governments can change but a state can stay static and not change for a very long time. Most of the States have sovereignty over their countries so that other states cant interfere. In Somalia this very same thing happened due to civil war. Somalia was part of the internal strife and because it had little authority outside Afghanistan, Somalia collapsed (Global Policy, nd). Government A government can be seen as a body within the community or an organisation that makes and enforce the laws, rules and regulations. A government is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and human dignity. They are there to establish a society based on democratic values and social justice. The government must lay the foundation for a democratic and open society which is based on the will of people and where every citizen is equally protected by law. They definitely have to improve the quality of life of all the people supporting the government of that day. It is necessary to construct a culture of peace and replacing a culture of violence and disregard for human life. For me, this is what a government must consist of (Kunhiyop, 2004:77). Politics Politics is a need for the general public to have a representative in places other than the ordinary home or workplace. Candidates make themselves available to be elected through votes so that they can represent the people in different public and government organisations (Wikipedia, 2010). Church A church is a Christian religious organisation made up of a congregation, its members and clergy. The religious body is organised with constitutions and laws so that the church can function well. Churches often belong to a broader tradition within the Christian religion, like the Dutch Reformed church, sharing in a sense a history, culture and doctrinal rules with other church (Davies, 2009). Renwick and Harman (1958) said the following with regards to the church: Here we see the fulfillment of our Lords words that, although His kingdom was like a grain of mustard seed, it would yet become a great tree sheltering the birds of the air (Luke 13:19). The small and apparently weak church became a mighty organisation known throughout the earth. Its history shows its moral grandeur; it shows, too, certain defects arising from human weakness and the love of worldly pomp and power contrary to the spirit of the Master. We