Saturday, April 25, 2020
Mark Twain Essays (389 words) - Mark Twain, Twain,
Mark Twain Mark Twain Mark Twain is proably the greatest American author to ever live. His style of writing changed the world forever. Before Mark Twain everyone wrote on serious topics. Twain was the first American to write comedys. People liked him because never bofore had their been an author who actually could make the reader laugh. Many people wonder how Mark Twian has become the greatest American author. Dr. Elliot Engle says Englands best writer, William Shakesphere, wrote over thirty-five wonderful plays. Mark Twain wrote only seven stories. Most of his stories are about kids. The one story that makes Mark Twain such a great author is the ?immortal Huckleberry Finn.? Dr. engle claims that this book will always be an American classic. Mark Twain was born 1835 in a small Missouri town called Hannibal. His birth name was Sammuel Langhorne Clemens. He used the name Mark Twain during his professional carrer. ?Twain drew on his boyhood along the Mississippi River for many of the characters and incidents in his work.?(Benets) It was obvious that Twain did not like his home state for Missouri. Once he left, ?He never returned?(Dr. Engle). Engle also says that he called his home state ?Misery?, instesd of Missouri. During his childhood, Twain's family was not very rich. His father was an unsuccssful lawyer from Virgina. Mark Twains days in school did not last very long because he dropped out. The first job that Twain got was working for the newspaper in Hannibal. This job was the worst in the town(DR. Engle). Every mourning he had to wake up at 4:30 to be at work by 5:00. When he got to work he had to chop wood to warm-up the office, wake the editor, cook the editors breakfast, pick-up the editors mess, and finally mop the floors. This was the eaisest part of his job. Hannibal did not have a typewriter to type the words onto the paper with, so Twain had to stamp every letter onto the paper. He never could find the letter he was looking for because the drunk janitor,who woked their, always was stamps in the wrong spot. So before every letter he put on the paper, Twain would have to look to make sure it was the correct one. English Essays
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Seven Strategies to Provide Help for Teachers
Seven Strategies to Provide Help for Teachers Most teachers are eager to learn, want to improve, and work hard at their craft. Some are more natural than others and innately understand what it takes to be an effective teacher. However, there are many teachers that need time and assistance in developing the skills it takes to be an outstanding teacher. All teachers have areas where they are strong and areas in which they are weak. The best teachers will work hard to improve in all areas. Sometimes a teacher needs assistance in identifying their strengths and weaknesses as well as a plan to improve. This is a crucial part of a principalââ¬â¢s job. A principal should know each teacherââ¬â¢s individual strength and weaknesses. They should develop a plan for providing help for teachers that focus on areas that need improvement. There are many ways that a principal can provide help for teachers. Here, we examine seven strategies that a principal may use in developing a plan of improvement for each teacher. Identify the Essential There are many areas that a teacher must be solid in to be an effective teacher. Being ineffective in one area often has an effect on other areas. As a principal, it is vital that you narrow the focus to what you consider being the biggest areas of need. For example, you may be working with a teacher in which you have identified six areas that need improvement. Working on all six areas at once will be overwhelming and counter-intuitive. Instead, identify the two that you believe are most prominent and start there. Create a plan that focuses on improving in those top areas of need. Once those areas improve to an effective level, then you can create a plan to work on other areas of need. It is critical that teacher understands that you are trying to help them throughout this process. They must trust that you have their best interest in mind. A strong principal will build a relationship with their teacher that allows them to be critical when they need to be without hurting a teacherââ¬â¢s feelings. Constructive Conversation A principal should have in-depth conversations on a regular basis with their teachers about the happenings in their classroom. These conversations not only give the principal perspective about what is happening in the classroom, they allow the principal to give helpful suggestions and tips through informal conversation. Most young teachers especially are sponges. They want to improve and seek out knowledge of how to do their job better. These conversations also are significant trust builders. A principal who actively listens to their teachers and works to create solutions to their problems will gain their trust. This can lead to helpful conversations that can immensely improve a teacherââ¬â¢s effectiveness. They will be more open when you are critical because they understand you are looking out for what is best for them and the school. Video/Journaling There are occasions in which a teacher may not see something as an area in which they need to improve. In this case, it may be advantageous for you to video a series of lessons so that they can watch it back to understand what you are seeing in your observations. Watching video of your teaching can be a powerful tool. You will be surprised at what you learn about yourself as you watch the tape back. This can lead to powerful reflection and realization that you do need to change to your approach in how you teach. Journaling can also be an exceptional tool to help a teacher improve. Journaling allows a teacher to keep track of different approaches they have used and to compare their effectiveness days, months, or even years later. Journaling allows to teachers to look back at where they were and see how much they have grown over the course of time. This self-reflection can spark a desire to continue to improve or to change an area in which the writing helps them realize they need to make changes. Model the Skills Principals are supposed to be the leaders in their building. Sometimes the best way to lead is to model. A principal should never be afraid to put a lesson together that focuses on an individual teacherââ¬â¢s weakness and then teach that lesson to the teacherââ¬â¢s class. The teacher should observe and make notes throughout the lesson. This should be followed up with a healthy conversation between you and the teacher. This conversation should focus on what they saw you do in their lessons that many of their lessons often lack. Sometimes a teacher simply needs to see it done right to understand what they need to change and how they are supposed to do it. Set up Observations With a Mentor There are teachers that are experts at their craft who are willing to share their insights and experiences with other teachers. This can be powerful in many different areas. Every young teacher should be given the opportunity to observe an established veteran teacher and have them serve as their mentor. This relationship should be a two-way street where the mentor could also observe the other teacher and provide feedback. There are so many positives that can come out of this type of relationship. A veteran teacher may be able to share something that clicks with the other teacher and sets them on the path of them becoming a mentor someday themselves. Provide Resources There are so many resources that a principal can provide a teacher that focuses on every possible area in which they may struggle. Those resources include books, articles, videos, and websites. It is essential to give your struggling teacher a variety of resources that provide multiple strategies for improving. What works for one teacher may not work for another. After giving them time to look through the material, follow it up with conversations to see what they took from the resources as well as how they plan to apply it to their classroom. Provide Specific Professional Development Another way to provide help for teachers is to give them professional development opportunities that are unique to their own individual needs. For example, if you have a teacher that struggles with classroom management, find an outstanding workshop which deals with classroom management and send them to it. This training can be invaluable to improving a teacher. When you send them to something you hope that they are able to gain valuable, applicable insights that they can immediately bring back to their classrooms and apply.
Monday, March 2, 2020
Edit and Proofread Your College Essay in Eight Steps
Edit and Proofread Your College Essay in Eight Steps Editing is a necessary part of the writing process. When you edit something you write, you inevitably make it better. This is especially true when it comes to writing essays.à Proofreading and editing your essay can seem tedious, but it is actually a simple task if you tackle it in an organized manner. Just remember to take it slow and check for one thing at a time. Step One: Use the Spellchecker Chances are you used a word processor to compose your essay. Most word processing programs are equipped with a spellchecker. To begin editing your essay, use the spellchecker option to check for spelling errors. Correct problems as you go. Next, use the grammar checker on your word processing program (if it has one) to check for grammar errors. Most grammar checkers now look for comma usage, run-on sentences, passive sentences, tense problems, and more. Using your judgment and the grammar checkerââ¬â¢s suggestions, edit your essay. Step Two: Print Your Essay Now itââ¬â¢s time to begin manually checking your essay. You could do this on your computer but it is better to print a copy if you can. Errors will be easier to catch on paper than on a computer screen. Step Three: Review Your Thesis Statement Begin by reading the thesis statement of your essay. Is it clear and easy to understand? Does the content of the essay properly support the statement? If not, consider revising the statement to reflect the content. Step Three: Review the Introduction Make sure that your introduction is concise and adequately developed. It should be more than a statement of your intentions and opinion. The introduction should set the tone of your essay- a tone that continues throughout. The tone should be consistent with the subject matter and the audience that you want to reach. Step Four: Review the Paragraph Structure Check the paragraph structure of your essay. Each paragraph should contain pertinent information and be free of empty sentences. Get rid of any sentence that seems slightly irrelevant. Also, check your transition sentences. Your essay will appear choppy is there is not a clear transition from one idea into the next. Step Five: Review the Conclusion The conclusion of your essay should reference your thesis statement. It should also be consistent with the structure and/or argument of your essay. Take extra time to polish your conclusion. It will be the last thing the reader sees and the first thing that they remember. Step Six: Read Your Essay Aloud Next, read your essay aloud. Pause in your reading as punctuation indicates. This will help you determine how your essay flows and sounds. If you hear something that you donââ¬â¢t like, change it and see if it sounds better. Step Seven: Manually Check Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation Once the content of your essay has been rewritten, itââ¬â¢s essential that you manually check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Your word processor will not catch everything. Check carefully for subject/verb agreement, tense sequence, plurals and possessives, fragments, run-ons, and comma usage.à Step Eight: Get Feedback If possible, have someone else read your essay and offer suggestions for improvement. If you donââ¬â¢t have anyone who can do this for you, do it yourself. Because youââ¬â¢ve spent so much time looking at it by now, set your essay aside for a couple of days before going back to it. This will allow you to critique it with a fresh pair of eyes. Editing and Proofreading Tips When writing your essay, make sure you allow time for edits.Follow the rules of your assignment. If you were given a word count, abide by it.Fact check. Fact check. Fact check.For a more organized essay, create an outline prior to writing. When you edit, refer to your outline to make sure that you covered all of the necessary points.Proofread slowly. Its easy to miss errors when you read too fast.
Friday, February 14, 2020
Leaderhip and Management in Resusitation Essay - 1
Leaderhip and Management in Resusitation - Essay Example Loss of time and error in the Resuscitation Department are paid dearly by the patientââ¬â¢s increased risk of morbidity (Rosen et al., 2008). In this scenario, there is an incessant demand for the healthcare team in the ERD to hone not only their specific individual and professional skills, but that they should learn to coordinate and work effectively as a team (Cooper and Wakelam, 1999; Sarcevic, Marsic, Waterhouse, Stockwell, and Burd, 2011). The high stress scenario of ERD is not an imagined reality. In fact, it is an actuality that is encountered daily by the healthcare team that is assigned in the ERD. Typically, the healthcare team only has 20 minutes to work together to ââ¬Å"(1) stabilize the patient by (2) rapidly identifying life-threatening injuries; (3) determine the extent of the injury; (4) develop a plan for definitive surgical management of the patientâ⬠(Sarcevic et al, 2011, p. 229). Generally, the team is composed of 7 -15 members and they include an attending surgeon, surgical residents or fellows, nurses, an orthopaedic surgeon, an anaesthesiologist, a respiratory therapist, a pharmacist and an X-ray technician (Sarcevic et al., 2011). Additional specialist may be added to the team depending on the need of the patient. In this regard, it can be inferred that the health care team in ERD is technically an interdisciplinary team that have come together for the primary purpose of providing the patient with the initial care that the patient crucially needs. With this perspective, this research will delve on the critical function of nurses-Resuscitation Officer in the ERD. Specifically, this research will focus on the impact of nursing leadership and management in the discharge of the functions of Resuscitation Officer in the Resuscitation Department. Nursing leadership and management in ERD is crucial not only
Sunday, February 2, 2020
My life in Alaska Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
My life in Alaska - Essay Example These differences are brought about by numerous factors, such as, background, place, and condition of birth and life, cultural milieu, and most importantly the country in which one spends most of oneââ¬â¢s life. As an Alaskan, I have certain unique experiences to share and have been brought up in a characterized manner. This is what characterizes my life in a manner that it is present. It makes me feel bound to my roots and proud of my background.à Alaska is a country that lies north of the United States of America. It is located on the continent of North America, and is not very linked with the outside world, owing to freezing temperatures and a completely different lifestyle. The climate at Alaska is mostly foggy, with rainfall every now and then. It is mountainous and the living areas are surrounded by mountains, mostly. The food available at Alaska is basically seafood, owing to the high availability of sea-creatures. In addition to this, the transport system at Alaska is qu ite different. It is tough to make oneââ¬â¢s way through the snow-covered passageways and the water that lies beneath the ice! There exists a ferry system sometimes, wherein people need to use them to cross over since there are a number of small island-like masses of lands.à In fact, the indigenous people of Alaska follow their own system of traditions and culture. Food is prepared through a smoke house, wherein sea food is prepared. The animals are used in every possible manner, to better the living of man in these regions.
Friday, January 24, 2020
Paavo Nurmi :: essays research papers
Paavo Nurmi is considered by some to be the greatest runner of all time. He was known as "The King of Runners" or the "Flying Finn". Famous all over the world, Nurmi became an unending source of national pride for the newly independent Finland. Paavo Nurmi was driven by love of running. He had a burning will to succeed in life, and racing was his way to gain recognition from his fellow men and to fulfil the high standards he had set for himself. Martti Jukola, a famous Finnish sports journalist, wrote in 1935: "There was something inhumanly stern and cruel about him, but he conquered the world by pure means: with a will that had supernatural power." At three Olympic Games from 1920 to 1928 Nurmi won a total of nine gold and three silver medals. Paavo Nurmi was born on the 13th of July, 1897, at Turku, a port town on the southwestern coast of Finland. In 1912, at the Olympic Games at Stockholm, Hannes Kolehmainen "ran Finland onto the map of the world", winning three gold medals in long-distance events. His races made an indelible impression on the 15-year-old Paavo Nurmi, who decided to do the same. Soon enough, Paavo got his first pair of running shoes and began serious training. 174 centimeters tall and weighing 65 kilograms at his prime, Paavo Nurmi was ideally built for a long-distance runner. In terms of basic training knowledge, Nurmi was self-educated. He was one of the first top athletes who had a systematic approach in training. Walking, running and calisthenics were the main elements of his harsh training regimen. He learned to measure his pace and its effects with a stop watch, and never raced without one in his hand. In 1914 Paavo Nurmi joined Turun Urheiluliitto, a local sports club that he was to represent all through his career. On May 29th, 1920, at Turku, he set his first Finnish national record. The distance was 3000 meters and the time 8.36,2. The Olympic Games at Antwerp in 1920 made Paavo Nurmi a star in Finland, a worthy successor of Hannes Kolehmainen. His first Olympic race, the 5000 meters, ended in bitter defeat to Joseph Guillemot of France. This was to be the only time that Nurmi lost in an Olympic final to a foreign runner, however. In the following days he won gold medals in 10 000 meters and the cross-country race, adding a third one in the team event of the latter.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Jehovah’s Witnesses
There are various Christian sects that deviated from the Roman Catholic religion. One of them is the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. The organization was formally established around 1870's in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (Watchtower, 1984, p. 203). ââ¬Å"At first they were known only as Bible Students, but in 1931 they adopted the Scriptural name Jehovah's Witnessesâ⬠¦ Their beliefs areâ⬠¦ a restoration of first-century Christianityâ⬠(Watchtower, 1984, p. 203). Jehovah's Witnesses base their beliefs in accordance to the New World Translation bible. Thus, they refrain from celebrating popular, pagan practices such birthday celebrations and holidays. They also remain neutral in government affairs and abstain from blood transfusion. Witnesses do not partake in pagan festivities and activities that humans have decided for themselves. This is because they firmly believe that it contradicts bible principles and teachings. They also desire to have an everlasting life and live under God's kingdom. In order to do this they have to disassociate from anything that is not in relation to the bible. In addition, Witnesses' concept of soul, hell and baptism are also derived from the bible. Witnesses immerse themselves in religious activities such as regular bible study, publication study, and attendance meetings to gain more knowledge about Jehovah. This enables them to effectively vindicate his name, which they do by actively participating in service-also known as door to door preaching. Witnesses have thoroughly researched the origin of birthdays. In their publication, Reasoning from the Scriptures, it states that [t]he various customs with which people today celebrate their birthdays have a long history. Their origins lie in the realm of magic and religion. The customs of offering congratulations, presenting gifts and celebrating- complete with lighted candles- in ancient times were meant to protect the birthday celebrant from the demons and to ensure his security for the coming yearâ⬠¦ (Schwabische Zeitung [German magazine] cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 69). Also, [t]he custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeksâ⬠¦ Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowned with special magic for granting wishesâ⬠¦. Birthday greetings have the power for good or ill because one is closer to the spirit world on this day (The Lore of Birthdays cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 69-70). In addition, holidays such as Christmas, New Year and Easter also come from pagan traditions. Christmas was set on December 25 because it correspond[s] to pagan festivals that took place around the time of the winter solstice, â⬠¦ to celebrate the rebirth of the sunâ⬠¦ The Roman Saturnalia (a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture, and to the renewed power of the sun), also took place at this timeâ⬠¦ Encyclopedia Americana cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 176). Also, ââ¬Å" ââ¬Ë[d]uring the Saturnaliaâ⬠¦ feasting prevailed, and gifts were exchanged. ââ¬Ëâ⬠(Encyclopedia Americana cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 178). Moreover, the early Christians considered the celebration of anyone's birth to be a pagan customâ⬠¦. [This is because] [b]irthday celebrations were held in honor of pa gan deities. For example, on May 24 Romans celebrated the birthday of the goddess Diana. On the following day, they observed the birthday of their sun-god, Apollo. Hence, birthday celebrations were associated with paganism, not with Christianity (The World Book Encyclopedia cited in Watchtower, 2005, p. 157). This does not mean that Witnesses do not engage in gift-giving. Witnesses give gifts to other people but they just practice this throughout the year, when it is not expected, instead of just a couple of occasions in a year such as Christmas and birthdays. To put it in line with the scriptures, 2 Corinthians 9:7 states ââ¬Å"Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giverâ⬠(New World Bible, 1984, p. 447). Thus, occasions such as Christmas and birthdays forces a person to get something for another individual even though they may not want to. Generally, people are expected to do this because the occasion expects them to do so. Likewise, New Year was established by Julius Caesar on January 1 in 46 B. C. to dedicate a day to the Roman god Janus- deity of gates, door s, and beginnings (The World Book Encyclopedia cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 180). Besides, the eggs associated with Easter ââ¬Å"is the emblem of the germinating life of early springâ⬠¦ The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertilityâ⬠(Watchtower, 1989, p. 179). Easter in fact ââ¬Å"bears its Chaldean origin on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else than Astarteâ⬠¦ the queen of heavenâ⬠¦ [also] the dyed eggs ofâ⬠¦ Easter Sunday, figured in the Chaldean rites just as they do nowâ⬠(The Catholic Encyclopedia cited in Watchtower, 1989, p. 180). In short, Witnesses do not condone merry-making, gathering of family members and close friends and even gift-giving. The only thing that they have a problem with is in regards to the origin of birthdays and holidays. To stress the importance of the fact that origins do matter, [s]uppose you saw a piece of candy lying in the gutter. Would you pick up that candy and eat it? Of course not! That candy is unclean. Like that candy, holidays may seem sweet, but they have been picked up from unclean places (Watchtower, 2005, p. 159). Another matter that Witnesses do not engage in is political affairs and anything that is related to it such as saluting the flag, singing the national anthem and being enlisted in military service. Witnesses emphasize the scripture in John 18:36 to support this belief. John 18:36 states what Jesus said when he was on trial before the Roman ruler Pilate, ââ¬Å" ââ¬ËMy kingdom is no part of this world, [because if it is] my attendants would have fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. Butâ⬠¦ my kingdom is not from this sourceâ⬠(New World Bible, 1984, p. 1356). This clearly shows that earthly kingdoms of any government entity do not deserve utmost devotion because they will not be able to provide eternal salvation (N. Sarmiento, 2008). In addition, Witnesses avoid blood transfusion at any cost. Abstaining from blood is stated in Acts 15:28, 29 The holy spirit and we ourselves [the governing body of the Christian congregation] have favored adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things, to keep from abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosperâ⬠¦ (New World Bible, 1984, p. 1383). Notice that blood is in the same category as idolatry and fornication. Therefore, [i]n God's eyes, our doing that [abstaining from blood] is as important as our avoiding idolatry and sexual immoralityâ⬠¦ w]e are wise, then, to put our trust in the rightness of God's lawâ⬠¦ [Witnesses] are sure that the Creator of blood knows what is best for themâ⬠(Watchtower, 2005, p. 130-131). Thus, the gravity of the matter is considered a very serious offense once it is committed. In addition, the only proper use of blood is to atone for one's sins. Leviticus 17:11 states, ââ¬Å"For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself have put it upon the altar for you to make atonement for your souls, because it is the blood that makes atonementâ⬠¦ â⬠(New World Bible, 1984, p. 159). Hence, Israelites used to sacrifice animal blood to atone for their sins. In earlier times, people have refrained from eating animal's blood. Considering this is the case, how much more so should people avoid human blood? ââ¬Å"Minicius Felix (third century C. E. ) [says that]: ââ¬ËSo much do we shrink from human blood, that we do not use the blood even of eatable animals in our food. ââ¬Ëâ⬠(Watchtower, 1989, p. 72). Thus, Witnesses reason that In a hospital, when a patient cannot eat through his mouth, he is fed intravenously. Now, would a person who never put blood into his mouth but who accepted blood by transfusion really be obeying the command to ââ¬Ëkeep abstaining fromâ⬠¦ blood'? Acts 15:29) To use a comparison, consider a man who is told by the doctor that he must abstain from alcohol. Would he be obedient if he quit drinking alcohol but had it put directly into his vein? (Watchtower, 1989, p. 73). Witnesses stick to their convictions because they follow what the bible says. Thus, they deem that ââ¬Å"beliefs and practices of t rue religion are not based on human views and tradition. They originate in God's inspired Word, the Bibleâ⬠(Watchtower, 2005, p. 146). Also, by observing Godââ¬â¢s word they know that they will gain everlasting life and will be there to be apart of Godââ¬â¢s Kingdom. This is an appealing concept to them because in Godââ¬â¢s Kingdom ââ¬Å"humans will no longer get sick and dieâ⬠¦ under Kingdom rule they will be able to live forever. The earth will be made into paradiseâ⬠(Watchtower, 2005, p. 84). Equally important is that Witnesses do not abide by popular notions about the soul. Based on research, Witnesses found out that the soulââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"immortalityâ⬠started with the ââ¬Å"Babylonians [who] believed that humans have an immortal soul that survives the body after death and can suffer in a place of tormentâ⬠(Watchtower, 2005, p. 52). As for the concept of hell, scriptures such as the one in Ezekiel 18:4 mentions that ââ¬Å"â⬠¦The soul that is sinning-it itself will dieâ⬠(New World Bible, 1984, p. 1079). Romans 6: 23 also states ââ¬Å"The wages sin pays is deathâ⬠¦ â⬠(New World Bible, 1984, p. 1411). And 1 Thessalonian 1:8-9 says ââ¬Å"those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strengthâ⬠(New World Bible, 1984, p. 1476-77). These scriptures just illustrate the fact that the concept of hell, which most people perceive as a fiery place of torment, is not really stated anywhere in the bible as the punishment of people who constantly go against bible principles. The only outcome of their disobedient act is that they will perish. Hence, they will not be able to live in paradise earth for eternity and enjoy the wonderful blessings that will be bestowed upon the people who make it to this place. In addition, hell does not reflect Godââ¬â¢s true personality. Witnesses further explain this by saying, What would you think of a parent who held his child's hand over a fire to punish the child for wrongdoing? ââ¬ËGod is love' [according to 1 John 4:8] Would he do what no right-minded parent would do? Certainly not! â⬠(Watchtower, 1984, p. 174). Another argument that is used to support this can be found in Jeremiah 7:31 which states, They [apostate Judeans] have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, in order to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart (New World Bible, 1984, p. 75). Also, the other plausible reason is that In ancient Babylo[n] and Assyri[a,] beliefs [about] the ââ¬Ënether worldâ⬠¦ is pictured as a place full of horrors, and is presided over by gods and demons of great strength and fierceness'â⬠¦ Early evidence of the fiery aspect of Christendom's hell is found in the religion of ancient Egypt (Religion of Babylonia and Assyria ci ted in Watchtower, 1984, p. 175). While Witnesses take the idea of baptism very seriously. The Reasoning from the Scriptures publication of the Watchtower defines baptism as ââ¬Å"an outward symbol that the one being baptized has made a complete, unreserved, and unconditional dedication through Jesus Christ to do the will of Jehovah Godâ⬠(Watchtower, 1984, p. 54). Hence, the decision to dedicate one's life to Jehovah requires mature thinking even by children. Witnesses have certain requirements before a child can be baptized. First of all, the child has to study the bible and Witness publications. This is because the child has to understand and accept Christian teachings and beliefs so he or she will know how to serve Jehovah properly. The child also has to talk to an elder-an adult Witness who carries numerous religious responsibilities- to discuss his or her desire to be baptized. The elder will then ask the child, when the child is ready, questions regarding Christian teachings and beliefs to see if the child can take on the responsibility of serving Jehovah. After baptism, the child is formally apart of the congregation. Witnesses go through this process because they have strict and demanding spiritual activities. Witnesses do not take spiritual activities lightly. People who have been baptized as a Witness know all too well that being a Christian becomes their main priority. They are responsible to do the will of ââ¬Å"Jehovah God [and] it must be [their] main purpose in lifeâ⬠(Watchtower, 2005, p. 179). Thus, people make sure that they are living their life in accordance to bible principles. In addition, baptism ââ¬Å"publicly indicates your desire to serve God. It shows that you are delighted to do Jehovah's Willâ⬠(Watchtower, 2005, p. 175). Being a true Christian is not easy because the world is full of temptations. To maintain strict adherence to bible principles, studying the bible and Witness publications reinforces what they know so that they can keep themselves grounded. This enables them to self-police themselvesâ⬠(N. Sarmiento, 2008). While meetings-scheduled during a weekday and one every Sunday- allow Christians to know more about God through the bible (N. Sarmiento, 2008). Thus, attending meetings helps a perso n spiritually because it ââ¬Å"increase[s] your knowledge of Godâ⬠(Watchtower, 2005, p. 176). Finally, the extensive knowledge that they have accumulated is used to preach the word of God. Witnesses stress the importance of service because as ââ¬Å"true followers of Jesus Christ [Witnesses] proclaim God's heavenly Kingdom as the only hope for mankindâ⬠(Watchtower, 2005, p. 151). Also, ââ¬Å"most Witnesses are excited to share what they have learned and canââ¬â¢t wait to share it to everyone they knowâ⬠(N. Sarmiento, 2008). Thus, Witnesses naturally ââ¬Å"find it hard to keep what [they] have learned to [themselves]â⬠¦ â⬠(Watchtower, 2005, p. 177). Therefore, service is a way to impart what one has learned to others. Engaging in service also shows that a person is following God's teaching. Acts 10:42 states, ââ¬Å"he ordered us to preach and to give a thorough witnessâ⬠(New World Bible, 1984, p. 1376). In addition, people will not hear the good news of the kingdom if they do not go out there and preach it to people everywhere (N. Sarmiento, 2008). Jehovahââ¬â¢s Witnesses is an organization that has been misunderstood by most people. Indeed, most people will act indifferent-even discriminate-towards Jehovahââ¬â¢s Witnesses because they do not partake in birthdays, holidays, political affairs and even accept blood transfusion for their own health. Many people also think that their door to door preaching is their way of imposing their belief upon others. However, even though these people are targets of ridicule; they remain strong in their beliefs and active in their religious activities because they know that it is in accordance with bible principles. They also know that obeying Godââ¬â¢s teachings will enable them to have everlasting life and be apart of Godââ¬â¢s Kingdom that will come.
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