John D. Arthurs s Preaching With Variety - 822 Words

Variety of Preaching by Jeffrey D. Arthurs Book Analysis by CH (CPT) Stephanie Handy The book that I read was entitled â€Å"Preaching with Variety† by Jeffrey D. Arthurs. It is a great resource and provided a wealth of information on various preaching styles and form. â€Å"The book describes the rhetorical dynamics of biblical genres and suggest how preachers can reproduce some of those dynamics in their sermon† (pg. 15). The content of the book consisted of illustrations, a forward, introduction, epilogue, notes, and a bibliography section. The author discussed various was to use the psalm, parable, proverb, epistle, narrative, and apocalyptic literature in preaching. Four of the topics discussed in the book focused on communication, the psalm, narrative, and parable. In chapter one, Arthurs pointed that God is the â€Å"great communicator† who communicated with variety. Variety is found throughout the word of God. Because God is a great communicator who used variety, preachers should preach with variety. Jesus used all kinds of form style, a nd genres of preaching. He knew how to get people attention. Preaching with variety helps the text to come alive. â€Å"Jesus used anecdotes, stories, paradoxes, contradictions, humor, irony, questions, and answers† (pg. 21), so we can too. Not only did Jesus used parables, objects, monologue and dialogue, but he used parables and symbols. For Arthurs, â€Å"God is an artist and a persuader who expresses himself with skillsShow MoreRelatedFeasibility Studies for Bookstore and Coffee Shop15507 Words   |  63 Pages Leaflets Bookstore’s goal is to serve our customers with resources with that will enrich their minds and improve their skills. It also aims to provide them with the most efficient way of book shopping. The bookstore will offer a large variety of books including published and second-hand/used books. 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Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesand permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturersRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 PagesEDITION - PROJECT MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES, SECOND EDITION HAROLD KERZNER, Ph.D. Division of Business Administration Baldwin-Wallace College Berea, Ohio John Wiley Sons, Inc. This book is printed on acid-free paper. @ Copyright O 2006 by John Wiley Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in anyRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesbuilt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul SingaporeRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagesimpact of Rastafari on the evolution of Jamaicas indigenous popular culture. 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During this time he developed and presented a variety of documentaries, and in 1972 he became the host of his own weekly prime-time science series, The Burke Special. The programs earned for Burke a Royal Television Society Silver Medal in 1972 and a Gold Medal in 1973. In 1975-1976, Burke co-authored

Succubus Revealed Chapter 12 Free Essays

string(95) " kind of hoped that since Bob wasn’t a blatant alcoholic, he’d be more reasonable\." My brief conversation with Kayla tormented me for the rest of the evening as I corralled kids at the mall. I couldn’t shake the image of her eyes as she told me about â€Å"the Darkness.† It was one of those times I both blessed and cursed her psychic abilities. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Revealed Chapter 12 or any similar topic only for you Order Now If she hadn’t had them at all, I never would’ve known anything was amiss in the Mortensen household. But with her imprecise understanding of her powers, I was left with too many questions about what she might have sensed. Erik would’ve known instantly. There was another thing for me to worry about. Erik. Murdered because of me. And if we were operating on the assumption that Hell had directly acted against him, then what was I supposed to think about Kayla? In the past, any unusual supernatural activity in the area had been the result of rogue forces outside of the Heaven and Hell system. After all, Heaven and Hell had certain rules they were supposed to follow. Milton was proof, however, that Hell wasn’t above breaking those. So was it possible someone from my own side had been visiting Andrea Mortensen – coincidentally during the times her condition worsened? And if so, why? That, as Roman had pointed out, was a question with an answer that would crack all of this wide open. My only pause in ruminating on immortal affairs came when I tried to coax Walter into doing a house call to the Mortensens. Two mothers had gotten in a fight in line, so we were all on an impromptu break while mall security sorted matters out. â€Å"Santa doesn’t do house calls,† Walter told me. â€Å"Last time I checked, that’s exactly what Santa does,† I countered. â€Å"Every Christmas Eve.† â€Å"Santa can’t just be hired out for entertainment. Children must either wait until Christmas morning or come visit the retail wonderland Santa’s gazebo is in. Those are the rules.† â€Å"Of course you can be hired out,† I said. â€Å"It’s why you’re working here to begin with! Come on, I’ll pay you. I’ll buy you a drink. Both, if you want. These are little girls who need to see Santa. Their mother has cancer, for God’s sake. How can you not be moved by that?† He peered at me through his spectacles. â€Å"I’m very sorry for their plight, but I can’t do it. Taking on this role is a commitment for the holiday season, a vow to stay true to the spirit of Santa. If I’m outside this mall while playing this role, and Bob is here playing the same role, then what does that say to the children?† I stared at him incredulously. â€Å"Well, unless these children are capable of breaking the rules of time and space, none of them would know there’s a Santa here, in Lake Forest Park, or in any of the other thousands of malls in this country.† â€Å"I would know. I can’t be Santa while Bob is playing Santa. It would break our sacred pact.† † ‘Sacred pact?’ It’s just a job!† I was seriously considering breaking the drinking rule. If I got him tipsy enough, surely he’d agree to what I wanted. â€Å"Not to us, it isn’t,† he told me solemnly. Security finished up their intervention, and the line began moving again, bringing the discussion to a halt before I could point out that last I’d checked, liters of whiskey weren’t part of the â€Å"spirit of Santa† either. I might as well have been Grumpy for the rest of my shift. I appreciated Walter’s dedication to the role, but honestly, it was kind of pushing absurdity. I stayed at Seth’s place that night, in spite of my earlier plans to talk to Roman about what Kayla had told me. But when I called Seth on my way home, there was just something so sad and strained in his voice that I knew it was more important to be with him. Andrea’s worsening condition had hit him hard. He and I spent the night chastely, but there was a desperation in the way he held me, a sense that I was all that was keeping him going in this madness. â€Å"Oh, Thetis,† he whispered, kissing my cheek as we snuggled in bed. â€Å"What am I going to do without you?† â€Å"Don’t worry about it,† I said automatically. â€Å"I’m still here for a while.† â€Å"I know,† he said. â€Å"But then . . .† Silence. My heart lurched. â€Å"I know,† I said at last. â€Å"I know you can’t leave them. It’s okay.† â€Å"At least until she gets better. . . .† His words faltered for a moment. I could guess his emotions because I shared them. We were both worried about that looming, unspoken fear. That maybe Andrea wouldn’t get better. And the really, really awful thing was that if she didn’t, then eventually, Seth might be able to come to me in Las Vegas. But how could I live with myself knowing what the price of my happiness was? He finally managed to find his words again. â€Å"I understand why you get so frustrated with the universe,† he said. â€Å"I’ve never wanted anything so much as I’ve wanted to be with you. I finally got you . . . and now this happens. People talk about throwing everything away for love, but reality doesn’t work out that way. And honestly, if I was the kind of guy who could ignore his family for his own selfish wants . . . well, then, I don’t think I’d be worthy of you. So here we are.† â€Å"It’s okay,† I repeated, forcing more bravery than I felt. â€Å"We’ll be fine. They need you. Do what you have to do.† â€Å"Georgina.† â€Å"Seth.† I brushed my lips against his. â€Å"This is more important right now.† â€Å"Than us?† he asked. It took me a long time to answer. But I did. â€Å"Yes.† The next day I had an early shift at the mall, working with Bob. I attempted the same bargain I had with Walter, in the hopes of arranging a visit to the Mortensen girls, only to be met with the same response. I’d kind of hoped that since Bob wasn’t a blatant alcoholic, he’d be more reasonable. You read "Succubus Revealed Chapter 12" in category "Essay examples" No such luck. He was full of the same nonsense about the magic and integrity of the Santa role. Fortunately, things improved when I found Roman at home afterward. We had bowling practice that night, but I’d wanted to talk to him in private. My other immortal friends could be coaxed on board with a lot, but as Hell’s hand became more obvious in all of this, I was hesitant to get them involved. Roman didn’t face the same repercussions, and I didn’t mind exposing myself to the wrath of my employers. I was less excited about subjecting my immortal friends to that same wrath on my behalf. â€Å"Did she say anything else about this ‘Darkness’?† Roman wanted to know, once I’d recapped everything for him. â€Å"Greater immortal, lesser immortal, outside deity?† â€Å"She doesn’t understand what any of that is,† I said. â€Å"She’s only four. Five now, I guess.† â€Å"She needs to understand it,† he said darkly. â€Å"You should train her up.† â€Å"With everything else going on in her life? I think that’s the last thing she needs.† â€Å"Not if some supernatural creature is making her mom sick!† Roman perched on the edge of the couch, his sea green eyes both thoughtful and angry. â€Å"And let’s face it, Georgina. If something is, I really can’t imagine it’s because the powers that be have singled out that family by random. If something’s targeting Andrea Mortensen, it’s because of her connection to you.† I felt ill. More consequences, laid at my feet. â€Å"So Andrea suffers because of me,† I said, sinking into a chair. â€Å"Wonderful.† â€Å"It’s Hell,† said Roman. â€Å"What do you expect? If they want back at you for something, then they’re going to find creative ways to do it.† â€Å"Seems like there are more direct ways to make me ‘pay,’ † I noted. â€Å"Especially seeing as they own the contract on my soul. We’re assuming a lot that this is Hell.† Roman shrugged. â€Å"Not really. We already know they’re interfering with your life. And healing and injuring are specific powers given to angels and demons.† â€Å"Do you think Carter could tell what visited her?† I asked. â€Å"If he looked at Andrea?† â€Å"I think he could.† Roman considered for a few moments. â€Å"The question is if he would get involved with it at all. You know how he is. Heaven, at least, makes a pretense of playing by the rules.† I nodded slowly, remembering my last conversation and how reluctant Carter had been to intervene. â€Å"True,† I murmured. â€Å"Well,† said Roman, straightening. â€Å"You can ask him right now.† â€Å"Huh? How?† â€Å"He’s coming to practice. I overheard him and Jerome talking about it yesterday.† Apparently, Seth wasn’t the only one with a perverse interest in watching Jerome’s misfits bowl for his honor. I stood up as well. â€Å"Then let’s go. I’ll drive.† As we headed downstairs, I gave Roman a sidelong look. â€Å"Have you ever wondered how you’d look in a white beard and Santa hat?† Roman returned my look warily. â€Å"No, I have not.† I quickly explained how the Mortensen girls hadn’t seen Santa yet this year. He was already shaking his head before I finished the story. â€Å"Come on, Roman. They need to see Santa. And I know you don’t have any of those hang-ups like Walter does about multiple Santas existing together.† â€Å"Nope,† agreed Roman. â€Å"My hang-up is about preserving my dignity, no matter how good the cause. Besides, I don’t feel that guilty. If you really wanted them to see Santa, you could shape-shift and put us all to shame.† I scowled. It was annoying because it was true. Roman and I were the last to arrive at the bowling alley, much to my dismay. I’d hoped to speak with Carter privately, but he and Jerome were already deep in conversation (and in their cups). The rest of the Unholy Rollers were waiting anxiously for their leader and gave me no end of grief for not wearing my shirt. â€Å"I forgot,† I said. â€Å"It’s no big deal. I’ll wear it for the real game.† Peter sighed. â€Å"But it helps build team solidarity now. And that sense of bonding and closeness will make us better.† â€Å"Actually,† said Jerome, â€Å"hitting more pins would make you better.† â€Å"Look,† I told Peter. â€Å"If I have to use the bathroom at some point, I’ll shape-shift the shirt on.† â€Å"It’s not the same,† he grumbled. Fortunately, Jerome’s impatience allowed little time for further debate on the matter. He hadn’t seen how our last practice had ended and was anxious to know if we’d improved. We had, to be fair, but I think Jerome was expecting us to all be throwing strikes every time. When it was clear that wasn’t the case, he grew impatient and angry. â€Å"How can you do that?† he demanded, after Cody made an impressive 9-1 spare. â€Å"Why can’t you just hit them all the first time?† He glared at Roman. â€Å"Do something.† Roman eyed his father irritably, not liking his teaching skills questioned, especially since Cody was the best of us. â€Å"Why don’t you? Why don’t you give it a shot, Pop?† Jerome had been up pacing by the lane but wouldn’t deign to actually touch a ball himself. â€Å"Because it’s not my job,† Jerome retorted. Roman rolled his eyes. â€Å"Then let me do mine.† While they bickered, I leaned over to Carter. â€Å"I need to talk to you. In private. Can you stick around after this?† Carter had been watching the father?Cson exchange, but his eyes flicked briefly toward me when I spoke. He gave a small, barely perceptible nod. And when Jerome returned to his seat a few moments later, saying he wanted to leave and drink off his annoyance at the Cellar, Carter declined the offer. â€Å"Nah,† he said lazily, stretching. â€Å"I think I’ll see how this pans out. There’s no way Peter can keep throwing splits like that every time. It defies all the rules of physics.† Peter looked torn on whether he should be flattered or not by that. â€Å"Fine,† said Jerome. â€Å"If you’ve got any miracles you can work to help them, now’s the time to cash them in.† â€Å"Noted,† said Carter, waving as Jerome left. My lesser immortal friends were agitated by our boss’s disapproval, so I focused on the game and didn’t bring anything up with Carter until we finished our practice. Jerome could criticize all he wanted, but Roman really was a good teacher. I think our greatest triumph was when Peter went four frames in a row without a split, thus returning the laws of physics back to their rightful state. True, he didn’t get any strikes or spares either, but by that point, we were all so exhausted that we were willing to take what victories we could. Roman, Carter, and I let the others leave ahead of us – once I’d promised I would definitely wear my team shirt next time, of course. As soon as we had relative privacy, I explained my problem to Carter. His face grew graver and graver as he listened. â€Å"Daughter of Lilith,† he said when I was done, â€Å"you know I can’t interfere.† â€Å"I’m not asking you to,† I said. â€Å"Not exactly. I just want to know if you could tell if someone – like a demon – had made Andrea Mortensen sick.† Carter’s gray eyes were unreadable. â€Å"Yes. I can tell.† â€Å"Will you go see her with me and tell me what you sense? That’s it. I’m not asking you to break any rules.† Well, I didn’t think I was. Honestly, I didn’t understand half of these â€Å"rules† he was always talking about. â€Å"I just need the information.† â€Å"Okay,† he said, after what felt like forever. â€Å"I’ll go with you. Giving you that information doesn’t violate anything.† â€Å"I don’t suppose,† said Roman, â€Å"that telling us why Hell would do this wouldn’t violate anything either?† I answered before Carter could. â€Å"We already know. To get to me. I’ve pissed somebody off, and they’re going to make me suffer by making those I love suffer.† â€Å"Yeah, but why Andrea?† asked Roman. â€Å"I mean, no offense, but there are other ways to hurt you more. Why not make Seth suffer?† I couldn’t help but scoff. â€Å"Well. With this transfer, I kind of feel like he already – † I came to a screeching halt, once I realized what I’d been about to say. Roman was sitting opposite me in one of the worn leather chairs, and from the rabid look in his eyes, I thought he was going to reach over and shake me. â€Å"What?† he demanded. â€Å"What did you just think of?† â€Å"Andrea’s sickness is terrible,† I said slowly. â€Å"A horrible, unfair thing that could hurt her whole family. But there’s something else. As long as she’s sick, as long as the whole family needs help . . . Seth has to stay with them. He can’t go to Las Vegas with me.† â€Å"And there it is,† said Roman, wonder lighting his eyes. â€Å"That’s what this transfer is about. To get you out of Seattle, away from Seth, and to make sure he can’t follow.† â€Å"Eventually . . .† My stomach was twisting again, just like it always did when I thought of people being affected because of me. â€Å"Eventually he’d be able to. Andrea will either get better, or . . . or she won’t.† â€Å"Yes, but how long?† demanded Roman. â€Å"How long will that take? Long enough for you to fall even more in love with your picture-perfect scenario – the one that they handcrafted for you? Long enough for you to move on with some other artsy introverted mortal? By the time he’s free, it won’t matter.† I was staring off at Roman but not really seeing him. Jerome had always been annoyed at my relationship with Seth, chastising me for being too attached to a mortal and letting it affect my job. Carter himself had said I was doing something that Hell didn’t like. Was it possible this was it? That all of these forces were moving to keep Seth and me apart? â€Å"If Hell wants me away from Seth, then why not just forbid it?† I asked. â€Å"Jerome’s given me a hard time before. Or why not just drop me somewhere . . . anywhere . . . that isn’t here? Why should they care that it’s a place I’ll fall in love with?† â€Å"So that you’ll forget him,† said Roman. â€Å"So that you won’t look back. If they ordered you apart, a teenage forbidden romance complex would kick in like that.† He snapped his fingers. â€Å"You’d never stop pining for him. But this . . . this is more subtle. And effective.† â€Å"It is,† I agreed, still reeling. â€Å"Even after all of Jerome’s criticism, I never thought . . . I never thought Hell would be this upset over me being with a human.† Roman had no answer for me but lifted his eyes to Carter. â€Å"You’re being awfully quiet.† Carter shrugged, face neutral. â€Å"You two have plenty to say. No need for me to chime in.† â€Å"Are we right?† I asked the angel. â€Å"Of course we are,† said Roman. â€Å"You’ve always known Hell thought you were too distracted by Seth. This explains everything.† â€Å"Doesn’t explain Erik,† I said. â€Å"Are you sure you have nothing to add?† asked Roman, gaze still on Carter. â€Å"I think we should get to the Mortensens’ before it gets much later,† said Carter mildly. â€Å"I’m sure those girls have respectable bedtimes.† I stood up, knowing we’d get nothing else from him. â€Å"I have to drop Roman off at home first. Then we can go over there.† â€Å"How are you going to get me in to see her?† asked Carter. â€Å"It’ll be a little weird bringing in a stranger to a sick woman’s bedroom. Do you want me to go invisibly?† I’d been about to suggest that very thing when a new idea struck me. I gave Carter a once-over. â€Å"Have you ever wanted to put on a Santa suit?† â€Å"I have always wanted to do that,† said Carter gravely. Roman groaned. Once I explained the situation to Carter, however, he was totally on board. In fact, he told me not to worry about the costume arrangements and promised to meet me at Terry’s in an hour, once I’d had a chance to drop Roman off. As soon as we were in the privacy of the parking lot, Carter vanished into thin air. â€Å"I hope he doesn’t get an outfit from wherever it is he normally does his shopping,† I mused to Roman as we drove. â€Å"We don’t want a hobo Santa. Although, if Ian’s there, he’d probably approve and say we were breaking out of the mainstream’s iron grip.† â€Å"Goddamned hipsters,† said Roman. He leaned his head against the car’s window. â€Å"You’re rolling the dice a little with Carter, but something tells me he won’t mess this up, not for a bunch of girls with a sick mother. He’s an angel, after all. He’s got to earn his keep somehow.† â€Å"And thank goodness he doesn’t have any hang-ups about Santa being at more than one place at the same time,† I joked. â€Å"No space?Ctime contradictions there.† Roman jerked up so fast, I nearly slammed on the brakes, thinking I was about to hit something. Half a second later, I realized whatever had startled him was in his own head. â€Å"Oh God,† he said. â€Å"What?† I asked, acting like him earlier. â€Å"What did you just think of?† â€Å"I think . . . I think I’ve figured this out.† There was awe in his voice. â€Å"What? This mystery we’ve been beating our heads against? We already figured it out.† Roman shook his head, wide-eyed. â€Å"No . . . oh, Jesus. Georgina, if I’m right . . . how do I even prove if I am?† He leaned back in dismay. â€Å"How do I get proof?† â€Å"Tell me what you’re thinking,† I demanded. â€Å"No. Not yet. Just drop me off, and we’ll talk when you’re done. I have to figure this out.† There wasn’t much that was more infuriating than that. I hated having the lure of a secret being dangled before me. I hated the â€Å"I’ll tell you later† stance. But no matter how much I badgered him, he refused to say any more. With Carter on his way to Terry’s, I couldn’t linger long over Roman. I had to get to Lake Forest Park first. With much grumbling, I left Roman to his machinations, after first warning him that he’d better be ready to spill when I got home later. When I arrived at the Mortensens’ soon thereafter, I was relieved to see that Seth was around and that all the girls were still awake. Recalling Carter’s joke, I’d worried on my drive over that it might be past the littler ones’ bedtime. Most of them were in their pajamas, but it was clear from their excited reaction to me that sleep was the farthest thing from their mind. Returning their hugs, I couldn’t help but imagine their response when the real act showed up. Only Brandy stayed on the couch when the others hugged me. She still smiled and nodded in greeting, but there was a haunted, hollow look that hadn’t been there yesterday during our outing. My heart ached for her. After letting her have her night out, they must have told her the truth today about her mom. I sat down on the other end of the couch. â€Å"Did you have fun last night?† â€Å"Yeah,† she said. â€Å"It was okay.† â€Å"Do you want to see the pictures?† asked Kendall excitedly. She nudged Brandy. â€Å"Show her!† Smiling at her sister’s enthusiasm, Brandy produced her cell phone and gave it to me to scroll through. It was filled with the kinds of pictures girls her age like to take, group shots of her and her friends crowded in, some with silly faces. I was pleased to see that it looked like any other school dance. I hadn’t been sure what to expect from a church. The shots of her in particular were stunning. Margaret had done a good job with the French twist. One picture showed Brandy grinning next to a cute boy with sandy blond hair. He looked like a smart surfer. I glanced over at her and raised a questioning eyebrow. She nodded. â€Å"Nice,† I said. A knock at the door brought everyone’s excited chatter to a halt. Terry looked up in surprise from where he’d been leafing through a picture book with McKenna. â€Å"Who on earth is that?† He glanced around the room, as though doing a head count to make sure anyone who might possibly stop by was already here. I suppose with that many daughters, there was always the risk of losing track of one. Ian, Margaret, Seth, and I were also accounted for. There weren’t too many others who would drop in unannounced. â€Å"I don’t know,† I said cheerfully. â€Å"Seth, why don’t you answer the door and see?† Seth immediately picked up on the tone in my voice. He shot me a questioning look but walked over to the door anyway. He turned the knob and leaped back in astonishment when Carter burst in through the door. Well, I was taking it on faith that it was Carter, based on our earlier conversation. Because really, the man who entered the living room looked nothing like the disreputable angel I knew. In fact, he didn’t look like any of the Santas I knew. He looked better. There was magic in the way he moved his round frame. His red suit seemed to shimmer, and his rosy cheeks looked like he’d just come in from the North Pole, not a dreary Seattle winter. He had out-Santa’ed Santa. â€Å"Ho ho ho!† he bellowed, in a voice that filled the entire house. â€Å"Merry Christmas!† Dead silence and wide eyes met him for a few moments. Then Kendall and the twins began squealing in delight as they ran over to him. â€Å"Santa! Santa!† â€Å"What are you doing here?† demanded Kendall. â€Å"You aren’t contractually obligated to come here until Christmas Eve.† â€Å"True,† he said in a booming voice that I still couldn’t believe was Carter’s. â€Å"But I have to find out what you want for Christmas, don’t I?† This was met with more oohs and ahhs, and the twins urged him to sit down on the couch. Brandy scrambled out of the way, and Kendall immediately took her turn first, claiming Santa’s lap. Margaret and Terry looked like they were going to burst into tears. Ian looked dumbfounded. Seth caught my arm and pulled me to the side. â€Å"Is that one of the guys you work with?† he whispered. I grinned. â€Å"In a manner of speaking. It’s Carter.† Seth did a double take, wearing the amazement I’d felt earlier. â€Å"Really? But how . . . I mean . . . even his body . . .† â€Å"Mysterious ways,† I replied. Kendall was rattling off a list of board games and economics books. Nearby, the twins stood quivering with excitement, eager for their turn but too well bred to show bad manners in front of Santa. After a few subscriptions to prominent business magazines and newspapers, Terry gently cut Kendall off and suggested she let her sisters take a turn. Kendall agreed eagerly, but not before throwing her arms around Carter and thanking him. â€Å"Okay,† said Seth, drawing me near. â€Å"This was kind of amazing. Not that I should be surprised by anything you do anymore.† He kissed my forehead. â€Å"We definitely have to make the most out of your last month. If we’re going to be apart for a long time, then we have to find a way to work around my schedule here.† I started to protest and tell him not to change his plans with the family because of me but stayed silent instead. Some desperate part of me wondered, what did any of it matter? If Hell wanted us apart, then we couldn’t stand against that. â€Å"A long time† would become â€Å"never.† Maybe I really should be trying harder to maximize these last precious days. And yet if I did . . . would that make Hell work harder against us? Glancing up, I saw Morgan had now replaced McKenna on Carter’s lap. They were having a discussion on the virtues of two different kinds of pony action figures. Morgan wasn’t sure what kind she wanted. â€Å"Princess Ponies come in more colors,† she told him seriously. â€Å"True,† he said. â€Å"But some of the Power Prism Ponies are unicorns. And you can do more stuff with their hair.† Across the room, I saw Kayla curled up in a chair, watching Carter raptly but making no moves to talk to him. Slipping away from Seth, I walked over and knelt beside her. â€Å"Are you going to tell Santa what you want?† I asked in a very soft voice. It took Kayla several moments to tear her gaze from him. â€Å"He’s not Santa,† she said. I was grateful she spoke as quietly as me. No one else heard. â€Å"Of course he is,† I said. â€Å"Who else would he be?† â€Å"He’s not Santa.† She smiled and studied him again. â€Å"He’s beautiful. He’s more beautiful than anything.† No human could see an angel in his or her true form, unless the angel revealed it. Even then, a human would be destroyed by it. No, Kayla wasn’t seeing Carter’s true form, not exactly, but she was seeing something. Some piece of his true nature. I felt a moment of envy, wondering what it was she saw, what her senses allowed her that mine didn’t. Whatever it was, I’d never know, but the enchanted look on her face made it clear it was wonderful. â€Å"Beautiful,† she repeated. She looked back at me. â€Å"Can he stop the Darkness?† â€Å"He’ll try,† I said. Not the entire truth, but it would have to suffice. â€Å"Can you pretend he’s Santa? Tell him what you want for Christmas?† She nodded solemnly, just as Morgan finished and Carter beckoned toward us. I walked Kayla over. I helped her onto his lap, and he glanced up at me with twinkling gray eyes. Those, if nothing else, were definitely Carter’s. I stepped back and let them talk. Kayla continued staring adoringly at him, but no one except me knew what truly captivated her. She looked like any other child starstruck by Santa as she related her list, making no mention of his beauty or supernatural creatures prowling through her home at night. Leaving them to it, I quietly went upstairs and peered in Andrea’s room. She was awake, reading a book. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her face looked gaunter than last time. She nonetheless gave me a cheery smile. â€Å"Georgina,† she said. â€Å"I should’ve known you were the source of all that commotion.† I laughed. â€Å"Not all of that. A friend of mine is here, playing Santa for the girls. He’s taking their Christmas orders right now.† Her expression softened, resembling the near tears I’d seen on the others’ faces. â€Å"That’s very sweet of him. And of you.† â€Å"Would you like to meet him before he leaves?† I asked. Andrea grimaced and absentmindedly patted her hair. â€Å"Yes, in theory . . . but Lord. I look terrible.† â€Å"Believe me,† I said. â€Å"He doesn’t care.† When I went back downstairs, Kayla had finished, and Carter was trying to get a list out of Brandy who told him point-blank there was no way she was getting on his lap. â€Å"I think you have plenty to work on with their orders,† she told him good-naturedly. â€Å"And there’s nothing you want?† he asked in his best echoing Santa voice. â€Å"Nothing you can give, I’m afraid,† she said. Her smile faltered. â€Å"But thanks.† Carter peered at her with that piercing look he sometimes used on me, the one that seemed to look right inside me. â€Å"No,† he agreed. â€Å"You’re right. But I can give you all my prayers. And my hopes for the best.† Brandy stared at him, caught up in that gaze, and simply nodded. I don’t think she knew what a powerful thing it was, for an angel to offer all of his prayers, but she most certainly sensed the sincerity and intention in his words. â€Å"Thanks,† she repeated. I caught hold of Carter’s arm. â€Å"Their mom wants to meet you, Santa.† He stood up and followed me to the stairs. We passed Ian along the way, who watched us condescendingly. â€Å"Aren’t you going to ask what I want?† Carter paused and looked him over from head to toe. â€Å"Sorry. My workshop doesn’t do shabby chic.† Carter continued following me, despite Ian’s protest that his style was â€Å"vintage† and that â€Å"shabby chic is for wannabes.† If Andrea felt insecure at the thought of meeting a stranger, she did a good job of hiding it. Indeed, when Carter walked into her bedroom, a little awe passed over her face, reminding me of Kayla. Andrea couldn’t see what her daughter had, but I think she sensed some of Carter’s grace. He came to a halt at the foot of her bed and took of his red hat in a genteel style, revealing rows of white curls. â€Å"This is my friend Carter,† I said, after first making sure no one small had followed us. â€Å"Mrs. Mortensen,† he said, dropping the showmanship. â€Å"It’s very nice to meet you.† She smiled, and the joy in it made her beautiful, despite her weary state. â€Å"Nice to meet you too. Thank you for coming over and seeing the girls.† Their exchange was brief. He said something nice or funny about each girl, making Andrea’s smile grow and grow. She in turn couldn’t stop thanking him. When the pleasantries were finally done, I bid her farewell and stepped outside the room with Carter. I closed the door and was about to head downstairs when he caught my hand. â€Å"Did you see what you needed to?† I asked quietly. He nodded, face grave, looking more like Carter than ever. â€Å"You were right. Her condition was made worse – by a demon.† â€Å"Can you tell which demon?† I asked. I knew Jerome didn’t have my best interests at heart, but it was a hard thing to think of him purposely harming those I cared about. â€Å"No,† said Carter. â€Å"But it probably wasn’t Jerome. It’s the kind of dirty work a minor demon would do. I can also tell you that her illness, originally, was natural. Nothing gave this to her.† â€Å"They just made her relapse when she was starting to get better.† To get to me. To keep Seth busy. Carter nodded. â€Å"Okay. Thank you for coming here tonight. I appreciate it.† I started to turn, and he again stopped me. â€Å"Georgina . . .† There was an odd, troubled note in his voice, one I didn’t usually associate with confident, laconic Carter. â€Å"Georgina, I’ve told you over and over that there are rules about what I can and can’t do, how much I can be involved. As a general rule, I’m really not supposed to do too much active interference in mortal lives.† â€Å"I understand,† I said. â€Å"But what happened to her . . .† He frowned slightly. â€Å"That was another breaking of the rules, something that shouldn’t have happened. And in this situation, two wrongs can make a right.† I stared up at him in amazement. â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"I’m saying that I can heal her. I can’t completely eradicate the cancer, but I can take it back to the level it was at before she was harmed this week. I can undo what they did to her and clean the slate.† My jaw wanted to drop. â€Å"That . . . that would be amazing !† Carter still looked sad, and I couldn’t figure out why. Did he feel like he was violating a rule, even if he was righting a wrong? â€Å"What’s the matter?† He sighed. â€Å"What you and Roman said earlier . . . about Hell wanting to keep you and Seth apart? About how her condition keeps him here? Well . . . it’s possible, this is exactly what they want. She got better, then they made her worse again. Then, if she gets better on her own – or because of me – then everyone gets hopeful again, until they come back and make her worse. I’m not saying they will come back. But that they could. A limbo state like this ensures Seth stays around. If I heal her now – and I will if you want – I might be perpetuating that.† There were two key things I pulled out of that. One was a very, very subtle acknowledgment that Roman and I were right. Oh, Carter wasn’t saying for sure that Hell was after Seth and me, but he certainly wasn’t denying it either. It was all part of that careful angel way of his. The other thing – the most startling one – was the implication that thwarting Hell meant keeping Andrea out of the limbo they wanted her in. Seth would always be tied to his family if she moved in and out of health. If she completely recovered, he would be free. And if she died . . . â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"It doesn’t matter. Heal her. I don’t care if he stays here forever, so long as it keeps her alive.† Carter nodded, and something shone in his eyes, something a little like pride . . . and sadness. â€Å"I thought you’d say that.† He knocked gently on Andrea’s door before stepping back inside. â€Å"Sorry to bother you,† he said. â€Å"But I forgot to ask what you wanted for Christmas.† Andrea laughed, eventually degenerating into coughing. Reaching for a glass of water beside her bed, she finally recovered herself. â€Å"That’s nice of you, but I’m too old.† â€Å"Never,† said Carter. â€Å"There must be something.† Andrea was still smiling, but it grew a little wistful. â€Å"There is something,† she said. I wondered if she’d ask to be cured, which was obviously what Brandy had wanted as well. â€Å"I want . . . I want my girls to be happy. No matter what happens to me, I want them looked after and cared for.† Carter-as-Santa studied her with that soul-searching gaze, and it was as though something passed between them, something I wasn’t part of. At long last, he said, â€Å"I swear, it will be so.† He walked over to her bedside and extended his hand to her. A chill ran down my spine as he did. I swear. Those weren’t words an angel could say lightly. I’d thought what he’d said earlier to Brandy was powerful, but it was nothing compared to this. Tentatively, Andrea took Carter’s hand. I saw nothing blatant, no blinding flash of light or anything like that. I didn’t even feel anything with my immortal senses. But Andrea’s face transformed, growing radiant and dreamy, as though she were seeing and hearing the most beautiful things in the world. When Carter released her hand, she smiled at him and closed her eyes, drifting into sleep. â€Å"You healed her?† I asked, deciding not to mention the promise. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"She won’t remember much of my visit.† â€Å"Probably just as – â€Å" My cell phone rang, and I hurried out of the room to answer it before Andrea woke up. It was Roman. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"Hey, are you still with the Mortensens?† â€Å"Yeah, why?† â€Å"Because I think I’ve figured out how to prove my theory,† he said, voice stern and strained. â€Å"I still don’t even know what your theory is,† I said. â€Å"You will soon enough. Ask Seth how he feels about hypnosis.† How to cite Succubus Revealed Chapter 12, Essay examples

Comparative Business Ethics and Social Responsibility †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Comparative Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. Answer: Introduction: Current information on the company and situation According to Benny (2006), insider trading refers to the unlawful practices of trading securities to fit certain personal aspirations and desires of individuals by getting undue access to data and information that are considered confidential. In most countries, there are comprehensive legal systems that aim at curtailing this kind of business activity. Ideally, it is unfair in very sense to possess vital information that could possibly shift market competitions. This is because according to Acharya and Johnson (2007), insider trading can potentially raise the cost of capital for stock issuers and this may disrupt other economic processes. Thus, in many jurisdictions such as the United States, insider trading is prohibited and trading is strictly monitored to help in leveling the playing field. However, the rules central to illegal information sharing can be challenging to implement given the increased sophistication in doing business. In the case of Raj, insider trading were detected through wiretaps and this led to his conviction. While in other jurisdictions, there can be little or even no information on existence of insider trading making it hard to prosecute individuals. Galleon Network discussed in the case was a privately owned hedge fund company providing different services and viable information on investment opportunities (Driggers, 2012). The company was established in 1997 and attracted competent employees from well-established corporations such as Goldman Sachs and Needham. The company was reputed for its inherent ability to carefully identify and select the best stocks to invest in further attracting the interest of various players in the market. Raj Rajaratnam who had initially worked at Needham as an analyst for approximately 11 years prior to his switch to Galleon Group was very instrumental in overseeing the successes of Galleon (Singh and Kumar, 2014). This is because he was able to successfully lure several employees and clients from his previous company Needham. With a senior managerial position, Raj Rajaratnam nurtured a flashy style of governance that further helped in attracting and retaining more clients and employees to the organ ization. Having worked as an investment analysis with companies such as Needham, Raj Rajaratnam had the ability establish intimidating networking and note-taking research approaches. Such abilities enabled Raj to make unique and accurate market predictions on the anticipated financial conditions. Overall, Rajs committed illegal trading acts that included wire frauds and stocks amounting to approximately $63.8 million (Driggers, 2012). The investigative authorities established that Raj had obtained inside data and information from companies that Galleon was networking with and released such information for monetary gains. Specifically, Raj Rajaratnam used his deep network of associates he had made from his past stints at companies such as Needham and Goldman Sachs that he used to execute his illegal information sharing practices. Raj was later subjected to intense investigations alongside other twenty-six people and found to have committed fraud and sedition (Singh and Kumar, 2014). He was subsequently convicted and found guilty of 14 counts of illegal information sharing, con and treachery (Driggers, 2012). The downfall of Galleon, a company that was evidently blossoming in its hay days can be accredited to Raj Rajaratnams unethical business practices described above. Indeed, the stipulated information gathering methods that are the same as those that Rajaratnam used in the case are very prominent on Wall Street. Some of the information gathering techniques that facilitated Rajaratnams activities included the use of headset calls meeting, and short texts messages. While these are some of the predominant methods that we frequently use to pass data and information, they can be easily tracked back to the sender who is involved in illegal activities (Ledford, 2013). Consequently, business executives, investors and other important stakeholders should stress on confidentially and safeguard against possible leakages to unauthorized parties. It is right to argue that most people in the business world would predominantly wish to be exposed to such data and information that may give them competitive edge in a market. Therefore, Wall Street is not different as the common objective in any marketplace is to increase earnings (Massoud et al., 2011). Irrefutably, the primary objective of every business operation is to maximize profits and make as much money as possible through every means possible (Acharya and Johnson, 2010). This explains why some businesses are occasionally tempted to engage in illegal activities such as insider trading. According to Davidowitz (2014), and in the context, insider trading may refer to such processes involved in introducing unexpected changes on stock prices and aggregating peculiarly large amount of cash in an organization among other suspicions and unjustifiable activities to make more money. However, some businesses can be overwhelmed with the idea of maximizing gains and lose sight of practicing acceptable and legal practices. The insider trading practices are not unique to Galleon network, and is a problem that is likely to continue for a very long time (Massoud et al., 2011). This because most organizations especially in Wall Street that are practicing such illegal trading are devising more clever ways of hiding their activities instead of looking for viable solutions. There are limited options that stakeholders can assume to eradicate or control insider trading in organizations. However, advanced oversight may help ban these activities or altogether stop them from spreading further. Undeniably, there is an innate need to eliminate insider trading or any other illegal information gathering system that may create unfair market competitions (Acharya and Johnson, 2010). Correspondingly, there well-established and high moral standards that every business professional is required to adhere to, and violations attracts possible legal redresses (Ferrell and Fraedrich, 2015). To ensure sanity in the business world, insider and related activities must be halted at the very start to avoid any further serious impact in the market. Most importantly, businesses relies on the individuals ability to stick to the business ethical principles and resist any attempt to allow such illegal information to leak irrespective of the pay-out. Controlling or reducing insider trading and related activities can be extremely challenging and requires absolute commitment from the relevant authorities (Nardo, 2011). For instance, in the case of Galleon network, relevant fiscal authorities can keenly assess the existence of this type of information gathering. Secondly, employees in organizations such as Galleon network should be informed that they risk facing serious consequences that may include legal redresses if they are found engaging in insider trading or any other unlawful information gathering. Also, constant reminder to the employees of the business ethics and required standards of behavior may also help in eliminating insider trading (Sarkar, 2010). In the case study, constant reminder of such principles could have helped Raj to maintain an ethical mind-set allowing him to concentrate on his equally lucrative analyst position. He could have still made a decent living while helping the company to remaining competitive and avoiding such illegal acts such insider trading. Moreover, based on strong ethical principles and professionalism, Raj could have also remained loyal to his former company Needham. Employees should also be introduced to professional and ethical implications of their behaviours (Del Guercio, Odders-White, and Ready, 2013). Indeed, insider trading or illegal information sharing techniques have numerous negative impacts both for investors and markets as can be derived from the analysis of Rajaratnam case. Consequently, there must be severe repercussions of sharing confidential material information in viable organization (Marin and Olivier, 2008). Precisely, most institutions prohibits the illegal sharing of information that is not in the public domain and violating such organizational directives can attract serious implications. This explains why Galleon network sanctioned the prosecution and subsequent jailing of its employee Rajaratnam who was found guilty of such illegal actions. There are numerous effective laws that prohibits organizations from participating in illegal information sharing (Grgoire and Coupland, 2016). Correspondingly, insider trading can have irredeemable impacts on the reputation of companies accused of harboring such activities. Besides, having access to data and information that are not yet made public is an unfair business practice that should be tolerated. Raj had a lawful privilege to access and possess information that could influence the market outcomes. The implications of Rajs actions are pretty obvious from the case study of Galleon Company. Another implication of insider trading is that potential and existing investors may opt to stay out of the market and look for other secure alternatives such investing in government bonds. For instance, such unlawful activities may meaningfully violate the rights of various market stakeholders who are the primary owners of certain vital data and information. Thus, Galleons insider trading injured the general reputation of other companies operating in similar line of business (Cheng, Yeh, and Tu, 2008). Practically, attaining certain organizational objectives can be challenging and takes much more time to accomplish. This explains why some organizations, even those in Wall Street are being tempted to engage in illegal information sharing without considering the implications of such actions. Such organizations perceive insider trading as a feasible process that they can use to speedily attain their long-term objectives. Yet, such illegal activities may in fact adversely contribute to the decline in long-term organizational efficiency (Grgoire and Coupland, 2016). Unfair business practices are myopic options that can only serve to derail the very precept of ethical behaviours of humanity. Another implication of insider trading is possible loss of jobs and time wastage in long judicial procedures to prosecute the culprits (Betzer and Theissen, 2009). Also, Raj and his associates deserves the consequent prosecution and sentencing to jail terms in addition to reimbursing fines and legal fees. From these well explained implications of involving in unfair information sharing, no organizational employee should be tempted or even coerced to make such bad decisions (Huddart and Ke, 2007). Also, if an individual was exposed to such unfair information, he should immediately report to the investigative authorities instead of trying to use such materials to influence market operations. From the Galleon case, it is expressively detailed that Raj endorsed the sharing of confidential information without obtaining the permission from relevant stakeholders such as investors (Peress, 2010). As such, Raj breached the secrets and techniques that are the very foundation of confidential market and businesses practices. Such information are perceived to be of high value and can expressively breach the long-term trust of various shareholders (Huddart and Ke, 2007). Insider trading propagated by Raj also resulted into severe monetary implications particularly on companies operating in the same market as Galleon due to tattered confidence among the shareholders. I believe that Galleon had business agreements with other companies and market players and subsequent violations deserves severe implications (Cheng, Yeh, and Tu, 2008). Insider trading may also contribute to the downsizing of the market resulting into detrimental effects on major market players such as companies (Beny, 2006). As already sparingly mentioned, when investors suspect or prove insider trading or any other illegal information sharing activity, they will vacate the market en masse resulting into the supposed downsizing. As such, the primary implication that can be derived from engaging in insider trading as explained in the Galleon case is that it is a risky and unethical affair that cause unprecedented troubles. For instance, when confidential information on the securities market are shared with the media before being publicly traded, the stock prices be influenced based on such information. Of course if insider trading was not illegal, it could significantly shape decisions about how to trade stocks are traded if such information are made public (Cheng, Yeh, and Tu, 2008). Individuals and businesses would relish the idea of possessing vital knowledge of the best stocks to trade, the most appropriate market move and decisions. However, every business decision should be guarded by the set ethical guidelines, values and beliefs (Acharya and Johnson, 2007). Moreover, such illegal activities are not supported by any justice system and may only land an individual and company into trouble with the law enforcement agencies. Therefore, possessing such illegal knowledge should never influence or coerce an individual or an organization to oblige. It is an extensive concept that embraces business-related secrets as well as general information. This therefore is definitely an issue that would affect my decision on trading a stock (Marin and Olivier, 2008). The investigation into Galleon insider trading allegations was successfully conducted using wiretaps and aimed at deterring other fund managers and stockholders from sharing information that are not yet in the public domain (McGee, 2010). The case was considered to be the biggest hedge fund scheme and the extensive use of wiretaps was a direct warning to other players in the business that there were new ways of being caught in the act. While Rajs actions can be accredited to his exceptional greed for money and quick success, his subsequent prosecution and conviction was a significant milestone and a step in the right direction in the fight against illegal information sharing (Ferrell and Fraedrich, 2015). As such, based on the evidence that were gathered through wiretaps, I believe that a lot of people will avoid such unethical practices. Raj believed that that he was invincible, and that he had the ability to outsmart the authorities but was ultimately reprimanded. Rajs confidence in his invincibility was captured in one of testimonies that allowed in court. In a statement issued to the court, a witness who was also an employee at Galleon asserted that Raj had instructed employees to create secure emails that could be used to hide his illegal sources of information and other illegal practices. So I believe given that Raj was caught despite his massive influence in the market and association with other influential will deter other new companies from engaging in similar actions (Tamersoy et al., 2013). However, those companies that are already engaged in these illegal and unfair practices are likely not stop (Langevoort, 2014). Instead, they might even develop more sophisticated ways of conducting insider trading to reduce the probability of getting caught in the act like Rajs Galleon. In fact, according to Tamersoy et al. (2014), the number of insider trading is on a rapid rise, and he attribute this to an increasingly technological savvy market that is it even harder to nab these fraudulent companies. Most of these corrupt fund managers believe that the perceived benefits outweighs the possible risk of being caught. As a result, the conviction of Raj is may not influence other managers to back out of insider trading (Skaife, Veenman, and Wangerin, 2013). I am certain that once the findings of the Galleon case were made public, many companies that were directly involved in insider trading did not halt their illegal acts but instead became more sophisticated. For instance, many such companies must have attempted to filter out any suspicious individual who they could have suspected to be an undercover officer (Tamersoy et al., 2013). Similarly, other similar companies became extra attentive to their surrounding and develop other ways of communication rather than using Rajs short text messaging and phones that could be traced. Such companies who were already practicing insider trading could not afford to allow infractions hence the need to be extra careful in their dealings (Lee et al., 2014). In the long-run, I believe Rajs conviction is not likely to change other fund managers who have developed unquenchable greed for quick extra money from sharing illegal information. Certainly, there will always be a few bad influence in the business world and Wall Street is not an exception (Hillier, Korczak, and Korczak, 2015). Even employees are being involved in insider trader and this is evident from the increased number of ordinary workers who are currently owning stock options. The most important thing that can be derived from the Galleon case is that the justice system at least made a mark and communicated strongly that they will ultimately catch other unscrupulous fund managers. Therefore, other than secret investigations and convictions, there are other effective methods that can be used to deter hedge fund managers and other stakeholders from engaging in insider trading. For example, authorities can insist on the usage of stamped watermarks to reduce the probability of authorized users passing the same information in the imprints to other unauthorized players (Hillier, Korczak, and Korczak, 2015). Fund managers can also cooperate with federal and internal investigators to establish the existence of illegal activities and prosecute culprits. In exchange for cooperation and disclosure, the federal government can offer the managers protection as a witness to the crimes being investigated. Overall, the business world relived on the intrinsic ability of hedge fund managers to make ethical decisions that may ultimately shun illegal information sharing (Ferrell and Fraedrich, 2015). Conclusion From the analysis of Galleon group, it is evident that insider trading or any other illegal information sharing techniques can have negative consequences on a companys reputation and sustainability. Notably, such illegal information gathering techniques that were propagated by Rajaratnams are quite common on Wall Street. As such, there is an intrinsic need for market regulators, investors, and company executives to take decisive actions aimed at reducing or eliminating such practices. Indisputably, some organizations are gaining insatiable appetite for money and are developing unique schemes to swindle the public through involvement in illegitimate information sharing practices. Just like Raj, such organizations always believe that they are smarter than the authorities but are ultimately discovered and prosecuted (Singh and Kumar, 2014). Ultimately, authorities discovered Raj Rajaratnams fraudulent activities and trade secrets leading to his conviction of insider trading. Notably, Raj Rajaratnam could have used his skills and experience he acquired from working with other big companies such as Needham to help Galleon to grow further in status. Instead, Raj Rajaratnam was involved in unethical conspiracies with other firms aimed at discussing vital information about stocks and other business processes that were not meant for public consumption at the time. Therefore, the Galleon case clearly shows that insider trading can result into the termination of a companys activities and legal redresses (Singh and Kumar, 2014). Raj Rajaratnams position at Galleon required him to remain ethical given that he owned the consumers a duty of discretion on certain stocks and products especially if such information held risks and possible harm. References Acharya, V.V. and Johnson, T.C. (2007) Insider trading in credit derivatives, Journal of Financial Economics,84(1), pp.110-141. Acharya, V.V. and Johnson, T.C. (2010) More insiders, more insider trading: Evidence from private-equity buyouts, Journal of Financial Economics,98(3), pp.500-523. Beny, L.N. (2006) Insider trading laws and stock markets around the world: An empirical contribution to the theoretical law and economics debate, J. Corp. L.,32, p.237. Betzer, A. and Theissen, E. (2009) Insider trading and corporate governance: The case of Germany, European Financial Management,15(2), pp.402-429. Cheng, J.H., Yeh, C.H. and Tu, C.W. (2008) Trust and knowledge sharing in green supply chains, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,13(4), pp.283-295. Davidowitz, A.S. (2014) Abandoning the Mosaic Theory: Why the Mosaic Theory of Securities Analysis Constitutes Illegal Insider Trading and What to Do about It, Wash. UJL Pol'y,46, p.281. Del Guercio, D., Odders-White, E. and Ready, M. (2013) The deterrence effect of sec enforcement intensity on illegal insider trading, Available at SSRN. Driggers, A. (2012) Raj Rajaratnam's historic insider trading sentence.Am. Crim. L. Rev.,49, p.2021. Ferrell, O.C. and Fraedrich, J. (2015) Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases. Nelson Education. Grgoire, P. and Coupland, J. (2016) Informed and Uninformed Trading with Correlated Assets: An Experimental Study, Hillier, D., Korczak, A. and Korczak, P. (2015) The impact of personal attributes on corporate insider trading, Journal of Corporate Finance,30, pp.150-167. Huddart, S.J. and Ke, B. (2007) Information asymmetry and cross?sectional variation in insider trading, Contemporary Accounting Research,24(1), pp.195-232. Langevoort, D.C. 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Sacred Elements of Hindu Religion free essay sample

Sacred Elements of are of many various belief elements, that one can only consider sacred within their own traditional followings. While Hinduism is the third largest religion, majority of the devotees have the same beliefs and practices. One of The Sacred Elements is Water. Water is considered sacred because its’ considered to be equal half of all creation. Washing in water is essential to approach deities in a clean manner, body, and clothes. Water in the Hindu religion is considered to be so sacred that they believe washing in the sacred river (Ganges) will remove their sins. Hinduism has numerous gods in which they worship; approximately 330 million. In addition, there is the element of Fire which is considered sacred. Fire represents the burning brightness of the divine (Fisher, 2002, p. 85, parg. 1). In Hinduism fire sacrifices’ are a traditional and sacred ritual. In which they give offerings to the fire God Agni. Offerings consist of grains, soma, and sometimes animals. We will write a custom essay sample on Sacred Elements of Hindu Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Hinduism there is also have a sacred element, which is a cow. In Hinduism, the cow (Sanskrit: go) is revered as the source of food and symbol of life and may never be killed. Hindus do not worship the cow, however, and cows do not have especially charmed lives in India. It is more accurate to say the cow is Sacred Elements 2 taboo in Hinduism, rather than sacred (Anonymous, 2007). The cow also provides the essentials for sacrificial offerings. The Hindu religion has many forms of worship (Puja), some worship in the home some worship in temples. Worshiping in the home with statues and pictures, the Orthodox families of Hinduism do it. Orthodox families stand by an historical for of the religion. Pujaris or Brahmin priests who trained in proper Vedic recitation (Fisher, 2002, p. 111, parg. 4) do Temple worshiping. In the Hindu religion, there many deities in which they worship, according to ones needs. The gods of modern Hinduism are many, and include the chief gods Shiva, Vishnu and the Goddess Shakti as well as a myriad of local community gods (Anonymous, 2007). Worshiping in the home is done each morning to give thanks and respect to the god of the house. The family selects a certain corner of the house for worship, adding necessary things that will complete their shrine for worship, just before the start the morning worship they bathe themselves and put on clean clothing. This ritual is considered sacred and gives them character and traditional background. Hinduism has many sacred elements that characterize the religion. Karma is one of the strongest elements in which the devotees believe in. Karma means actions and consequences of actions. Within the Hindu religion, Karma has a Sacred Elements 3 great effect on the way in which the Hindu religion lives. Devotees of Hinduism believe what’s done in this life determines one’s life after death (rebirth), in the Hindu religion one must have good Dharma to reach good Karma. Hindu religion is also characterized by its sacred text known as the Vedas, there are four in which the Hindu religion use to live, according to Hindu beliefs. Rig Veda (Royal Knowledge) is the most important, covering divinities and ritual prayers. Sama Veda (Knowledge of Chants): a liturgical collection of melodies saman, a book of hymns. Yajur Veda (Knowledge of Sacrificial Rituals) treats the scientific branches and Sacrificial Rituals. Atharva Veda (Knowledge of Incarnations) is about the social field: the system of castes, and includes spells and charms. These sacred text elements are what give the Hindu religion its traditional background, and proper way to give offerings to the deities. Sacrifice and Rituals are important elements within the Hindu religion that defines their traditional ways. The Hindu religion performs sacrifices to the god of their needs with thoughts of the deity blessing them with such needed items. For example; if a child is wanted then a sacrifice to the fertility god (Shiva) is preformed. Hinduism also has a sacred drink in which they drink in order to become one with the god deva. In Hinduism there is also a sacred ritual called the â€Å"sacred thread† this is when a child leaves the family house and starts to study the Sacred Elements 4 Vedas, marriage, and death. The sacred thread ritual is the act of giving one’s self entirely over to the supreme reality. Hinduism also considers festivals to be a ritual in which they attempt to please the gods. There is a festival for each day of the year. In general, Hindu festivals are intended to purify, avert malicious influences, renew society, bridge over critical moments, and stimulate or resuscitate the vital powers of nature. They include a wide variety of rituals, including worship, prayer, processions, magical acts, music, dancing, lovemaking, eating, drinking, and feeding the poor. With all the beliefs and practices Hinduism can be considered more of a culture than a religion, if more people in the world lived as the Hindu religion is designed, this world would be more understanding, peaceful, of good character. Hinduism is one religion that is truly about tradition and a correct way of living also the respect for life.