Vision Change Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vision Change Analysis - Research Paper Example The vision and mission of firms are intrinsic part of its strategic planning. Organizational vision is very important because it informs about the future perspectives of the organization and its future position in the industry. The organizational mission helps formulate the processes to achieve its vision. Application of vision concept to the strategic change initiatives is imperative because it helps to adopt proactive measure to meet the challenges of changing times. Application analysis The case study of Mentor Graphics Corporation clearly displays the need to adopt strategic change initiatives within the broader context of its vision. The company repeatedly changed its vision that it had developed for its future in 10 years’ time. Its initial vision that ‘it would build something that people would buy’ was quickly changed to ‘beat Daisy’ which had fast emerged as its rival in the industry. While the new vision was able to help the company in incre asing its revenue but unfortunately the company was deprived of its creative inputs and had stagnated growth. The company again adopted new vision under ‘six boxes’ that would help it to diversify and gain market leadership in six different areas of business.

Diverse Backgrounds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Diverse Backgrounds - Essay Example y which happens to be the same fascination of the other then there would be an ample chance for both parties to meet and play often and further get to know one another. It would also aid to consider funding an event which raises social awareness where every participant, regardless of background, is granted the opportunity to express views in exchange of the opinions made by the counterparts. This may spark not only a sense of high curiosity but also a profound desire to share personal stories which are relevant to the theme of the occasion. At workplace, diversity of backgrounds among employees may be in terms of socio-economic status so colleagues are likely to necessitate seeking to discern each other by joining an activity that is commonly engaged to by the majority. Recreational facilities, in this case, would then largely matter since a fixed spot within a company is conducive for conferences on a regular basis. Teambuilding events can be designed in such a way as to unravel the values of each member and determine how each person’s response with attitude and creativity is able to impart relevant learning for the team. Acquiring knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses of a teammate in the process leads to better understanding and forming of trust and companionship so that indifferences brought by the issue of diversity are gradually

Decision Model Theory Essay Example for Free

Decision Model Theory Essay Case Here we use the Thompson Lumber Company case as an example to illustrate these decision theory steps. John Thompson is the founder and president of Thompson Lumber Company, a profitable firm located in Portland, Oregon. Step 1 The problem that John Thompson identifies is whether to expand his product line by manufacturing and marketing a new product, backyard storage sheds. Step 2 * The second step is to list the alternative. * Thompson’s second step is to generate alternatives that are available to him . In decision theory the alternative is a course of action or strategy that the decision maker can choose .According to him his alternatives are to construct: 1†¢ a large new plant to manufacture the storage sheds 2†¢ a small plant, or 3†¢ no plant at all * So, the decision makers should try to make all possible alternatives ,on some occasion even the least important alternative might turn out to be the best choice. Step 3 * Third step is to identify possible outcomes. * The criteria for action are established at this time. According to Thompson there are two possible outcomes: the market for the storage sheds could be favorable means there is a high demand of the product or it could be unfavorable means that there is low demand of the product. * Optimistic decision makers tend to ignore bad outcomes; where as pessimistic managers may discount a favorable outcome. If you don’t consider all possibilities, it will be difficult to make a logical decision, and the result may be undesirable. * There may be some outcomes over which the decision maker has little or no control is known as states of nature. Step 4 * Fourth step is to list payoffs. * This step is to list payoff resulting from each possible combination of alternatives and outcomes. Because in this case he wants to maximize his profits, he use profits to evaluate each consequences .Not every decision, of course, can be based on money alone – any appropriate means of measuring benefit is acceptable. In decision theory we call such payoff or profits conditional values. Step 5 6 * The last two steps are to select and apply the decision theory model. * Apply it to the data to help make the decision. Selecting the model depends on the environment in which you are operating and the amount of risk and uncertainty involved. * Decision Table with condition values for Thompson TYPES OF DECISION MAKING ENVIRONMENTS * The types of decisions people make depends on how much knowledge or information they have about the situation. There are three kind of decision making environments: * Decision making under certainty. * Decision making under risk. * Decision making under uncertainty. Decision Making Under Certainty * Here the decision makers know about the certainty of consequences every alternative or decision choice has. * Naturally they will choose the alternative that will result in the best outcome. * Example: Let’s say that you have $10000 to invest for a period of one year. And you have two alternatives either to open a savings account paying 6% interest and another is investing in Govt. Treasury Bond paying 10% interest. If both the investments are secure and guaranteed, the best alternative is to choose the second investment option to gain maximum profit. Decision Making Under Risk * Here the decision Maker knows about the several possible outcomes for each alternative and the probability of occurrence of each outcome. * Example: The probability of being dealt a club is 0.25. The probability of rolling a 5 on die is 1/6. * In the decision making under risk, the decision maker usually attempts to maximize his or her expected well being. Decision theory models for business problems in this in this environment typically employ two equivalent criteria: maximization of expected monetary value and minimization of expected loss. * Expected monetary value is the weighted value of possible payoffs for each alternative Decision Making under Uncertainty * Here there are several outcomes for each alternative, and the decision maker does not know the probabilities occurrences of various outcomes. * Example The probability that a Democrat/Republican will be the President of a country 25 Years from now is not known. * The criteria that is covered in this section as follows: 1 – Maximax †¢ this criterion find the alternative that maximizes the maximum payoffs or consequence for every alternative. Here we first locate the maximum payoff with every alternative and then pick that alternative with the maximum number. This is also known as optimistic decision criterion. * Maximin †¢ this criterion finds the alternative that maximizes the minimum payoff or consequence for every alternative. Here we first locate the minimum outcome within every alternative and then pick that alternative with maximum number. This is called as pessimistic decision criterion. * Criterion of Realism: Also called as weighted average, is a compromise between an optimistic and a pessimistic decision. Let the coefficient of realism is ‘a’ selected. The coefficient is between 0 and 1. When ‘a’ is close to 1, the decision maker is optimistic about the future. When ‘a’ is close ‘0’ the decision maker is pessimistic. It helps the decision maker to build feelings about relative optimism and pessimism. * Weighted average =a (maximum in row) + (1-a)(minimum in row). * Equally likely (Laplace)-one criterion that uses all the payoffs for each alternative is the equally likely also called Laplace decision criterion. This is to fi nd alternative with highest payoff. * Minimax Regret †¢ the final decision criterion that we discuss is based on opportunity loss or regret. Expected Value of Perfect Information * Formula EVPI = A – B A = expected value with perfect information B = expected value without perfect information Calculation of (A) value: A = the best of each outcome x their prob. The best of outcomes: Best outcome= (100,000) (30,000) A= 0.6 x 100,000 + 0.4 x 30,000 = 72,000 Calculation of (B) value: B = we select the max value of each given below Outcome of each event: 0.6(50000) + 0.4 (30,000)= 42,000 0.6(100,000 -0.4(40,000)= 44,000 0.6(30,000) + 0.4(10,000)= 20,000 The max value for all computed value = 44,000 EVPI = A – B = 72,000 – 44,000 = 28,000 Expected Opportunity Loss The expected opportunity loss is the expected value of the regret for each decision (Minimax) EOL (Apartment) = $50,000(.6) + 0(.4) = 30,000 EOL (Office) = $0(.6) + 70,000(.4) = 28,000 EOL (Warehouse) = $70,000(.6) + 20,000(.4) = 50,000 Marginal Analysis * Most of our decisions are made following our â€Å"marginal analysis† of costs and benefits * To achieve a given outcome we often have to make a choice from among alternative means; we normally try to make the â€Å"least costly† choice among the available means * Sometimes our decisions result in benefits as well as costs; * How much food should you buy? * How many years of schooling should you have? * How many hours should you work? * How many workers should you hire? * How much should save/invest?

The Mask of Horror: Eating Disorders Essays -- Bulemia and Anorexia ner

In this Golden age of humanity with technology at the fingertips of mankind and world wide global awareness, it's hard to imagine from the comfort of well lit homes, a large population of the human race lives without fresh water and a nourishing daily meal. In the United States of America it has been said of an over abundance of food, though many of the citizens are forced to consume highly processed ready made meals in order to survive due to poverty. These meals are high in fat, sodium and of course, calorie, leaving the consumer with extra weight. This leads to the image of "'merica" with over weight men and women on scooters. While some of this is actually a result of poor self control or a medical issue, many can attribute it to having a very low income and the substance affordable is akin to garage. "Big" a book by some author, chronicles a young women who is very overweight by the design of her home environment. Her mother is disabled, obese and living off the government. She gets a job, goes to fat camp and learns why she can never loose weight. With all of this in mind, not to mention the idolization of stick thin models and actors, its not hard to figure out what the mind of an adolescent will conclude. Weight equals prosperity; being heavy is unsuccessful and ugly, whist-while bones and tight skin stretched over cranium is attractive and desirable. This of course calls Eating disorders to mind; Anorexia nervosa, Blumina, and EDNOS (eating disorder not diagnosed). In light of what is going on in the world today, eating disorders seem farfetched and frivolous. Anorexia Nervosa could be considered a classic example of a serious eating disorder as it is defined as having a fatal a... ...he common world. Through isolation and ostracization of these individuals who developed these disorders when they should have been refining common social skills and relationships, they become set apart and put on stage as having an ideal figure or made to be a kin to circus freaks. The solution is a difficult but simple one, the individual in question has to learn to accept whatever may have caused them to trip down this violent and dangerous road to adulthood and left unchecked, the grave. Works Cited http://www.2medusa.com/2009/01/anorexic-bulimic-pro-ana-mia-some-tips.html http://www.drphil.com/slideshows/slideshow/6707/?id=6707&slide=2&showID=1774&preview=&versionID= http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_goddess/goddess_glossary.asp http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=7409

Portuguese missionaries Essay

The success of the Portuguese missionaries in sixteenth century Japan was due to the relationship between actors in the Asian theater and that milieu itself. Economic and political pressures, not religious fervor, were the important determining factors. Among the said factors were the production of silver in Japan, the potential market for it in China, the prohibition against trade engendered by the activities of the Japanese pirates, the arrival of the Portuguese traders with the accompanying missionaries, the receptivity of the then-emperor to Portuguese proselytizing, and the policy of funneling a portion of trade revenue to the Jesuits for recruitment purposes. Tangentially we may take into consideration the character of the faith itself. However, the Jesuits presented the same faith as in other countries during the Crusades with much less of an effect. Therefore we must conclude that it was the economic and political power the Portuguese wielded that enabled the Jesuits to attract more followers to their belief system in Japan during the Crusades than in other countries to which they directed their efforts. Influence at this time, as always, was an admixture of the religious, the military, the economic, the political, and the social. We must first understand the milieu of sixteenth-century Asia. The Portuguese reached the shores of Japan in 1543 aboard a Chinese junk. They set up shop and shortly thereafter, more traders began to arrive along with Jesuit missionaries. The emperor at the time was open to their activities, as were the Kamakura who shared power at the time. This was the â€Å"Sengoku† period, a time of warring states in which the shoguns lost some power which was then assumed by the merchant classes then in ascendency. The plebian classes were eager to capitalize on this development in order to rise in Japanese society. The Jesuits were involved in more than religious activity. In 1549 the priest Francis Xavier arrived in Japan. â€Å"This marked the start of a vigorous effort by Jesuit missionaries to bring Christianity to Japan. (Hall, 1) As stated, there was substantial trade between Japan and China commanded by a Portuguese captain-major who possessed military, economic, and administrative powers in the name of the king of Portugal. As a result of this influence, the Jesuits gained control of both Nagasaki, trade headquarters, and the area of Mogi in 1580. â€Å"The Society of Jesus then held all rights pertaining to possession of land, administration, and judicial matters there and also received the anchorage fees levied on Portuguese ships. † (Hall, 62) They used the proceeds from this windfall to fund their missionary work. It must be noted, however, that the Jesuit dominion of Nagasaki and Mogi lasted only until 1588 when the emperor Hideyoshi confiscated the Church’s domain. Another point of influence was military. â€Å"The Portuguese traders’ contribution of a new, modern instrument of mayhem to Japan’s well-stocked but still medieval and, by European standards, obsolescent arsenal was one of those was one of those remarkable accidents of history that have a revolutionary effect. † (Hall, 302) The Portuguese, with whom the Jesuits were allied, thus contributed the technology which enabled Japanese military reunification. The missionaries were able to use not only the economic influence the Portuguese conferred upon them but technological influence as well. The Portuguese were of great practical benefit to the Japanese and enabled the Jesuits to use the goodwill the contribution generated to gain an audience for Christianity. This development was yet one more point of intersection between the religious and the secular. One association which enabled the Missionaries to pursue their work was that with the wako, the pirates and illicit traders. Not only did the wako transport the Portuguese and especially Francis Xavier to Japan but their depredations aroused the indignation of the Japanese emperor and caused them to be banned from Japanese shores. † The Portuguese found that what the Japanese really wanted from abroad were Chinese silk fabrics; as a result of Chinese reactions to (the wako), Japanese were not permitted to go to China themselves to buy them. † (Mason and Caiger, 154) The Chinese were highly interested in the silver of which Japan had a seemingly inexhaustible supply. The trade which then resulted was extremely profitable. The issues of Christianity and foreign trade were not central concerns of Japan but they were relevant to the success of the Jesuits in sixteenth-century Japan. The aid which the wako provided was not unalloyed. Francis Xavier used one of them, Yajiro, who badly led him astray. This native informant may indeed have ‘learned in eight months to read and write, and speak Portuguese’ and even have been ‘very well indoctrinated in the in the faith of Jesus Christ Our Lord,’ as Xavier maintained. Hall, 307) â€Å"For all that, he thoroughly misinformed his mentor. Yajiro’s outline of the essentials of Japanese religion was the sometime wako’s biggest disservice to the sometime saint. † (Hall, 308) This outline included the assertion that there is only one God which the Christian neophyte proceeded to amplify with theological analogues. He also proclaimed mistakenly that the Dainichi, the central Buddha of the Shingon sect, was similar to the Judeo-Christian God. â€Å"†¦the results of his altogether facile explanations are clear: Xavier began his mission in Japan by preaching Dainichi. Despite this setback, after the clarification of the issues, the missionaries eschewed anything resembling syncretism and preached Deus with marked success. An example of the mistake that was Yajiro’s enlistment was his assistance with religious texts. Yajiro had put a summary of Christian doctrine into Japanese and Xavier had painstakingly written it out in roman letters, yet the translation was such a failure that it elicited jeers and laughter from the men of letters who comprised its audience. For all that, Xavier and his helpmates were able to convert more than one hundred people, who were drawn to the foreign priest by the force of his personality if not the power of his message. † (Hall, 309) The exact nature of the new converts’ religion was indeterminate. The Christians in Japan endured a degree of persecution. The authorities, namely the emperors and the Buddhists, found the proselytizing disturbing and tolerated it for a time only for the sake of trade. Emperor Ieyasu â€Å"wanted to continue trading, but he was troubled by occasional political complications and wished to discourage Iberian missionary activity. In the end he settled for sporadic, half-hearted measures of repression. † (Totman, 222) The arrival of the Dutch and the English merchants, with their connections to Southeast Asia, weakened the position of the Portuguese and without the leverage trade provided, they found their existence in Japan to be tenuous. In the autumn of 1613, the Emperor Ieyasu resolved to end the Portuguese and Jesuit presence n Japan due to a sedition plot among Ieyasu’s key vassals. Rumors â€Å"linked the suspects to a recent and very messy scandal involving some Christian converts and members of his own household†¦. † (Totman, 222) This emperor, like Hideyoshi, wanted to limit his dealings to the Dutch and the English. To do so he outlawed Christianity, ordered missionaries expelled, and churches destroyed on the grounds that the Iberians had come to Japan not only to trade, â€Å"but also hoping to spread their evil doctrine without permission, to confound true religion, change the political order of the realm, and make it their own. (Totman, 140) However Ieyasu found himself distracted with other matters and unable to resolve the issue, allowing the Portuguese traders and missionaries to continue their work. The reprieve gradually came to an end however with the ascent of the emperor Hidetada, reputedly vicious, who tried to enforce his father’s policy. The result was that by 1630, most missionaries had left Japan in the face of the worst pogrom in Japanese history. Most churches were demolished, many converts were forced to recant, perhaps four to five thousand were executed and made martyrs. A minor tragedy by modern standards, but a horrific chapter nonetheless. The last stand of the Christians in Japan occurred in 1637. Crop failure, famine, and local political abuse brought on a major rebellion among the inhabitants of the Shimabara Peninsula in Kyushu. â€Å"25,000 commoners and ronin insurgents employed Christian religious banners and rhetoric to sustain themselves†¦and for a time they badly embarrassed the ineffectual government forces sent to crush them. (Totman, 223) In the end, however, they did not emerge victorious and the emperor Iemitsu severed all remaining Iberian connections, ordering all surviving Christian communities suppressed. Xavier needed both political and social acumen in order to make progress in his mission to Japan. At first he operated on the assumption that all he would need to gain entry to that country’s universities and palaces was his missionary zeal and conviction, courage and charisma. Although, by these means he did manage to obtain a letter of introduction from an â€Å"honored person† who took pity on him, without the necessary legitimization and presents he was turned away again and again. His goals were two: to convert the â€Å"king of Japan† and to spread the word of the Gospel at Japan’s leading institutes of higher learning. Unfortunately he found that ,†The petitioner who approached the gates of exalted personages barefooted and empty-handed would be turned away; aside from one’s convictions, one had to bear with him gifts and credentials. (Hall, 313) On Xavier’s second visit he had learned enough to appear in the capacity of an envoy of the authorities of Portuguese India, armed with letters from the governor and bishop of Goa, bearing presents, and dressed splendidly. The Japanese then received him as an ambassador and, duly impressed, the emperor granted him and his missionaries permission to preach and for the people to embrace the new religion in his domains, significant because those domains at the time comprised all or parts of ten provinces. The Jesuit missionaries were more successful in their efforts to spread the Gospel in Japan than in other countries. The Portuguese traders who served as intermediaries in the trade route between Japan and China facilitated this success. Directly, the traders and even the Jesuits themselves gained control of ports, ships, and revenue that the exchange of Japanese precious metals and Chinese silk provided which the missionaries then used to fund the proselytizing of the rising Japanese merchants. This class was especially susceptible to the persuasion of the Portuguese, economically and otherwise because they had long suffered under the rule of the shoguns. The warrior class was in disarray due to infighting and their disorganization along with the arrival of the Portuguese allowed the merchants the opportunity to prosper. As soon as the influence of the Portuguese traders waned, the Jesuits found preaching the Gospel in Japan to be impossible and they were expelled. However, as a result of their association with the Portuguese, many merchants became Christians. Due to the efforts, worldly and otherwise, of Xavier and his missionaries, the Japanese learned of the Gospel. The foregoing supports the theory that it was a combination of extra-religious forces which enabled the Jesuits to have more success in converting the natives of Japan to Christianity rather than the religion itself. Once the trade dominance of the Portuguese was limited by the incursions of the Dutch and English traders, the Japanese grew steadily more unwilling to tolerate the growing influence of the Jesuits. Indeed, that the Iberians were expelled as the power of the traders waned and the influence of the priests grew clearly demonstrates that the leverage of commerce was substantial and that it was used both in swaying people indirectly and directly for the benefit of the missionaries. More- over, the political savvy of the Jesuit leader, Francis Xavier, contributed greatly to the advancement of the fortunes of Christianity in sixteenth-century Japan, short-lived though those fortunes were.

drugs and alcohol on college students Essay

Drugs and alcohol, do they have a significant impact on the lives of college students or just the ones that fall short to the influence? There is a major problem with students using and abusing these substances, not only does it have negative effects on the user, but on the user’s friends and family as well. A lot of drugs and alcohol become easily available to college students over the course of their college years. What can be done to help prevent students from abusing drugs and alcohol? Overall, drugs and alcohol do have a serious effect on the lives of college students. In college it is extremely hard for some students to have self-control. According to the article, â€Å"Alcohol and Drug abuse†, a study indicated that 90% of students admitted to have consumed an alcoholic beverage in college, while 50% of the students also admitted to smoking marijuana. These statistics show that most students will be around drugs or alcohol at one point during their experience. Additionally, One of the many reasons that students drink or do drugs is because it is their first taste of freedom away from home. Not to mention, no parents on their back, no rules, and you can go â€Å"home† (dormitory, apartment, house, etc†¦) anytime you want, why would a teen not take full advantage of this opportunity? That is one of the main issues and students do not know how to say the word as simple as no sometimes. Not only do students get hooked on this kind of behavior but also could potentially take it too far. Some say drinking is a stress reliever from school, work, or even personal problems. Furthermore, alcohol, as well as drugs, are very addictive and can cause many problems for one down the road. At least once a month, half of the college students in America drink or abuse drugs. A conducted survey showed around 22% of students have a higher rate abusing substances compared to the general public. Nonetheless, these students claimed they use drugs to help forget about problems and help relax  and reduce stress. Since 2005, the students that claim they abuse marijuana has more than doubled, but the amount of students that claim to use alcohol has stayed average. (insert info). This sort of behavior very rarely stems from the choice made of a single individual but is mostly influenced by peer pressuring friends as a way to fit in. Alcoholism does have an effect on the social lives of students. Some say â€Å"you are who your friends are†, in some aspects they are right. The friends chosen to spend the days with throughout college do have a significant role in a lifetime. Whatever their decisions may be, could influence the person one strives to be. The influence others can make in life seems daring and unbelievable. Research states that students Frat houses and sororities also have an impact on drinking habits developed throughout college.  Greek life can be a big part of ones college experience. Membership in fraternities or sororities may play a part in drinking in college. Greek life does play a part throughout campus by typically throwing open house parties and social gatherings including none greek life students. Statistics show that greek members do more drinking than regular students and is also known as â€Å"the greek effect†. However, this does not mean that these same developed habits will stay with them following the college years. They say after students graduate and leave the college atmosphere that their studies do suggest a decrease in drinking. Once they leave they are not involved in a socially acceptable atmosphere for heavy drinking and partying. Greek life or not, drinking still raises a concern for college students. Drugs and alcohol are huge concerns across the United States. A Harvard University study showed that underage students who drink are more likely to over abuse their tolerance level compared to twenty-one year olds, which is also the legal drinking age in America. It is unbelievably easy to access alcohol for many underage students and could be a reason to why they turn to drinking. Some could even argue that alcohol is the biggest gateway drug. A study from the University of Florida explains why they believe alcohol is  a bigger gateway drug than marijuana. The study showed that substance use begins with the most sociably acceptable drugs, being alcohol and tobacco, then proceeds to marijuana use and lastly on to other illegal, harder drugs, like cocaine. Furthermore, students who used alcohol exhibited a significantly greater likelihood up to sixteen times of illicit and licit substance use. Alcohol is what’s being put on a pedestal, so students seek it out. When majority of students drink, they binge drink. This is one of the worst ways to consume alcohol and have harsh side effects. Campuses do not realize how harmful this is to the student body and mind. There should be more programs to raise awareness and inform students of the effects of alcohol abuse. If peers, professors or other influential members of the community see a problem within a student they should be able to refer them to counseling and seek proper help needed. Peers do play an influential role in pressuring others to party and do drugs, especially roommates. Male students that consumed alcohol or abused drugs in high school that came to college and became roommates with another male that was similar to them in high school could have negative effects on each other and are probable to increase their consumption into college. Female students were found to not be as pressured by their roommates and were more probable to carry on their individual high school ways throughout college. Drinking alcohol as a young adult will more than double the chances of neurotoxicity and cause harmful cognitive effects as oppose to people that start drinking later in life. Almost every community in America is affected by underage drinking. Every year the statisitics of how young kids will start to drink increases. Children from the ages of twelve to seventeen that first encounter alcohol has increased by over one million in a span of five years. (The neurocognitive effects of alcohol on adolescents and college students). Here are many consequences to extreme drinking. Every year there are on average 1,825 deaths from injuries and car accidents caused by people  driving while intoxicated. (insert info). Assault and sexual assault chances also increase when alcohol is thrown into the equation. Studies show how poorly students perform on exams, papers, and also how far they fall behind because of acquired drinking habits. 19% of students fall into the category of alcohol dependence.

Comparing the Teachings of Jesus and Mohammed

Comparing the Teachings of Jesus and Mohammed Free Online Research Papers Although Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus, and the Muslims who follow the teachings of Mohammed, may represent the same God, they are decidedly different when it comes to the way that they worship. The birth and death of both Jesus and Mohammed has shaped the nature of each religion today. Their lives have brought millions of people together in the belief and faith in one true God but they still have different beliefs and practices. Christians are redeemed through God’s grace and Jesus Christ and the Muslims adhere to laws and rites. Both the Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus and the Muslims who follow the teachings of Mohammed believe in the very same God. And both Jesus and Mohammed started from poor, quiet, ordinary beginnings. It is there however that the similarities end and the differences begin. The life of Jesus began in the city of Bethlehem around four BC. He was born as the incarnate Son of God and divinely conceived to the virgin, Mary. Mary was wed to Joseph, a carpenter from Nazareth and that is the family in which he was raised. The life of Jesus is found in the New Testament of the Bible. He was born in Bethlehem where Mary and Joseph had traveled to comply with the census law of that time. They then fled to Egypt to avoid the law set by King Herod that all first born sons were to be killed. Most of his childhood is unknown except for a mention in the book of Luke about (2:21-24) and (2:41-51). Jesus ministry began as a young man after his Baptism in the Jordan River. He and his twelve disciples traveled to the neighboring towns, teaching about God’s love and healing the sick and infirmed. He taught that no matter how bad someone had sinned, if his heart was sincere and he repented, God would forgive him. It was God’s grace that would save man rather that strict adherence to the law of that time. As Jesus popularity grew so did the realization that he was the Son of God. His ministry and popularity caused concern with the priests and scribes. They were afraid that he would turn the people away from them and their laws so they conspired to kill Jesus. With the help of one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Jesus was arrested, tried and put to death by crucifixion. According to the MSN Encarta encyclopedia, Mohammed’s life ran from about 570 to 632. He was born into a poor but respected family in Mecca and was orphaned by the time he was six years old. He was raised by his grandfather and then later by his uncle. He was a trader by profession and during one of his travels; he met and married Kahdija, a wealthy widow who was about 15 years older than himself. (2007, pg1) Mohammed was praying for guidance in a cave one day when he was visited by the archangel Gabriel. Gabriel proclaimed him a prophet of God. Mohammed slowly began to accept his mission as a prophet and began to speak publicly about his revelation. These speeches were written down and are now what we know has the Koran. The main teachings of Mohammed is that there is only one God, a last judgment and for social and economic justice. He also claimed that the Koran was the last revealed book and he himself was the last and final prophets and his teachings took the place of all earlier ones. His popularity and advocacy for social reform brought him power and leadership. It also brought enemies. This resulted in wars between Mecca and Medina. The people of Mecca finally submitted to Mohammed and were converted to Islam. Mohammed died suddenly and unexpectedly on June 8, 632 (MSN Encarta encyclopedia, 2007, pg.1). The death of Jesus was a fulfillment of His own prophecy. It is believed that only through His own death, those who believed in Him, could be saved and live eternally with God in Heaven. He was the ultimate sacrificial lamb who made everything right with God. The laws of the Old Testament were no longer needed and only the belief and faith in Jesus as the Christ is necessary. If it weren’t for the death and resurrection of Jesus, his life would not have had the impact on Christianity that it has today. The followers of Christ Jesus were committed to carrying out His work and spreading His message to the world even if it meant their own imprisonment or even death. Mohammed’s death had a similar result in the people wanting to continue to spread his message and teach the message of Islam. At first there was some confusion as to who should succeed him and carry out his leadership of the people. There couldn’t be another prophet since Mohammed had declared himself as the last, so a leader had to be chosen. The leadership of the Islamic religion also controls the political environment of the Islamic community. The early Muslims recognized neither distinction between religion and state, nor between religious and secular authorities and organizations. Many Muslims even prefer to call Islam a way of life rather than a religion. Indeed, a strictly theocratic conception of order, in which Islam is not merely a religion but a complete system ordained by God for the socio-political as well as the moral and spiritual governance of mankind, had been an integral part of Mohammeds message and practice. â€Å"While a history of Christianity will usually cover only matters relating to religion in a narrow sense, a history of Islam may discuss, for example, political developments, literary and artistic life, taxation and landholding, tribal and ethnic migrations, etc.† (MSN Encarta Encyclopedia, 2007, pg 1). Jesus is worshipped today as the Son of God and deliverer of the people of God. It is through Him that they are saved and forgiven for our sins. As people of God, they want to please Him and become children of God. They worship him through prayer, faith, and works. It is prayer in which the people of Islam also communicate to God. Their prayers also honor Mohammed in that they face Mecca, the holy city of Mohammed’s birth in supplication to God. Another way in which the people of Islam honor the father of their religion is with a pilgrimage to Mecca. This is the ritual to which the people make the visit to Mecca and perform a series of purification rituals and rites in honor of God. Christians continue to meet in prayer and worship for God. They send out missionaries to spread the message of Jesus to people who wouldn’t get to hear the word otherwise. They print books of the Bible to pass out for everyone to read in all languages. They build schools and churches in order to teach others how God wants us to live. The numbers of Muslims in the world has been spreading at an extraordinary rate. This is in part due to the population growth within the Muslim community as well as conversion of people as they learn more about the religion and its responsibilities. Both Jesus and Mohammed represent the same God, and they both started from poor, quiet, ordinary beginnings. They both speak about Gods love for His people. They both teach that their way is the truth. Their lives have brought millions of people together in the belief and faith in one true God. It is here where the similarities end and the differences begin. The ways to worship are decidedly different. Where Christians are redeemed through God’s grace and Jesus Christ, the Muslims adhere to laws and rites. References Prayway (1997). An introduction to Islam. Retrieved May 24, 2007 from , Global Prayer Community Web site: prayway.com/unreached/main/islam.html MSN Encarta Encyclopedia (2007). Islam. Retrieved May 25, 2007 from , Microsoft Web site: http://au.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761579171/Islam.html Research Papers on Comparing the Teachings of Jesus and MohammedComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital Punishment19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Hip-Hop is ArtBringing Democracy to AfricaGenetic Engineering