The Death Penalty Essay Example for Free

The Death Penalty Essay The death penalty is a very controversial topic that some may oppose while others assent. I have read two interesting essays about the death penalty. One is entitled â€Å"The Penalty of Death† by H. L Mencken and the other â€Å"Execution† by Anna Quindlen. Both authors presented their arguments and used great points to support their opinions. H. L Mencken is for the death penalty while Anna Quindlen is against it. After reading these two authors work I was able to form my own opinion on this punishment. I condone the death penalty despite how cruel it may be. H. L Mencken begins his story by presenting two arguments against capital punishment. He then gives his reasons as to why he believes these arguments are weak. The first argument is that the act of hanging a man is an unpleasant business and horrendous to the people who have to watch. The second argument is that the death penalty is counterproductive because it will not restrain others from committing the same crime. Mencken’s response is that there are a lot of displeasing jobs that still need to be done that no one considers extinguishing. He lists occupations such as a plumber, soldier, and garbage man. The author then states that the fault in argument two is assuming that the main goal of punishing criminals is to discourage other potential wrong doers. Mencken reveals that preventing others from committing similar crimes is not the only reason for the death penalty. Another reason is a term called katharsis. Katharsis is simply a pleasant discharge of emotions. The families of victims all want to feel as though justice is served. What better way than to hurt the criminal the way they hurt their victim. â€Å"The thing they crave primarily is the satisfaction of seeing the criminal actually before them suffer as he made them suffer (Mencken 475)†.

Interpretation Of Feeding The 5000

Interpretation Of Feeding The 5000 13 When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, This is a remote place, and its already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food. 16 Jesus replied, They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat. 17 We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish, they answered. 18 Bring them here to me, he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. The bibles new testament contains a plethora of information and stories that chronicle the life and times of Jesus. Most of the accounts in the new testament are filled with symbolism and are regarded as relating to matters of higher purpose and deep significance. The new testament still provides moral guidance and clarification on improving ourselves even two thousand years after the passages were written. One of the many well known accounts of the new testament is Matthew 14:13-21, otherwise known as the feeding of the five thousand. In Matthew 14:13-21 the structure is relatively straightforward. The focal point is certainly the miracle that was carried out to satisfy a need. But the conversation that leads up to it is significant to the interpretation, Jesus is using the miracle to get something more across. Jesus does not simply do the miracle, but first instructs the disciples to give the people something to eat. They, of course, have nothing to give the thousands. And so Jesus gives to them, so that they might give to the people. The point of the passage is the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah, and as the Messiah He can and will meet all the needs of his people. The principal message is for Christians to have the same compassion that Jesus did. If we see the poor, needy, hungry, and are stirred with compassion, then we must follow the teachings of Jesus. We are called by Jesus to feed the hungry. Though we may not necessarily have a lot to give, we may have more than the needy. We can reason that they will only squander what we give them, or that we should not give because it will only encourage them to remain poor and dependent, but that is not what the Bible tells us to be concerned about. In order to become more like Christ we will need to be moved by compassion, which we then go to meet the needs of the people. Another idea suggested by the passage is that the provision of food has a spiritual meaning as well. The people would have had it in their thinking that man does not live by bread alone, or, that God provides things for people in order that they will listen to Him. We too have received the word from the Lord, and so must give it to the people. Any time God provides something for people it is a call for faith, a call for them to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and that they need to trust in Him. This message calls people to take the spiritual food that Christ gives and to give it to the spiritually needy people of the world. It may well be that in providing physical food for the hungry and the masses there will also be the opportunity to tell them of true sustenance. The provision of life from Christ is always available for those who are spiritually needy. The story of Jesus feeding the 5000 has a message and meaning that still holds true to this day. The story tells us to be compassionate for the needy, and to provide them with the sustenance of God. With Jesus showing compassion and contributing his time and food, he wants others to follow his lead and do the same. This miracle reveals Jesus power as the messiah, through his limitless capacity to satiate the needs of the people. Bible interpretation table Text reference Notes Introduction Literary analysis What form/genre is the text? Who are the characters? What is the point of the text? What words does the author use to get this point across? What is the style of the text? What images are used in the text? What type of tone is used in the text? What words are repeated? The text chronicles the life of Jesus with storytelling. The characters in the story are Jesus, the disciples and the 5000 people that Jesus fed. The purpose of the text is to spread the message of Jesus through one of his miracles. The image of the 5000 people is to provide readers with an understanding of the sheer numbers that Jesus had to feed. Historical background Where was the text set? What major historical events were taking place at the time in which the text is set? Where was this text written? Who is the author? When was this written? What major historical events were taking place at the time the text was written? What was the society like in which this text was written? What religious background needs to be known to understand the text? Who are the characters of the text and what was their role in society? What cultural context must be known to understand the text? The location of the story is somewhat disputed. Luke says it was in the area of Bethsaida. Therefore it would be somewhere on the northwest shore of Galilee. All of the gospels contain the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 so the identity of the first author is unknown. The story was probably written at the end of the first century A.D. At the time, Jesus was travelling around with his disciples, teaching the people. Jesus was asserting his role as the messiah. Theological Meaning What have others written about the meaning of this text? What is your interpretation of the meaning of the text? Others have written that Jesus represented Gods will to provide for his people. The food represents Jesus spirituality, which he then splits and shares with everyone else. Conclusion Why is this text significant? It spreads the message of Jesus with a relatively simple yet powerful story of one of his miracles.

Prosperity and Peril at the Peak with Pericles Essay -- Philosophy, Gr

In the Age of Pericles, from 491 until his death in 429 BCE, Athens thrived. In this short period, Athens was a place of reform and advancement, giving us our sources of democracy, architecture, and the dramatic arts. Here, great minds such as Socrates and Sophocles congregated; here, ideals flourished. These developments of the Age of Pericles distinguish it as a high point in Greek society and, indeed, all Western civilization. From the start of his career in government, Pericles provided the Athenian people with the foundations of democracy. In 461, Pericles campaigned against aristocrats sitting in government, and in 451 enforced a law to prevent children of non-citizens from becoming full citizens (PBS, â€Å"The Greeks†). By managing the ties that aristocrats often made to other countries, Pericles managed to keep government from being monopolized. Unlike the aristocracy, Pericles focused on the disenfranchised, instructing Athenians to â€Å"especially obey those laws enacted for the protection of the oppressed and those which, although unwritten, it is acknowledged shame to violate† (Kagan 166, from Thucydides 2.37.3). Expounding on this social observance of fairness, Pericles most directly gave rights to the Athenians when he made possible â€Å"the full participation of its citizens in the government of city and empire† (Robertson 90). This faculty of citizens to have full acces s to their government provided Athenians with the start of democracy. Although not everyone benefited, as women and slaves were left out during this particularly â€Å"masculine age† (Robinson 91), Pericles did try to attend to the rights of men as equally as he could. It was thus that he narrowed the gap in representation of wealthy and poor citizens: paying the ... ... of the state as a whole they judged him to be the ablest† (Kagan, from Thucydides, 2.65.4) Having realized that Pericles was altogether the best man to lead them, Athens re-embraced the man who brought them to their peak. Unfortunately, they soon fell from it, but as that didn’t happen until after the Age of Pericles, this age, gilded like Athens’ goddess, remains relatively intact. Athens was at once the site of the forerunner of democracy, the epitome of Classical architecture, the height of drama, naval superiority, and enlightened minds such as Socrates. As much as these developments gave Athens its preeminence, and despite how rapidly it fell, the growth of Athens in this brief time has given us the source of our modern democracy, our sense of culture, and our ideals for society. In the Age of Pericles, Athens bloomed, but even now we relish its benefits. Prosperity and Peril at the Peak with Pericles Essay -- Philosophy, Gr In the Age of Pericles, from 491 until his death in 429 BCE, Athens thrived. In this short period, Athens was a place of reform and advancement, giving us our sources of democracy, architecture, and the dramatic arts. Here, great minds such as Socrates and Sophocles congregated; here, ideals flourished. These developments of the Age of Pericles distinguish it as a high point in Greek society and, indeed, all Western civilization. From the start of his career in government, Pericles provided the Athenian people with the foundations of democracy. In 461, Pericles campaigned against aristocrats sitting in government, and in 451 enforced a law to prevent children of non-citizens from becoming full citizens (PBS, â€Å"The Greeks†). By managing the ties that aristocrats often made to other countries, Pericles managed to keep government from being monopolized. Unlike the aristocracy, Pericles focused on the disenfranchised, instructing Athenians to â€Å"especially obey those laws enacted for the protection of the oppressed and those which, although unwritten, it is acknowledged shame to violate† (Kagan 166, from Thucydides 2.37.3). Expounding on this social observance of fairness, Pericles most directly gave rights to the Athenians when he made possible â€Å"the full participation of its citizens in the government of city and empire† (Robertson 90). This faculty of citizens to have full acces s to their government provided Athenians with the start of democracy. Although not everyone benefited, as women and slaves were left out during this particularly â€Å"masculine age† (Robinson 91), Pericles did try to attend to the rights of men as equally as he could. It was thus that he narrowed the gap in representation of wealthy and poor citizens: paying the ... ... of the state as a whole they judged him to be the ablest† (Kagan, from Thucydides, 2.65.4) Having realized that Pericles was altogether the best man to lead them, Athens re-embraced the man who brought them to their peak. Unfortunately, they soon fell from it, but as that didn’t happen until after the Age of Pericles, this age, gilded like Athens’ goddess, remains relatively intact. Athens was at once the site of the forerunner of democracy, the epitome of Classical architecture, the height of drama, naval superiority, and enlightened minds such as Socrates. As much as these developments gave Athens its preeminence, and despite how rapidly it fell, the growth of Athens in this brief time has given us the source of our modern democracy, our sense of culture, and our ideals for society. In the Age of Pericles, Athens bloomed, but even now we relish its benefits.

Emersons Theories of Education vs Modern-day Theories Essay -- Compar

Emerson and today’s theories of education view discipline as necessary for the progress of students in the classroom; however, Emerson’s beliefs differ from modern-day theories of discipline in "respecting a child" encompassing "patience", "the receiving mind" and "discovers for himself his goal in life." Emerson realized that progressive learning is not a dictator relationship. "Respecting a child" will enhance the student’s ability to achieve their goals. As today’s society lives in the fast lane so does our educational society. "So to regard a young child, the young man, requires, no doubt, rare patience: a patience that nothing but faith in the remedial forces of the soul can give" (Gilman 444). Patience is this unattainable trait that people seek, but never find. Our society is a whirling downfall of enormous debt because of the lack of patience that so many people have adopted as a way of life. Stores are full of consumers that "must have" at that very moment. Unfortunately, the same philosophy of thought is embedded in today’s education. Evaluating today’s theories of education, patience is a luxury that can not be spared. The new "No child left behind" legislation theorizes the idea that standardized testing will improve the instruction level of students. In actualization, the government is teaching the students and the teachers are their puppets. The government likes to call this education reform, however in many eyes it is education death. "The 100 percent goal was simply a target, an admittedly unreachable goal designed to motivate schools to stretch themselves to do better, such as scientists trying to cure cancer or gardeners hoping to grow the perfect tomato" (Matthews 1). Beginning with the first day of school... ... How does society "respect a child" when education is consumed with close-mindedness, repetition, dictatorship and sinful nature. References: Bracey, Gerald W. Are US Students Behind? Web 20 Nov 2014. Http: www.prospect.org/print/V9/37/bracey-g.html Dorja, Rig’dzin. Dangerous Friend: The teacher –student relationship in Vajnayana Buddhism. Web 20 Nov 2014. http://www. Samadhicushions.com/Samadhi.cgi/S-1998 Gilman, William H. Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. A Signet Classic. New York, New York 10014 Matthews, Jay. No Child Left Behind Act: Facts and Fiction. Web 20 Nov 2014. http://www.washingtonpost.com /ac2/wp-dyn/A23818- 2003Nov10?language=printer. Swanson, Robert. Web 20 Nov 2014. http://www.sudval.org/users/archives/dsm4 Years of Schooling Smother Creativity. Web 20 Nov 2014. jordan.dpsnc.net/fcmqr1998/schooling.html

Shamanism Essay -- essays research papers

Shamanism Shamanism in Anthropology has been an entity in a constant metamorphosis. It has always been considered exotic and its existence around the globe was never contradicted. However, over the years it did not receive the scholarly attention that it so requires. The age of discovery garnered a multitude of information on shamanism all over the world. The reporters invested a great deal of accuracy in the gathering of the information, but their observational skills were mostly underdeveloped. Furthermore as could be expected, they saw and evaluated things solely on the basis of European religion and social customs (Flaherty, 1992, pp.3) without having it necessary to view its ramifications to the people who are so imbued by it. Despite these methodologies which were grave in nature, matters began to shift during the 1940's and 1950's when the social sciences were rapidly coming into their own disciplines. Shamanism, was beginning to be looked upon as a complex religious notions and modes of behaviour (Lommel, 1967, pp.8). Although shamanism was beginning to harness scholarly attention there were still different contradicting theories being laid out in the scientific community. More recently since the notion of tribalism has become more prevalent shamanism is beginning to be recognized as holding the key puzzle in life. Furthermore, it is growing and encompassing many areas such as Psychology, Pharmacology, and even believe it or not Physics. Now before we elaborate on the historical significance of shamaninsm in anthropology it is imperative that a general definition of shamanism is established. In order to study shamanism the shaman must first be understood. The original word shaman came form the Ural mountains in Russia. It applied to people who acted in several 'non-ordinary' capacities for their tribes. Shamans may be defined as man or a woman who through their ability to enter a trance state in any given moment can influence the course of events, find lost or stolen items and identify the criminal when a crime takes place. Thus in a sense shamanism is the practising of these mechanisms in trying to make sense of the world. As you can see it encompasses various facets of the social life from healing illness to maintaining social order. This definition of shamanism is very brief and reall... ...ps altered its course. The implications of these questions go on and on however, one thing is for certain and that the study of shamanism with its recent glorification is rapidly expanding. It is beginning to encompass areas that it never permeated for this reason perhaps it is time that a new discipline is created. One that in its own way will combine the best of humanities with certain aspects of anthropology, medicine and the physical sciences. " Perhaps it is time for a shamanology " (Flaherty, pp.215) BIBLIGRAPHY 1. Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism And Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. Paris, 1951. 2. Devereux, G. Normal and Abnormal: Key problems of Psychiatric Anthropology. Washingtno, 1956. 3. Flaherty, Gloria. Shamanism In The Eighteen Century. Princeton: Priceton University Press, 1992. 4. Krader, L. `Buryat Religion and Society`, Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, 10, 1954. 5. Lewis, I.M. Ecstatic Religion. Middlesex: Penguin, 1971. 6. Lommel, Andreas. Shamanism: The Beginnings of Art. New York: McGraw- -Hill, 1973.

Advance Strategic Planning

Advanced Strategic Planning was written by Aubrey Malphurs and was first published in 1999 with the over-all purpose of providing the church and its leadership a good strategic planning process that will help it them move from a stage of stagnant growth to a period of change and revitalization.   The book offers a nine-step strategic thinking and acting models and diagrams that help illustrate concepts.   The updated edition of the book has put emphasis on disciple making.Malphurs, who has authored many books on church leadership and strategy, is a professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary. He specializes in teaching pastors how to think strategically and move their congregation to growth and accomplishment of goals.He is also the president of the Malphurs Group, a consulting organization which provides training and consultation services for churches that sees the need for help in the area of church growth.Malphurs started the book by stating that almost all institutions today, such as churches, go through a sigmoid or S-curve pattern of growth or life cycle, in which a church begins and experiences rapid growth in all areas, achieves a point a comfort zone of routines and programs, and later on declines and eventually dies.Malphurs, in his book, perceives the S-curve life cycle pattern as a problem besetting most churches by stating that:â€Å"The message or lesson of the sigmoid curve is that all good things (and even some bad things) end†¦ Even brand-new institutions and organizations such as a church will, in time, plateau and then die. No matter what institution it is, organizational â€Å"dry rot† sets in.   The institution becomes brittle, ceases to function, and expires† (Malphurs 2005, 11).Given the abovementioned problem Malphurs argues that as soon as the church feels that it now reached the point of staggering growth and plateau, it should in a way re-invent itself through careful planning and adoption of new set of core values (whenever necessary) in order to propel it back to a period of significant growth.This will mean reviewing and restructuring the various aspects of church life such as its core values, personnel, congregation, prevailing culture, finances, community where it is interacting, among others, through a strategic planning process.A handful of suggestions on how to carry out the conduct of this strategic planning was provided lengthily and was discussed in an almost detailed manner by Malphurs.StrengthsDrawing from a wealth of experience as a pastor, professor and consultant, Malphurs have provided significant and doable ways of carrying out the strategic revitalization process.   Perhaps using his personal experience of leading a church, he was able to address a lot of pitfalls and traps that a pastor and church leader should avoid in strategic planning.His experience and love for the ministry and church transcends all throughout the book, making a pastor or a leader, whose church is going through a period of plateau in terms of growth, reading the book feel that the book was written specifically for him and his flock.   Malphurs has a heart for the local church.   The strategic planning is simply his response to the problem that he perceives. [1]It was also made clear in the book that the pastor or church leaders can’t do the process and implement changes alone, every member of the congregation must be informed properly for them to be involved in all facets of the process.   The need to effectively communicate the vision was emphasized and strongly recommended. Malphurs writes:If you conduct secret meetings and fail to communicate in general what happens in those meetings, you will not be able to lead the congregation because they will no trust you (63).An unwavering support on the ongoing strategic planning process will only come from a church member who clearly understands the what and why’s of his/her churchâ€℠¢s call for a strategic planning.Although the book is in fact a â€Å"how-to† sort of manual, Malphurs succeeded in finding a biblical basis for the conduct of the strategic planning.   This makes the book grounded on the godly and biblical principles of leadership.An obvious strength of the book is the manner it challenged church pastors and leaders to think critically regarding its mission, vision, values, and congregational structure. Provoking questions are injected throughout the book to guide its readers in propelling the church in a certain direction that will eventually lead to the realization of their mission and vision.Malphurs is very strong in recommending the necessity of adopting a mission and vision statements in churches. To further guide his readers, Malphurs also made a clear distinction between values, missions, and functions.Armed with the understanding that churches will definitely look different in varying contexts, he stresses the value of injecting p rofessionalism and excellence in all ministry undertakings which is and should be a characteristic of any church desiring to grow.David Murrow also sees this need when he wrote, â€Å"Men appreciate excellence†¦Excellent doesn’t mean slick, canned or superficial. It simply means everything done well (Col. 3:23).†[2]Malphurs also tediously provided helpful tools and sample evaluation forms that will help a church start the strategic planning process.   He make sure that churches who will decide to embark in the strategic planning process already have the tools, which can be modified if they opt to, to keep the process going and evaluated.WeaknessesAlthough well-written, the book still has some few unhelpful aspects and needs thoughtful consideration from a critical reader.Malphurs have excellently provided a book for strategic thinking pastors but have missed out those who are implementers and dreamers in nature, reality will tell us that there are pastors who se e that their calling evolves on activities such as teaching, preaching, evangelism, visitation, etc.Strategic planning is not an exciting and needed activity for pastors and leaders who fall under these characteristics, for them church growth and dynamism depends on going out and reaching the unreached.Another important concern that Malphurs alluded is the average period of time it will take for the whole process of defining the church’s mission, discovering their values, catching the vision, and actually coming up with a plan will be done.He noted that it could take five (5) years just to get everybody on board. Unfortunately, nowadays,   a pastoral longevity in a certain church is only 3 to 4 years.   George Barna stated: â€Å"The average tenure of a pastor in Protestant churches has declined to just 4 years—even though studies consistently show that pastors experience their most productive and influential ministry in years 5 through 14 of their pastorate.† [3]The book also failed in considering the value of preaching the Word of God, reaching out the lost, and healthy fellowship among members of the congregation, in spurring growth in the church.The â€Å"Readiness for Change† inventory contains factors necessary for organizational change, but it is interesting to note that Malphurs have missed to include prayer. For any change to take place in a church, the leaders and members of the church should devote time in praying.ConclusionOverall much is to be commended in Malphurs’ book. It is a very practical book.   The strengths of the book outweigh the weaknesses.   The weaknesses stated should not detract a one from reading the book.Although there are some suggestions made by Malphurs that in one way or another is not supported biblically, such as not putting older men and women in the leadership as opposed to the scripture’s advice to have the older men and women teaching the younger ones, the book still off ers sound and helpful principles of strategically leading and managing a church.The objectives set by Malphurs in writing the book are achieved, he perceived a problem, and he has provided in great detail a solution to the problem. He has skillfully presented a sys aforementioned, his wealth of experience have made every argument he presented convincing and worth trying for.The book is a valuable reading and tool for young, soon-to-be pastors, pastors, elders, church staff members, and lay leaders, or for anyone who is in one way or another involved in church leadership.However, a word of caution, one should be very careful in accepting that the book is the cure-all answer to the problems besetting the churches today.   It is a guide, a good and helpful guide, but it doesn’t contain all the answers to church issues and problems.   Pastors and leaders of the church should still bear in mind what is stated Proverbs 16:9 says â€Å"The mind of man plans his way; But the LOR D directs his steps.†Ã‚   The Lord is still the sovereign one, if it is His Will it will definitely happen. [1]. Owen Strachan,   Reviews: Advanced Strategic Planning by Aubrey Malphurs, (9Marks Reviews , 2008) [article available online], www.alliance.net, date accessed July 21, 2009 [2]. David Murrow, How Women Help Men Find God, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008) [3].   George Barna, The Second Coming of the Church, (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998), 5. Advance Strategic Planning Advanced Strategic Planning was written by Aubrey Malphurs and was first published in 1999 with the over-all purpose of providing the church and its leadership a good strategic planning process that will help it them move from a stage of stagnant growth to a period of change and revitalization.   The book offers a nine-step strategic thinking and acting models and diagrams that help illustrate concepts.   The updated edition of the book has put emphasis on disciple making.Malphurs, who has authored many books on church leadership and strategy, is a professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary. He specializes in teaching pastors how to think strategically and move their congregation to growth and accomplishment of goals.He is also the president of the Malphurs Group, a consulting organization which provides training and consultation services for churches that sees the need for help in the area of church growth.Malphurs started the book by stating that almost all institutions today, such as churches, go through a sigmoid or S-curve pattern of growth or life cycle, in which a church begins and experiences rapid growth in all areas, achieves a point a comfort zone of routines and programs, and later on declines and eventually dies.Malphurs, in his book, perceives the S-curve life cycle pattern as a problem besetting most churches by stating that:â€Å"The message or lesson of the sigmoid curve is that all good things (and even some bad things) end†¦ Even brand-new institutions and organizations such as a church will, in time, plateau and then die. No matter what institution it is, organizational â€Å"dry rot† sets in.   The institution becomes brittle, ceases to function, and expires† (Malphurs 2005, 11).Given the abovementioned problem Malphurs argues that as soon as the church feels that it now reached the point of staggering growth and plateau, it should in a way re-invent itself through careful planning and adoption of new set of core values (whenever necessary) in order to propel it back to a period of significant growth.This will mean reviewing and restructuring the various aspects of church life such as its core values, personnel, congregation, prevailing culture, finances, community where it is interacting, among others, through a strategic planning process.A handful of suggestions on how to carry out the conduct of this strategic planning was provided lengthily and was discussed in an almost detailed manner by Malphurs.StrengthsDrawing from a wealth of experience as a pastor, professor and consultant, Malphurs have provided significant and doable ways of carrying out the strategic revitalization process.   Perhaps using his personal experience of leading a church, he was able to address a lot of pitfalls and traps that a pastor and church leader should avoid in strategic planning.His experience and love for the ministry and church transcends all throughout the book, making a pastor or a leader, whose church is going through a period of plateau in terms of growth, reading the book feel that the book was written specifically for him and his flock.   Malphurs has a heart for the local church.   The strategic planning is simply his response to the problem that he perceives. [1]It was also made clear in the book that the pastor or church leaders can’t do the process and implement changes alone, every member of the congregation must be informed properly for them to be involved in all facets of the process.   The need to effectively communicate the vision was emphasized and strongly recommended. Malphurs writes:If you conduct secret meetings and fail to communicate in general what happens in those meetings, you will not be able to lead the congregation because they will no trust you (63).An unwavering support on the ongoing strategic planning process will only come from a church member who clearly understands the what and why’s of his/her churchâ€℠¢s call for a strategic planning.Although the book is in fact a â€Å"how-to† sort of manual, Malphurs succeeded in finding a biblical basis for the conduct of the strategic planning.   This makes the book grounded on the godly and biblical principles of leadership.An obvious strength of the book is the manner it challenged church pastors and leaders to think critically regarding its mission, vision, values, and congregational structure. Provoking questions are injected throughout the book to guide its readers in propelling the church in a certain direction that will eventually lead to the realization of their mission and vision.Malphurs is very strong in recommending the necessity of adopting a mission and vision statements in churches. To further guide his readers, Malphurs also made a clear distinction between values, missions, and functions.Armed with the understanding that churches will definitely look different in varying contexts, he stresses the value of injecting p rofessionalism and excellence in all ministry undertakings which is and should be a characteristic of any church desiring to grow.David Murrow also sees this need when he wrote, â€Å"Men appreciate excellence†¦Excellent doesn’t mean slick, canned or superficial. It simply means everything done well (Col. 3:23).†[2]Malphurs also tediously provided helpful tools and sample evaluation forms that will help a church start the strategic planning process.   He make sure that churches who will decide to embark in the strategic planning process already have the tools, which can be modified if they opt to, to keep the process going and evaluated.WeaknessesAlthough well-written, the book still has some few unhelpful aspects and needs thoughtful consideration from a critical reader.Malphurs have excellently provided a book for strategic thinking pastors but have missed out those who are implementers and dreamers in nature, reality will tell us that there are pastors who se e that their calling evolves on activities such as teaching, preaching, evangelism, visitation, etc.Strategic planning is not an exciting and needed activity for pastors and leaders who fall under these characteristics, for them church growth and dynamism depends on going out and reaching the unreached.Another important concern that Malphurs alluded is the average period of time it will take for the whole process of defining the church’s mission, discovering their values, catching the vision, and actually coming up with a plan will be done.He noted that it could take five (5) years just to get everybody on board. Unfortunately, nowadays,   a pastoral longevity in a certain church is only 3 to 4 years.   George Barna stated: â€Å"The average tenure of a pastor in Protestant churches has declined to just 4 years—even though studies consistently show that pastors experience their most productive and influential ministry in years 5 through 14 of their pastorate.† [3]The book also failed in considering the value of preaching the Word of God, reaching out the lost, and healthy fellowship among members of the congregation, in spurring growth in the church.The â€Å"Readiness for Change† inventory contains factors necessary for organizational change, but it is interesting to note that Malphurs have missed to include prayer. For any change to take place in a church, the leaders and members of the church should devote time in praying.ConclusionOverall much is to be commended in Malphurs’ book. It is a very practical book.   The strengths of the book outweigh the weaknesses.   The weaknesses stated should not detract a one from reading the book.Although there are some suggestions made by Malphurs that in one way or another is not supported biblically, such as not putting older men and women in the leadership as opposed to the scripture’s advice to have the older men and women teaching the younger ones, the book still off ers sound and helpful principles of strategically leading and managing a church.The objectives set by Malphurs in writing the book are achieved, he perceived a problem, and he has provided in great detail a solution to the problem. He has skillfully presented a sys aforementioned, his wealth of experience have made every argument he presented convincing and worth trying for.The book is a valuable reading and tool for young, soon-to-be pastors, pastors, elders, church staff members, and lay leaders, or for anyone who is in one way or another involved in church leadership.However, a word of caution, one should be very careful in accepting that the book is the cure-all answer to the problems besetting the churches today.   It is a guide, a good and helpful guide, but it doesn’t contain all the answers to church issues and problems.   Pastors and leaders of the church should still bear in mind what is stated Proverbs 16:9 says â€Å"The mind of man plans his way; But the LOR D directs his steps.†Ã‚   The Lord is still the sovereign one, if it is His Will it will definitely happen. [1]. Owen Strachan,   Reviews: Advanced Strategic Planning by Aubrey Malphurs, (9Marks Reviews , 2008) [article available online], www.alliance.net, date accessed July 21, 2009 [2]. David Murrow, How Women Help Men Find God, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008) [3].   George Barna, The Second Coming of the Church, (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998), 5.

Grievance Redress Mechanism in Government

GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM IN GOVERNMENT GRIEVANCE REDRESS 1. 1Â  Grievance Redress Mechanism is part and parcel of the machinery of any administration. No administration can claim to be accountable, responsive and user-friendly unless it has established an efficient and effective grievance redress mechanism. In fact, the grievance redress mechanism of an organization is the gauge to measure its efficiency and effectiveness as it provides important feedback on the working of the administration. I. (A) STRUCTURE OF GRIEVANCE REDRESS MACHINERY AT APEX LEVEL The grievances of public are received at various points in the Government of India .There are primarily two designated nodal agencies in the Central Government handling these grievances. These agencies are:- (i)Â  Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions (ii)Â  Directorate of Public Grievances, Cabinet Secretariat Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances 2. 1Â  Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances is the nodal agency in respect of policy initiatives on public grievances redress mechanism and citizen centric initiatives.The role of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances consists primarily to undertake such citizen-centric initiatives in the fields of administration reforms and public grievances in the Government so as to enable the Government machinery to deliver quality public services to the citizen in a hassle-free manner and eliminate the causes of grievance. 2. 2Â  The grievances received by the Department are forwarded to the concerned Ministries/Departments/State Governments/UTs, who are dealing with the substantive function linked with the grievance for redress under intimation to the complainant.The Department ‘takes up’ about 1000 grievances every year depending upon the seriousness of the grievance and follows them regularly till their final disposal. This enables the Department to evaluate the effectiveness of the grievance redress machinery of the concerned government agency. 2. 3Â  On the basis of the grievances received, Department identifies the problem areas in Government which are complaint-prone. These problem areas are then subjected to studies and remedial measures are suggested to the Department/Organisation concerned. Directorate of Public Grievances (DPG) . 1Â  Based on the review of the public grievances redress machinery in Government of India carried out in 1987, the Directorate of Public Grievances was set up in the Cabinet Secretariat with effect from 01. 04. 88. This Directorate was set up initially to look into individual complaints pertaining to four Central Government Departments which were more prone to public complaints. Subsequently, more Departments having larger public interface were added to its purview and presently this Directorate is handling grievances pertaining to 16 Central Government Organisations . . 2Â  The Directorate was envisaged as an appellate body investigating grievances selectively and particularly those where the complainant had failed to get redress at the hands of internal machinery and the hierarchical authorities. Unlike the Department of AR&PG, Directorate of Public Grievances has been empowered to call for the files and officers for discussion to see that grievance handling has been done in a fair, objective and just manner.Wherever the Directorate is satisfied that the grievance has not been dealt in such a manner, it makes suitable recommendations for consideration and adoption by the concerned Ministry/Department which are required to be implemented within a period of one month. 3. 3Â  The empowered and enlightened citizenry of today is far more demanding and the government, therefore, has to develop, evolve and enable itself to meet the evolving demands of the society that it has to serve. The society oday is impatient with the old system of governance which is not coming up to its expectations. To them, a government employee is perceived as insensitive, aloof, corrupt and overall the administrative system as autocratic, opaque and with no work culture 3. 4Â  This requires a paradigm shift in governance to a system where the citizen is in the center and he is consulted at various stages of formulation and implementation of public policy. To achieve this objective, India needs a public service which is capable, innovative and forward looking.The traditional role of civil service which was of administrator, service provider and controller of development activities has to make way for the new roles of facilitator and regulator so as to create best environment and conditions in the country for building a nation of excellence. 3. 5Â  Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances is the nodal agency in Government of India for formulation and implementation of such policies and strategic initiatives so as to enable and equip the government machinery to meet the challenges involved in achieving this objective. . 6Â  Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances is the driving engine of reforms in administration and governance. The Department proposes to introduce and lead Change to establish a public service of quality, efficiency, integrity and effectiveness and modernize the public service. It is the nodal agency in government for facilitating administrative improvements and reengineering of processes across the government. Citizen’s Charter initiative, Public Grievance Policy, Quality Management in Government, e-Governance, Review of Administrative Laws etc.Documentation and Dissemination of Best Practices, Organisation & Methods, Information & Facilitation Counters, Civil Services Reforms are some of the areas under the ambit of Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances. 3. 7Â  Following are the necessary conditions for successful implementation of any reforms ag enda: –Â  Political mandate –Â  Committed and strong executive –Â  Willingness and capability to take on vested interests in the system II. (A) PUBLIC GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM IN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES/ DEPARTMENTS/ ORGANISATIONS 4. Â  The Public Grievance Redress Mechanism functions in Government of India on a decentralized basis. The Central Government Ministries/Departments, their attached and subordinate offices and the autonomous bodies dealing with substantive functions as per Allocations of Business Rules, 1961 have their respective grievance redress machinery. An officer of the level of Joint Secretary is required to be designated as Director of Grievances of the Ministry/Department/Organisation. The role and functions of Directors of Grievances are given in Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances O.M. no. 1/PLCY/PG-88(7) dated 01. 03. 1988. This inter alia empowers the Directors of Grievances to call for files/reports an d take decisions or review decisions already taken, in consultation with Secretary/HOD even in those areas which do not fall within his/her domain/charge. 4. 2Â  The functioning of Public Grievance Redress Machineries in various Ministries/Departments/Organisations is regularly reviewed by a Standing Committee of Secretaries under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary with Additional Secretary Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances as member-secretary. . 3Â  With a view to ensure prompt and effective redress to the grievances, a number of instructions have been issued by Department of AR&PG from time to time which, inter alia include:- (a)Â  Observe every Wednesday as a meetingless day in the Central Secretariat Offices when all the officers above a specified level should be available their desks from 1000hrs. to 1300hrs. to receive and hear public grievances. Field level offices having contact with the public have also to declare one day in the week as a meet ingless day. b)Â  Designate a Joint Secretary level officer as Director of Grievances including in autonomous bodies and public sector undertakings. (c)Â  Deal with every grievance in a fair, objective and just manner and issue reasoned speaking reply for every grievance rejected. (d)Â  Analyse public grievances received to help identification of the problem areas in which modifications of policies and procedures could be undertaken with a view to making the delivery of services easier and more expeditious. e)Â  Issue booklets/pamphlets about the schemes/services available to the public indicating the procedure and manner in which these can be availed and the right authority to be contacted for service as also the grievance redress authority. (f)Â  Pick up grievances appearing in newspaper columns which relate to them and take remedial action on them in a time bound manner. Issue rejoinders to newspapers after investigation in cases which are found to be baseless and/or damagin g to the image of the Organisation. g)Â  Strengthen the machinery for redress of public grievance through, strictly observing meetingless day, displaying name designation, room number, telephone number etc. of Director of Grievances at the reception and other convenient places, placing locked complaint box at reception. (h)Â  Set up Staff Grievance Redress Machinery and designate a Staff Grievance Officer. (i)Â  Include the public grievances work and receipt/disposal statistics relating to redress of public grievances in the Annual Action Plan and Annual Administrative Report of the Ministries/Departments. j)Â  Fix time limits for disposal of work relating to public grievances and staff grievances and strictly adhere to them. (k)Â  Acknowledge each grievance petition within three days of receipt, indicating the name, designation and telephone number of the official who is processing the case. The time frame in which a reply will be sent should also be indicated. (l)Â  Constitu te Lok Adalats/Staff Adalats, if not already constituted, and hold them every quarter for quicker disposal of public as well as staff grievances and pensioners’ grievances. m)Â  Constitute a Social Audit Panel or such other machinery, if not already constituted, for examining areas of public interface with a view to recommending essential changes in procedures to make the organization more people-friendly. (n)Â  Establish a single window system at points of public contact, wherever possible to facilitate disposal of applications. (o)Â  Indicating telephone/fax number of the officer whose signature over a communication regarding the decision/reply is to issue to the petitioner. p)Â  Monitoring of grievances in organisations under Ministries/Departments on a monthly basis. (q)Â  Publicising the grievance redress mechanism through the print and electronic media. (r)Â  Review of receipt and disposal of grievances by Secretaries of Ministries/Departments in the weekly meetin gs taken by them. (B) TYPES OF PUBLIC GRIEVANCES 5. 1Â  An analysis of grievances received in Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances and Directorate of Public Grievances has revealed that the majority of grievances related to inordinate delay in aking decisions, extending from several months to several years and refusal/inability to make speaking replies/disclose basic information to the petitioners to enable them to examine whether their cases have been correctly decided. It is observed that, had the concerned organizations expeditiously and appropriately dealt with the grievances in the first instance, the complainants would not have approached Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances/Directorate of Public Grievances. (C) SYSTEMIC PROBLEM AREAS 6. Â  There are rules, regulations, instructions which are archaic and aimed at shifting the work towards citizens. Slackness in administration, low morale of the services, inherent inertia, absence of in centives, lack of proper authority and accountability are the delay-breeders and the delay is the major factor that generates the grievances. These factors need to be tackled properly through systematic changes. Prevention is better than cure. On these lines, the best method to redress a grievance is not to allow the grievance to arise at the first instance.Even the redress of a grievance, that arose on account of delay, is also delayed as is revealed by the analysis of grievances according to which on a average six months are taken to redress a grievance. 6. 2Â  Many a times Departments/Organisations are found to avoid taking appropriate decisions by resorting to rejection without application of mind, not taking appropriate interest in functioning of subsidiary offices/linked autonomous organizations, and emphasize on disposal and not on the quality disposal.Decisions taken earlier are reiterated without subjecting the cases of independent examination. There is an inertia to revie w decisions taken by down-the-line functionaries. In many cases Departments/Organisations justify the delay and continue with their inability to take decisions by putting the onus on another agency or on the petitioner. Many a times, the actual cause of grievance lay in internal inefficiency of the system and failure to identify simple systemic solutions. It is also observed that the time norms set by Departments for providing services were not being adhered to in many cases. . 3Â  There is no doubt that grievances continue to arise because of a high systemic tolerance for delay, poor work quality and non-accountability in every day performance of functions. Failure to review archaic, redundant and incongruous rules, policies and procedures and to initiate simple, workable systemic changes is another cause for grievance generation. However, Departments and Organisations, which work with policies and procedures on a day-to-day basis, do not appear to have developed the ability to co ntinually look ‘within’ and identify deficiencies.All these factors have ensured that grievances, once arisen, many a time do not get resolved in ‘normal’ course and need intervention at the highest administrative level. 6. 4Â  Slackness in efficient functioning of ‘Directors of Grievances’ is identified as one of the prime cause for continuing delay in redress of grievances. Poor work quality, non-accountability in everyday performance of functions and failure to systemically review policies/procedures and suggest systemic changes are other important causes.In most Ministries, Departments and Organisations, the mechanism of Director of Grievances is not functioning as per the mandate prescribed. (D) Focus Areas 7. 1Â  In this context, it is the need of the time that the Government should review its pledge of providing hassle-free public services to the citizens by focusing on systemic changes to minimize the grievances in Government domain. In order to achieve this objective in a focused manner, it is necessary to evolve a multi-pronged strategy to be implemented in a time-bound and effective manner.Keeping in view the various factors involved in grievance redress issue, following areas need focused attention : 7. 2 Performance Review – Foreseeing areas of dissatisfaction (a)Â  To review processes, functions etc. in the organization and to cast them pro-actively in a manner that would foresee areas of dissatisfaction, identify activities where transparency, equity, prudence and propriety are compromised, interventions that can help achieve better outcomes, improve satisfaction of internal and external stakeholders. b)Â  An annual review of laws, rules, regulations, instructions and procedures be carried out with a view to simplify the procedure making the administration more transparent, accountable and citizen-friendly. Information Technology should be employed in re-engineering of governmental processes in o rder to improve efficiency and effectiveness and ensuring transparency and accountability. 7. 3 Identification of Grievance Prone Areas and Analysis (a)Â  Identify areas susceptible to corruption and/or grievance generation and conduct work audit of such areas.In addition, consider external/social audit in areas of very high public interface, with the aim of identifying wrong doers and improving processes and systems. Involve NGOs in the exercise. (b)Â  Analyse the nature and causes of grievances with the aim of identifying systemic deficiencies in laws, rules, regulations, policies, instructions, work practices and procedures, and effecting systemic changes to remove/correct these deficiencies. The Directors of Grievances be the nodal officers for such purpose. The analysis should be conducted in the month of April every year and studies of identified grievance prone areas be undertaken.Recommendations made in the studies should be implemented by December of that year so as to br ing systemic changes and remove the Causes of grievances. (c)Â  Fix responsibility in each and every case of delay, default or dereliction in performance of every day duties on failure to deliver services, and take disciplinary action to avoid recurrence. This will send a clear signal that in the event of failure to perform duties or deal appropriately with grievances within the time frame norms prescribed, a real possibility of having responsibility fixed on one’s shoulder exists.Consider the feasibility of prescribing specific penalty clauses in such cases. 7. 4 Citizen’s Charter Formulation and effective implementation of Citizen’s Charters, which should, inter-alia, include disclosure of time norms for providing various services to the citizens/clients and details of all levels of grievance redress machinery that may be approached. 7. 5 Information & Facilitation Counters (IFC) Setting up and effective operationalisation of IFC’s civic society may be involved in the functioning of IFCs to make them citizen- friendly and effective. 7. 6 On Line Registration of GrievancesMake ‘Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System’ (PGRAMS) software, operational with every Director of Grievances. This shall enable the Director of Grievances to immediately place the details of grievances received in a database (efficient ‘dak’ management) as well as record the fact whether he intends to monitor its progress, identify the section/division where it is being sent, etc. , generate the time taken in dealing with the grievance, enable review of pending grievances in the organisation or across the organisations, generate acknowledgements to complainants, conduct analysis etc.The system should also have the facility of on-line registration of grievances by the citizens and access to information on the status of his/her grievances. 7. 7 Prompt and Effective Redress of Grievances (a)Â  ll grievances should be necessarily acknowledged, with an interim reply within 3 days of receipt and redressed within 3 months of receipt in the Organisation. The same time limit should apply even if co-ordination with subsidiary offices or another Department/Organisation is involved. In such instances special efforts, to be suo moto disclosed when reports are called, should be made. b)Â  No grievance is to be rejected without having been independently examined. At a minimum, this means that an officer superior, to the one who delayed taking the original decision or took the original decision that is cause for grievance, should actually examine the case as well as the reply, intended to be sent to the grievance holder. (c)Â  Make the ‘Director of Grievances’ effective through the following inter-related steps: (i)Â  Secretaries/Organisational Heads ensuring that Directors of Grievances are fully ‘empowered’ in accordance with instructions to perform their role. ii)Â  All grievance represe ntations received in the Department/Organisation, either by mail, fax, e-mail to be invariably routed through Director of Grievances before they go to concerned sections/divisions. At this stage, Office of the Director of Grievances shall go through the representations and come to a prima-facie view regarding the gravity of the matter involved and decide whether it shall monitor the case or allow down-the-line functionaries to independently deal with it.Directors of Grievances should monitor and follow up at least 3 to 5 percent of grievances received to enable them to assess the efficacy of grievance redress mechanism. (iii)Â  Fix responsibility in each case of delay, default and dereliction of duty, identified by Director of Grievances, and take appropriate action against concerned personnel. In addition, consider feasibility of prescribing specific penalty clauses for such failures. 7. 8 Review and Monitoring of Grievance Redress MechanismEnsure meaningful review of the performa nce of grievance redress machinery of the Ministry/Organisation as well as that of attached/ subordinate organization by Secretary/ Head of the Department on a monthly basis. Review should also cover action against defaulters. III. ROLE OF REGULATORS, OMBUDSMAN AND LIKE BODIES 8. 1Â  An explosive issue today in context of public grievance redress is the pace and phasing of the movement towards open markets after the gradual abandonment of centralized planning model.The Government is today withdrawing from various service sectors traditionally monopolosized by it and private enterprise is moving in. This may lead to a scenario where the Government monopolies are replaced by even more vicious private monopolies or cartels in the absence of adequate regulation, enforcement and recourse to grievance redress. 8. 2Â  This has significant implications for the role of Government. The Government can not just abandon the interests of citizens to be taken care of by the market forces in area s of service delivery covered by the private sector.In the open market scenario, it is often the major stakeholders and players which define the cost, quality and mechanism etc. of service delivery. 8. 3Â  The Government therefore needs to put in place appropriate mechanisms in the regulatory authorities, ombudsmen and like bodies in such sectors so that the concerns of individual citizens are also accorded equal importance and weightage and are appropriately and effectively addressed. They should safeguard the interests of the common citizens and ensure that the grievances of the citizens are attended to promptly and effectively.