Marketing Strategy Essay Example for Free

Marketing Strategy Essay Discuss the type of product the company will offer and identify its primary characteristics The type of product the company will offer is a bracelet called Life Alert band. The characteristics of this device are size and the ease of use along with a lifetime guarantee. The Life Alert band is light and portable that no one will even know it’s on his or her wrist. It’s the size of a thick rubber band and comes in different wrist sizes. It has one easy to access button with an emergency icon that only needs to be pushed once to alert the Life Alert call center in the event of an emergency. The bracelet has several hidden sensors that monitor a person’s pulse and blood sugar and wirelessly sends this information to the Life Alert monitoring centers. If a change is detected in any of the monitors the bracelets sends a signal to the centers for immediate action. The Life Alert medical counselors immediately call the patient to see if they are ok. If no response is received they dispatch emergency responders right away. The bracelets uses flash memory to keep the device slim and flexible. It has a flexible band that can bend slightly. The material of the bracelet is a made of hard rubber that protects the electronics and its sensors. The bracelet requires a one-time setup much like a cell phone has to be programmed by Life Alert in order to ensure communication is occurring with their monitoring centers. The device has wifi built in for local communication. Users who have a wireless network can browse directly to the bracelet using a web browser. This gives them access to all the information the bracelet is recording. Discuss the product branding strategy Entrepreneur magazine states that a branding strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy (Enterpreneur, 2011). In this case a brand is name that consumers associate with a device or service. Life Alert has many devices, all which bare its name on it. For example wireless companies such ATT sell cell phones from different manufactures but all of them have the name ATT on them and their logo. This goes for any large company that sells multiple products even if the products are manufactured by another company. Another good example is Apple. Apple has mp3 players, desktops, laptops, and other computer peripherals, all have the Apple logo on them. Therefore, the branding approach for the Life Alert bracelet will be the umbrella branding approach. The umbrella approach will help Life Alert in promoting their popular name even further. In a survey taken by ACNielsen International Research, 87% of Life Alert members said that Life Alert’s protection is a main or important factor in their decision to keep living at home rather than going to a retirement institution (lifealert911, 2011). Life Alert members on an average spend 6 more years living alone because of their services. The bracelet will not only enhance their product line but attract more customers. The introduction of this bracelet will increase their customer base and maybe appeal to those who have a serious illness. The bracelet will become the main entity of the product line with Life Alert’s name and logo. Discuss how the product fits within a product line and the depth and breadth of the line. Life Alert’s bracelet is a unique product that has carved a niche in the medical devices industry. It fits into health care products that offer emergency services for monitoring and addressing health related issues. It addresses a void in the industry and aims to support independence in aged adults by providing state of the art monitoring and emergency services. The distinctive aspect of the Life Alert bracelet is that it is both broadens and intensifies in scope in terms of its breadth and depth. It fits well into the product line Life Alert offers. It’s an extension of the current product offerings. Some of the functionality the bracelet offers cross’s over to other product categories. For example the bracelet now becomes competitive with blood glucose meters. Regardless, the bracelet extends the depth and breadth of the company. Explain how the product and target market strategies fit with the organizational strategy. The organizational strategy is based around a few key factors. The company’s business domain is clearly defined and is focused towards Mature 50+ adults who wish to live an independent lifestyle. The factors that are considered are mainly geographical location, age, retirement lifestyle and medical needs. The strategy is effective as it concentrates on a few key product and ervices. Life alert employs niche marketing to devise a product strategy aimed at that targets mature 50+ adults residing mostly in Florida, which is a popular retirement destination, who are currently living a retired lifestyle and desire a degree of independence and who may or may not have specific medical needs. The Life Alert bracelet fits into the organizational strategy for Life Alert. Introducing the bracelet will solidify the stance in the market. The organizational strategy for Life Alert is to be most innovative company in assisting the elderly. Life Alert can take advantage of its existing organizational strategy to support and market the bracelet. The company can further expand its diversified portfolio of services by using its existing infrastructure and the multifaceted use of its core resources. By including and expanding on existing product offerings the company can reduce cost and maximize return on resources. Life alert bracelet can utilize the infrastructure for Life Alert Necklace, security, monitoring and emergency response services with minor additions. All of these services employ the same core organizational set up, which is the monitoring center, which maximizes service offering with minimal investment. The marketing strategy includes Ads in local newspapers or niche publications, Opt-in web sites that make use of keywords to connect with potential customers, direct mail campaigns, as well publicity through Television developed for mature audiences. The bracelet can be incorporated under these existing marketing tools since it’s directed towards the same target audience. The ease of competitors’ entry into Life Alert’s market segment is minimal as the company employs a profitable business model where users pay an initial set-up charge for the systems and the company generates revenues each month through subscription-based monitoring costs. The company also distributes medical alert system to more than 300 resellers and is one of the largest wholesale medical alarm distributors in the nation, with over 200,000 medical alert devices in service. The bracelet can be an adjunct to the existing portfolio and use the same monitoring system and distribution strategies in use. The business strategy also supports innovation and product development and at present only a couple companies offer a medical alarm with two-way voice. With an additional service such as the bracelet the company will be a step ahead of its competitors and can utilize its RD budget to support the new product. The company’s ability to customize services and marketing different price points for packages will allow customers to use the bracelet with other Life Alert products and services. The new product aligns well with the company’s organizational strategy and the same marketing strategy can be applied towards the Life Alert bracelet.

International Business Cultural Diversity Management Essay

International Business Cultural Diversity Management Essay You are required to assist the work of TATA Ltd. One of the worlds most dynamic and trusted business conglomerates,  Tata  has more than a century of experience in the UK and a growing presence in several business sectors. The company wants to improve its efficiency throughout its divisions and believes that using cultural diversity factors may be the key. 3). Cultural Differences are held responsible for many failures in mergers and acquisitions (MA). Critically discuss which business aspects are likely to be affected. Managing and working with multicultural teams requires an understanding of cultural diversity to create an effective team. Critically discuss the issues This essay will discuss about Tata, their MA, the impacts of cultural differences and the different aspects they have to consider to build an international team. Usually used under the name of MA (Mergers Acquisitions), this term refers to a consolidation of companies. Merger is a strategic alliance whose the aim is to create a new entity. An acquisition is the fact to acquire a new company by purchasing it. Tata wants to improve its efficiency throughout its divisions and believes that using cultural diversity factors may be the key. Tata is an Indian group founded in 1868 by the Indian entrepreneur Jamsetji Tata and currently run by the Irish businessman Cyrus Pallonji Mistry. Nowadays, Tata is a powerful international group operating in more than 80 countries by a diversification strategy (thanks to the MA). The groups activity is divided into numerous sectors, for instance: technology, cars, services, electricity, consumer products, beverages, steel, materials and chemicals. Indeed, this international group has acquired since about ten years numerous companies which have cost altogether several milliards of dollars. These are the main takeovers: Tetley Group (UK) in 2000: tea Regent Hotel (Indian) in 2002: hotels Hughes Telecom (Indian) in 2002: telecom Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company (Korean) in 2004: cars NatSteel Asia (Singaporean) in 2005: steel Brunner Mond (UK) in 2005: chemicals Eight O Clock Coffee Company (USA) in 2006: coffee Jaguar and Land Rover (UK) in 2008: cars Source: Tata Group 2012 Tata wants to improve its performance thanks to MA but to reach that goal; it has to consider that cultural differences affect numerous business aspects in this kind of strategic alliance. For Adler and Gundersen (2008), cultural differences may have positives and negatives effects on a multicultural teams performance. Indeed, the cross-cultural differences are linked to performance. The cultural differences are one of the most important features to take into account to succeed in a M&A; maybe the most important. The culture is complex; it is a shared system of attitudes, beliefs and behaviour. Nowadays, the business is globalized and international; we can almost talk about a business culture run by the globalization (Hopper, 2007). Indeed, the world is not becoming smaller but people and their culture are moving closer. Tata has to understand that ignore the cultural differences would be a terrible mistake: the MA would not work or would not be as effective as expected. Tata should not make the same mistakes than the Merger between Chrysler (American) and Daimler-Benz (German) in 1998. It is a well-known example of how cultural differences can be held responsible for a failure in a MA. According to Vlasic and Stertz (2001), the main cause of this failure was the cultural differences. Indeed, Chrysler and Daimler had the same objectives but the cross-cultural gap between both was too deep and not enough considered to succeed (Schneider, 1997). Strategically, the merger was a good deal for both. However little by little, the cultural differences have led the merger to failure. This strategic alliance finished by an important economical (more than half a billion dollars) and social cost (redundancy). This example is the perfect proof than cultural differences badly assimilated can bring a MA to poor productivity and sometimes failure. Many mergers and acquisitions fail. Indeed, the average rate of failure is between 40-80%. According to Trompenaars and Asser (2010), it varies between 20% and 33%. Stahl and Voigt (2008) say that this rate of failure is relatively high and the impact of cultural differences remain most of the time, badly assimilated. Shareholders have tendency to underestimate the cultural factors in mergers and acquisitions. For Ferraro (2002), one of the biggest mistakes is to think that if a person is successful in his job, he will necessarily succeed in an environment culturally different. According to Harris and Moran (2000), culture acts on communication, strategies, relations, organizations and structures. Indeed, the cultural differences affect numerous business aspects such as organisation, financial performance, negotiation, communication, ways of getting work done, the human relationships, the time, the environment and the management. Insufficient awareness of cultural differences may provoke damages. (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner 1997, p. 10). In fact, cultural differences badly mastered can lead to: misunderstandings, incorrect exchange of information, ruined negotiations, loss of sales, poor labour relations, a loss of talented employees, limited co-operation, hostility and rivalry. (To change: Sian Taylors lesson). Joynt and Morton (1999) state that the cultural differences have a strong impact on the organisation. In fact, a MA may provoke numerous changes in the organisation structure. When there are hierarchical and organisational changes, the shareholders may have some difficulties to agree with the opinion or the status of the new colleagues. It may cause tensions and frictions between them. The human resources services and the management team field have an essential role to play in this kind of strategic alliances. (Source bad example to extend and to change) Culture has also a strong impact on the productivity. The cultural aspects may affect numerous other business aspects which influence indirectly on the performance of the MA in particular making benefits (Stahl and Voigt, 2005). For them, To increase effectiveness across cultures, training must be the focus of the job, while education thought of with reference to the individual, and development reserved for organizational concerns.(To change?) Culture differences badly assimilated product poor results and performance. However, the relationships between the MA performance and the cultural differences are not as easy as it could seem. (To Change and extend) King et al (2004) state that despite decades of research, what impacts the financial performance of firms engaging in MA activity remains largely unexplained. (To change?) The negotiation is also an aspect affected by the cultural differences. For instance, bad master of the culture or the local customs can lead to misunderstandings and confusions (Schein, 1993). It involves the meetings, the contacts and all the components of the negotiation between two interlocutors culturally different. Each culture has its own way to negotiate even though certain are similar. For instance, the Indians employees of Tata are used to negotiate because it is something daily and at every moment of the day in India. They rarely say no by politeness and sometimes their answer may seem unclear, that is why, a foreign negotiator should be able to decode the non-verbal language to know what they really think (such as cross legs or arms). (relation with Tata? + bad example) Another aspect that can be a problem is communication. Javidan and House (2002) state that during a MA, cultural differences may have negatives impacts on communication. For instance, Tata took this aspect into account for the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover. The Indian group had to retain a good communication with the employees of Jaguar and Land Rover. According to Schein (1993), in a business, the dialogue is primordial. In fact, it enables to transmit the information in order to be accurate and effective. It affects numerous fields such as: the management of people, negotiation, meetings, contracts, socialising, presentations, and advertising. During a MA, the communication is a determining factor: of success or failure (Trompenaars and Asser 2010, p.10). According to Stahl and Voigt (2008), in MA, the culture strongly impact the ways of getting the work done such as the levels of formality, tolerance of risk and methods of decision making (Communicaid 2008). In fact, each culture has his own way to do the job. Tata has to consider this fact, in particular for MA with other cultures like European (Tetley group (UK)) or American (Eight O Clock Coffee Company). Cultural differences may be barriers to the performance when they negatively impact the relationships between people and especially between the employees (to extend) of a MA. In particular, the way of dealing with conflict (To change). Often, people have a fixed idea of a particular type of person or thing, it is called a stereotype. Culture is like an iceberg. At the top, the elements we can see physically such as the behaviour, the clothing and the food. Whereas underneath, there is all the things we cannot see at the first sight such as meanings, beliefs, attitudes and values. Many human beings are influenced by their cultural roots which are very often transmitted by the family. (Too change, Sian Taylors lesson). Cross-cultural difference can have negative impacts on the human relationships (Javidan and House, 2002). According to Kleppestà ¸ (1998), we may see sometimes, the creation of in-group and out-group. (too extend). A bad entente between employees has for main consequenc e the fall of productivity. Indeed, the difference of culture does not simplify the relationships, especially when shareholders have to make important and essential choice. The cultural differences divide more than they gather, which might be problematic when shareholders have to take a single and common strategic decision. In fact, the human behaviour is an essential feature to take into account. Tata has also to take into account the time. Indeed, it is influenced by the cultural origins and determinant in the success of a MA. It can have important influences on the planning and on the way of how people manage their time. For Harris and Moran (2000), the definitions of time vary according to the culture, some are exact and others are relative. According to Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997), primitive societies just consider the matter of the before and the after whereas the educated societies judge the matter of time differently. For them, the time is an infinite succession of event. (To change) For instance, Tata purchased Jaguar and Land Rover which are British companies. Both cultures have a different on the notion of time. Tata is an Indian group and culturally their relation with the time is more relax and less in a rush than the European philosophy. For example, the Indian group would not hesitate to spend a long time to meet their employees whereas the British wou ld do it as quick as possible. All the more than Tata has always considered importantly the social aspect with its employees. Moreover, one of main cultural difference is the attitude of people with the environment. Some cultures have more importance for their own human-being life rather than other cultures attach more importance to the world in general than to the individuals.(To change) (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1997). Harris and Moran (2000) say that persons culturally different live and organize their environments in their own specific way. However, Tata has to know that a team composed of different cultures may have numerous potential benefits. Indeed, culture is also an opportunity and a source for the Indian group of competitive advantage. (Sian Taylor, Too change) Cultural differences may also have positives impacts on multicultural teams only if they respect certain conditions. In fact, diversity can lead to higher performance only when members of the group understand each other, and can combine and build on each other thoughts and ideas (Chell, 2001). (To change, Sian Taylors course). Cultural differences in the same organisation can also a great opportunity. (too extend)(source) Define culture is necessary to well understand what are the cultural diversities and which impacts they have on performance. For Hofstede (1980), culture is the interactive aggregate of common characteristics that influence a groups response to its environment. Cultural differences change the way people solve problems. In fact, Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997) say that we can differentiate every culture individually by the way they solve problems. The cultures distinguish from each other by the specific solutions they use when there is an issue. For instance, two groups of students have an essay to hand in for a due date. The first group is French and the other one is American. Both groups are late but they react differently because they are culturally different: the American group will reach the deadline and scarify the quality whereas the French group will go over the deadline and try to improvise. According to Chell (2001), the synergy in a multicultural team can improve significantly the performance and increase benefits. A multicultural team in which members live well together will be more productive and effective. Indeed, the cultural differences can create potential competitive advantages such as a better productivity, innovation, learning or ambience. It may also increase the productivity. Indeed, in a same situation, employees culturally different can have different way of thinking and therefore bring several solutions and improve the performance (Adler and Gundersen, 2008, p.134). In fact, multicultural team means wider range of opinions, ideas and consequently encourage the innovation. According to Adler and Gundersen (2008), this creativity enables to find better solutions to problems, take better decisions. Moreover, Chell (2001) think intercultural team is strength for a team. In fact, different nationalities enable to master different languages and consequently a bigger flexibility geographically and linguistically. Moreover, being cultural different may also enable to learn new things such as another way of managements or another ways of getting the work done. A multicultural team were the members understand each other enable to have a better ambience in the firm. The role of the manager has a strong impact on the ambience which is an essential feature to reach the synergy (Adler and Gundersen, 2008). If Tata wants to succeed in a MA with cultural differences, they should consider how to organize and manage an intercultural team. Managing and working with multicultural teams requires an understanding of cultural diversity to create an effective team. A multicultural team needs some features essential to be successful for example: the motivation to communicate, a good relationship between each members and a reciprocal respect. (To change Sian Taylors courses) Additionally, Tata must be aware of the role of the manager: it has changed due to the new cultural diversity in a same team (Harris and Moran, 2000). Nowadays, he must be skilful, master several languages and know the cultural features of his employees and the shareholders. The role of the manager is also to avoid the cultures shock and cultures clashes between the employees. According to Ruben (1983), the multinational manager should have seven skills to gather the employees strengths and bring them to the performance: tolerant, respectful, have good interpersonal skills, not to be prejudiced against people, feel empathy, observant and persevering. For Trompenaars and Asser (2010), the managers have a tendency to focus on the results of deal rather than the way the people reach together these objectives. The human dimension and the cultural differences are unfortunately used to be underestimated in a merger or acquisition. They are in particular ignored by the managers who prefer f ocus on results and performance rather than the way the job is done. Moreover, the notion of feedback (between manager and employees) is essential to fix the differing and underline the good things. Indeed, their first objective of the manager is to reach the synergy: to gather all the shareholders and bring them to an only and same goal with this kind of tools. Furthermore, the cultural differences strongly affect the way of managing people. Indeed, MA often involve the mix of firms and consequently, the mix of employees who are sometimes culturally different. Especially because culture is not something we cannot figure out at the first sight; it is something inside us. Trompenaards and Hampden-Turner states, it is not on surface but deep in every person. (Too change p.3). According to Tylor (1924), culture is not something simple or limited to one dimension in one field, it is the entire contrary. Indeed, he states that the culture is composed by numerous components such as: habits, language, religion, belief and morals. To create an effective team, the team have to understand the culture of each member and learn cross cultural knowledge (Harris and Moran, 2000). The creation of a multicultural effective team takes time because the manager must make aware each members of his own culture (Chell, 2001). One of the essential points is to resp ect the others cultures and the fact to be different because the culture takes an important place in peoples lives. Understand another culture also means be respectful about these differences. In fact, Chell (2001) say that the members have to have in mind that there is no dominant culture and everybody is equal whatever his origin. Indeed, according to them; we have to master early our culture before learning to know all the features of another one. Schein (1993) said We have to learn to listen to ourselves before we can really understand others. It is called the polycentrism: attempt to overcome your own cultural assumptions and to develop openness towards other cultures (To change course Sian Taylor). At the contrary the worst behaviour to adapt is to be ethnocentric: to look the word only through my own culture. (To change) Moreover in multicultural team, some cultures are more likely to fit with one than another. In a globalized world, the cross-cultural relationship has change d the way of managing a team. To conclude, Tata must be conscious that intercultural issues not well mastered may lead to poor productivity and performance. The cultural differences can affect negatively the business aspects and the performance. However, an effective multicultural team can have a positive impact on the performance. Indeed, if the cross-cultural differences are considerate and if the members collaborate, the cultural differences may become a great opportunity for the Indian group. Moreover, the future of a MA depends on the ability of a multicultural team to gather their strengths in the same project even if they are culturally different. That is why the role of the manager is crucial. Indeed, bring a multicultural team to the synergy is the main aim and role of the management team. Tata has to focus on the fact that diversity can lead to higher performance only when members of the group understand each other and work together.

The Relationship Between Food Concentration, And Respiratory Activity :: essays research papers fc

The Relationship Between Food Concentration, and Respiratory Activity In this experiment different concentrations of sucrose were tested to determine which leads to the most respiratory activity in yeast. Yeast is a heterotrophic anaerobic fungus which lacks chlorophyll. Yeast is used commercially to ferment the sugars of wheat, barley, and corn to produce alcohol, and in the baking industry to raise or expand dough. Yeast or alcoholic fermentation is the anaerobic process of respiration by which sugars, such as glucose and sucrose, are converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide (CO2 ). This process is illustrated in the following equation: yeast C12H22O11 + H2O ---> 4 CH3CH2OH + 4 CO2 sucrose + water (yields) ethanol + carbon dioxide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to determine what concentration of sucrose and water leads to the most respiratory activity, ten large test tubes were set with different concentrations by the process of serial dilution. The first test tube was filled with 40 ml of 60% sucrose solution. Then, the nine remaining test tubes were serially diluted, so that the sucrose concentration ranged from 30% to 0.12%.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The hypothesis in this expriment was that the most respiratory activity would take place with 60% sucrose concentration. Since yeast fermentation requires sucrose and water, aproximately equal proportions of both would yield to the most respiratory activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once the sucrose concentration was serially cut to the desired level, the experimenter added 5 ml of yeast suspension to each one of the ten test tubes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then, ten small test tubes were placed invertedly into each one of the large test tubes, making sure no air bubbles remained within the small tibes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The test tubes were left 24 hours, allowing for fermentation to take place. But, no respiratory activity was detected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In previous experimentation, it was found that yeast fermentation did take place in different molasses concentrations. Since, molasses contains large quantities of sucrose, it was assumed that different concentrations of

Procrastination Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To procrastinate is to put off doing something out of casual carelessness or common laziness. It often needlessly postpones or delays events or objectives in your life which can effect others. Procrastination is almost like a drug in your life, because once you start doing it a little bit, it slowly adds up to a dependency that you will find to be common habit. Although this is what we all perceive procrastination to be bad, there are some benefits to it. It can have beneficial impact on how you take pressure, or how well you can act when time is limited.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Procrastination is something that you don’t naturally have an innate ability to do. It is often brought on by finding ways around things such as due dates. It will mostly start off as not doing small homework assignments or even just simple house-hold chores that you try to put off as long as possible just to be able to play more. Or when you are even doing homework, such as a essay, you can find your self having a multitude of characteristics of it. Some may be just seem like difficulty concentrating or daydreaming. You may think that you are just having a small writers block, but you could actually possibly be subconsciously procrastinating because you know u you don’t want to do this, so you delay it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amazingly how so many high school, and college students do this, not many seem to realize the consequences of it until its to late. S...

Roy Wilkins and the NAACP: A Life Dedicated to the Civil Rights Movemen

The life of Roy Wilkins is a story of one of the greatest civil rights leaders the United States has ever known. He was an underdog that came from poor beginnings to become a leader of the NAACP, for twenty-two years. A true example of what someone can do if they put their minds to it, no matter what color they are. To begin the journey through Roy Wilkins life, we will start with a little biographical information. Roy was born in St. Louis, Mo. On August 30, 1901, as the grandson of a slave. His mother died when he was three years old, so he and his sister were sent to live with their Aunt and Uncle in St. Paul, Mn. There they raised him in a low-income, integrated community. Although he was poor, he did attend integrated public schools in the city. After graduating high school, Roy worked his way through the University of Minnesota, where he majored in sociology and minored in journalism. He had various jobs to put himself through college. He worked as a redcap (a baggage porter), waiter, stockyard laborer, and a night editor. While in college he worked as the night editor (to help pay his way through) of the Minnesota Daily, the school paper and a black weekly, the St. Paul Appeal. After working all these odd jobs he managed to put himself through college. After graduation, he took a position as a journalist for the Kansas City Call, a black weekly paper. He stayed there for seven years, acting as managing editor from 1923 until 1931. Although the job at the Call was good, he left it in 1931 to join the NAACP as Assistant Executive Secretary, under Walter White, who was Executive Secretary at the time. In his new job, his first assignment was to investigate discrimination on a federally funded flood project in Mississippi, in 1932. Due to his findings of discrimination at that project, he was successful in getting Congress to take action to stop its practices there. After a couple of years as Whites assistant, in 1934 Wilkins seceded W. E. B. DuBois as editor of the NAACPï€ ½s magazine, the Crisis. In that same year, he suffered the first arrest of his civil rights career. During a protest at the Attorney Generalï€ ½s office in Washington, D.C., they were there protesting to get the National Conference of Crime to add ï   Lynching ï â‚¬ to their agenda of topics. He served as a consultant to the ... ...eir career after his. In a turbulent world, his non-violent means of gaining rights for blacks was a calming one. Works Cited: African-American History. ï  Roy Wilkins (1901-1981).ï â‚¬ [http://www.triadntr.net/~rdavis/wilkins.htm](Mar. 27, 2000). Altman, Susan. The Encyclopedia of African-American Heritage. New York: Facts on File, Inc.,, 1997. Collierï€ ½s Encyclopedia. New York: P. F. Collier, 1996. Encyclopedia Americana, International Version. Danbury, Conn.: Grolier Inc., 1999. Encyclopedia of Black America. ed., W. Agustus Low, ass. ed., Virgil A. Clift. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1981. Hornsby, Alton, Jr. Chronology of African American History, 2nd edition. From 1492 to the Present. Detroit: Gale Research, Inc., 1997. Ploski, Henry A. and Williams, James. editors, The Negro Almanac, A Reference work on the African American, 5th edition. Detroit: Gale Research, Inc., 1989. The African American Almanac, 7th edition. ed., L. Mpho Mabanda. Detroit: Gale Research, Inc., 1997. The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc., 1973. The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2000.

Death by Nagel Essay

At the beginning of Death, Thomas Nagel questions: â€Å"If death is the unequivocal and permanent end to our existence, the question arises whether it is a bad thing to die. † Nagel wonders whether death is evil or not. To some people, like the hedonists, death is not bad. They propose the idea that a person is harmed when he or she has an unpleasant mental state. Furthermore, the hedonists also think a person is harmed when he or she suffers, and somebody is suffered when he or she is alive. Hence, when a person dies, he or she cannot be harmed. Death is the end of a subject. However, Nagel does not agree with the hedonists. He believes death is evil. The author introduces the objections of the hedonist as an opposing voice to argue against the idea that death is not evil. To lead the reader into his own argument, the author proposes the hedonists’ three objections about why they think death is not bad. Then, he opposes these objections by providing three rebuttals. The first objection is death cannot be evil if it cannot be experienced. We imagine how bad it is to be dead; yet we cannot experience death until it happens. In response to the first objection, Nagel states harm does not equal suffering. To him, some harms have to be experienced but a person does not have to go through all of them in order to be sustained. The author gives an example of a man is betrayed and ridiculed by his friends behind his back. To the hedonist, this man does not suffer from any harm, since he does not have any idea about it – what you do not know cannot hurt you. According to the hedonist, he has to have an unpleasant mental state in order to sustain. Nagel opposes to this idea. He thinks this man still suffers. The author states: â€Å"†¦ its discovery makes us unhappy. † Nagel means that even though this person does not have any idea he has been betrayed; but in the future, he might be able to find out about it, he will be suffered. As a result, a person still suffers from harm after he or she dies. The second objection is if death is bad, then who will suffer from it. Who is the subject of harm? The hedonists believe death is the end of the subject, so when a person dies, no one will be harmed. Thomas Nagel replies to this objection with his second rebuttal. The author states that subject of misfortune are identified by a person’s history and possibility rather than by his or her momentary state. That means when a person dies, he or she can still be harmed. The author believes if this person had not died, he or she would have been able to experience and possess whatever good there is living. The author gives an example of an intelligent person whom had a brain injury and become a vegetable. To the hedonist, he is fine as long as he is still alive. He does not suffer from any harm. Nagel, however, does not agree with that idea. He states that this man is sustained because if he did not have the accident, he would still be able to fulfill his wishes or realize his possibilities. The third objection is prenatal and posthumous non-existence should be symmetrical. The hedonists question why we consider the period after our death is bad when we regard the period before our birth is not. Again, Thomas Nagel does not agree with this idea. The author states there is no subject in the period before birth. As a result, there is no one to be deprived. When a person is born, he or she becomes the subject of history and possibilities. The author also proposes if a person was born earlier, he or she would be a different subject. In order to support this argument, Nagel states a person is still himself or herself even when he or she has different directions from the starting point. However, thing would be dissimilar if a person has a different starting point. He or she does not converge on same person anymore. This person would have different parents, siblings and etc. The author believes the period of time after death is when it deprives a person of. Hence, the prenatal and posthumous non-existence should not be symmetrical. In conclusion, Thomas Nagel states death is evil by providing rebuttals to the hedonists’ idea of death is not bad. Unlike the hedonists, Nagel strongly believes death is not the end of the subject. The author also states a person can still be harmed even after he or she dies, and subjects of misfortune are defined by a person’s history and possibility rather than his or her momentary state. Last but not least, Nagel provides that prenatal and posthumous non-existence should not be symmetrical.

Biblical Counseling

In the field of counselling, the primary considerations that those in the field who are practicing directly or indirectly have something to do with the previously held belief system, or the worldview or philosophy behind the notion of human behaviour. This goes to say that one who ventures into the business of healing and curing emotions and psychological problems must get into a thorough understanding of his/her personal approach to the study of human behaviour.The counselor seeks to explain human nature, the issue of sin or prbably emphasizing or reducing the Scriptural mandate and God’s verdict (whichever side he/she is on), and which eventually dictates intervention strategies, if any. The basic counselling idea common to or held by most psychologists increases the likelihood that the biblical understanding can be very challenging to get into, much less, practice. It is even bold as to say that counselling in whatever front is basically â€Å"religious† in nature be cause in the end, what is upheld or emphasized by the counselor expresses deep-rooted philosophy or religious beliefs.The paper’s assumption then is to provide an impetus that â€Å"sells† biblical counselling as superior, efficacious, and more attractive than the psychology models touted today. It tackles the presuppositions of both psychology and biblical counselling and the arguments in each of the specific aspects that are recognizable as valid or invalid. Discussion Counseling in the field of psychology and biblical counselling At best, psychology prefers to integrate counselling from biblical perspective as well as blend these with what is categorized as empirically tested techniques posited by psychologists.The basic way of doing the â€Å"amalgamation† or integration is that the Christian worldview takes precedence over the rest of the approaches. Although many of the concepts and premises of each theory mentioned are sound and at times efficacious, when it clashes with the faith-based theory, the former must give way to the latter. Interpreting a problem that a client suffers for instance, entails that the theoretical viewpoint that a practitioner is convinced with, expressly has better chances of properly understanding the maladjustments that the client had been suffering.To come up with the balanced worldview (an integration in other words), the balance between the realms mentioned, including the true frame of human individuals and the true nature of God (or theology) are properly considered. Thoroughly accepting the fact that there is no contest between the natural and the spiritual; only that troubles arise when one realm is overemphasized at the expense of another. This thin line or slight tension between the two levels is best expressed in the personhood of Jesus Christ, who was a perfect man as well as God.If a person starts to equate one self and others with that notion (which is usually happening) and he/she starts to thi nk that he/she is balanced, then this person surely lacks understanding or real self-awareness of the fact that he/she is deeply and seriously out of balance and this is one reason why he/she needs help. Christian counseling admittedly embraces in reality, a basic integration of the biblical precepts on the view of man and psychology’s scientific breakthroughs in addressing the dilemmas that beset human individuals.Depending on the persuasion of the practitioner, especially whether he or she comes from either the purely theological or â€Å"secular† preparation, Christian counseling can either lean to certain degrees of theology or psychology. According to Larry Crabb, â€Å"If psychology offers insights which will sharpen our counseling skills and increase our effectiveness, we want to know them. If all problems are at core spiritual matters we don’t want to neglect the critically necessary resources available through the Lord by a wrong emphasis on psychologi cal theory† (Crabb in Anderson et al, 2000).Dr. Crabb’s position certainly ensures that science in particular, has its place in counseling in as much as theology does. He made sure that all means are addressed as the counselor approaches his profession, especially in the actual conduction of both the diagnostic and therapeutic or intervention phases (Crabb in Anderson et al. , 2000). Trauma inducing and crisis triggering situations have spiraled its occurrence and in its primacy in the US and in many other countries in recent years.Its broad spectrum ranges from the national disaster category such as that of Hurricane Katrina or the 911 terrorist strikes in New York, Spain and England, to private instances such as a loved one’s attempt at suicide, the murder of a spouse or child, the beginning of mental illness, and the worsening situation of domestic violence (Teller et al, 2006). The acute crisis episode is a consequence of people who experience life-threatenin g events and feel overwhelmed with difficulty resolving the inner conflicts or anxiety that threaten their lives.They seek the help of counselors, paramedics and other health workers in crisis intervention centers to tide them over the acute episodes they are encountering. These are defining moments for people and must be adequately addressed else they lead lives with dysfunctional conduct patterns or disorders (Roberts et al, 2006). In the integrated or eclectic approach the goal of the therapy is not just relief to the patient or client. Although an immediate relief is very helpful, this may not always be the case in most illnesses.The goal as mentioned in the preceding pages is to provide long-term reduction of the symptoms and the occurrence of the disease altogether if possible. The management then is not impossible but neither is this easy. Specifically, the counselee or patient must want to heal or believe that there is going to be curative effects in the process. It presuppo ses that he/she must learn to trust the therapist in his/her capabilities as well in leading or facilitating the changes or modifications.It is very much essential that (in the perspective of a cognitive-behaviorist) that the client understands ownership to the deeds and choices in thought patterns he/she made are crucial to the recurring or occurring condition that s/he experiences (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004). Basic Biblical Counseling Premises: †¢ View of human nature from psychological viewpoint Personality is more than poise, charm, or physical appearance. It includes habits, attitudes, and all the physical, emotional, social, religious and moral aspects that a person possesses.However, to be more precise, the explicit behavioral styles, perhaps, best captivate an individual’s personality and how he/she is understood. With the different behavioral styles, an overall pattern of various characteristics is seen. Like a â€Å"psychograph,† a personâ₠¬â„¢s profile is pulled together and at a glance, the individual can be compared with other people in terms of relative strengths and weaknesses (Corey 2005). Psychologists recognize there is often a fine line between mental health and mental illness. For them, it is important to understand that mental illnesses vary in their severity.For example, many adolescents suffered from various levels of anxiety or depression. Others have suffered from serious mental disorders with biological origins. Education about the adolescents` mental illness is vital for those with mental health problems as well as for the adolescents` friends and family (Corey 2005). The major force or forces responsible for the origin and development of an individual’s personality is best understood in the different perspectives. In the cognitive approach alone, it understands that an individual at varying times in his life has error-filled thinking patterns.These patterns may include wishful thinking, unreal istic expectations, constant reliving and living in the past or even beyond the present and into the future, and overgeneralizing. These habits lead to confusion, frustration and eventual constant disappointment. This therapeutic approach stresses or accentuates the rational or logical and positive worldview: a viewpoint that takes into consideration that we are problem-solvers, have options in life and not that we are always left with no choice as many people think.It also looks into the fact that because we do have options then there are many things that await someone who have had bad choices in the past, and therefore can look positively into the future. Cognitive-Behavioral approach â€Å"facilitates a collaborative relationship between the patient and therapist† (Ellis & Beck in Corey, 2004). For the Cognitive Behaviorist viewpoint, issues are dealt directly in a practical way. Here the client is enlightened as to the patterns of his thinking and the errors of these thou ghts which bore fruit in his attitudes and behavior.His/her thoughts and beliefs have connections on his/her behavior and must therefore be â€Å"reorganized. † For instance, the ways that a client looks at an issue of his/her life will direct the path of his reactivity to the issue. When corrected at this level, the behavior follows automatically (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004). The systems theory portion of the therapy indicates that whatever is occurring or happening is not isolated but is a working part of a bigger context.In the family systems approach then, no individual person can be understood when removed from his relationships whether in the present or past, and this is specially focused on the family he belongs to (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004). The Existential approach, as put forward by Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Sartre, Heidegger, Rollo May, and Frankl, believes that the individual’s potential may lie dormant but that it is there waiting to be ushered in time.It recognizes that man is able to achieve great heights and that these are just waiting to be tapped not only by him/herself but that also when helped by a practitioner who is persuaded of this notion. It examines such major issues as free will and the challenges of exercising this free will, the issue of mortality, loneliness and in general, the meaning of life. That Cognitive-Behavioral, Existential, humanistic & Family Systems eclectic approach primarily involves the incorporation of distinct concepts within a single framework. †¢ Human Suffering I. Origin of SufferingSuffering is one of the symptoms of this life’s abnormality. If not for the revelation found in the Bible, there would be no other option but to accept the state of affairs in life as it is. This means that since suffering has been a part of the history of humanity, it has to be accepted as part and parcel of a normal life. However, looking at it in a biblical perspective, although suf fering is part of the human existence in this world, the fact of the matter is: it has not always been a part of life. It came into the picture only after the fall of the first couple – Adam and Eve.The Bible is clear about this, as stated in Romans 5:12 and in many other passages found in the Holy Writ. This biblical truth is important, foundational, and essential in dealing with many questions regarding suffering – and in particular, as philanthropists and charitable organizations endeavor to alleviate suffering on the children of Africa. Presently, the bleak outlook being presented pertaining to African children today are presented in two potentially devastating outcomes which might happen as results of the already destructive current crisis. The first one is the prospect (according to researchers) of death by the millions.An organization which aims to help the suffering children of Africa has estimated that by the year 2025, an estimated number of people as enormou s as 85 million may die because HIV/AIDS crisis (Blake, 2006). Second is, the inevitable outcome which will take place as the direct result of the first – children being orphaned because of the projected genocidal death toll at 2025. The same organization calculated that on that same year, 55 million children might have been orphans already. Nations and governments and charitable organizations have been mobilized ever since to help these human disasters and all of the possible ramifications.Although, evil as it manifests in many forms in life has been here already for centuries, and perhaps, as early as recorded histories could recall, the current crisis of AIDS in African continent is the most recent form of lashing. It has to be noted, lest the focus gets sidetracked to different issues which are at best symptoms of the real disease, that all of the troubles that have been pestering the existence of man on this planet are just necessary effects of sin and rebellion against God.It is to be noted though that it is never the intention of this paper to aggravate the sufferings of African people by putting the blame on them or by making them feel worse than what they are now. As was stated early on, at the heart of this thesis is the objective to help by elucidating on the true predicament of man’s existence by pointing out that which is biblical, or the biblical diagnosis on things. It really helps and better prepares the sick person to face his/her true condition by first properly diagnosing the illness.It doesn’t help if the mind continues to be in a state of uncertainty and fear because it is sure of something which could be fatal. Also, it will not help keeping the real problem under the sheets, all along hoping that it will just leave by itself, because it will not. And so, the Bible is crucially significant in addressing the issue of evil and suffering. 1. ) Death Came As A Result Of Sin. Nothing threatens the prospect of a good life t han the possibility of an imminent death.A positive vista of life – happy family, burgeoning business, and flourishing career – is easily clouded by fear when suddenly something final as death comes into the scene. Death is seen as the ultimate because it can put a period on the otherwise happy and full of promise subsistence. One theologian explained the statement of Apostle Paul in Romans 5:12 in a way that points to sin as the real culprit why there are pain, sickness, and weakness in man’s physical body. He said, in effect that, had it not been for Adam’s sin there would be no sickness in the world in the first place.Remember that death is the maturity of weakness and sickness in the body. All illnesses lead to eventual death. What the Bible is telling us about sickness, weakness, and any form of suffering endured in the body – whether mental or physical suffering – result inevitably to physical death. And the reality of death in this li fe was occasioned by the original sin of the first couple, Adam and Eve. Succeeding, generations after the first couple of humans, inherited sin as well as its product – death (Duffield and Van Cleave, 1987). It is also important to note that sin not only occasioned death, but it is its necessary outcome.The unanimous observation of many students of the Bible based on the narrative accounts as well as how it is described in certain passages of biblical books is that death is spiritual as also it is physical. The first time it hits humans, the first and immediate effect was spiritual in that it did not resulted in the first couple’s physical death. This spiritual death is actually more devastating than physical death because it altered everything within the human frame that it has set into motion a strong pull towards wrong directions.First, it separated man from God. It is the reason why man cannot respond to the things of God. As a dead body has no capacity for any re sponses to its surrounding whatsoever because it is dead, so is a man who is physically alive but is spiritually dead. A person who is spiritually dead does not and cannot respond to God and the things of God. As one preacher said when told by a cynic among his audience that he doesn’t feel the burden of sin in his life like what the preacher was trying to convey in his message.To that, the preacher wisely answered, â€Å"As a dead couldn’t feel a ton of garbage when placed on that body, so is the burden of sin to a spiritually dead person. † That’s why when Apostle Paul elaborated to the Romans the depravity of man, he zoomed in to the fact that at present, because humanity has chosen to abandon God – and the proof of it has affected all aspects of the human existence – God also had to leave humanity alone in its decision to leave the reality of God out of its thoughts and actions. The whole scenario is sobering especially when the Biblical perspective on this is considered.It’s very easy and normal to leave God out of the picture, and it’s actually what people want essentially as it is looked at face value. Man has effectively abandoned God and has erased any traces of Him from the very start – from the birth of a baby in a home where belief in God is optional at best, and as that baby developed into childhood, and as that child was reared in school (if opportunities for schooling was ever available, primary to college education), and eventually released to live life independently as an adult in a society whose culture ever since was godless.And the cycle goes on and on like a permanent process. Now, again, as pointed out early in this paper, all of these not so promising state of affairs can be tracked down back to Eden where life turned into a sudden shift (McArthur, 2008). Where there is spiritual death, the prospect of life is anything but imperfect and flawed everywhere. The original order o f things has been altered, and it’s not human species alone that has been terribly affected by the Fall; the whole creation has been â€Å"groaning† ever since (Rom. 8:22). 2.) Man’s Separation From God Precipitated Suffering. The first manifestations of humanity’s misery were quickly evident right after Adam and Eve violated God’s word to them. They, right then and there, realized their nakedness which before was not a cause of shame for them. What previously for them was just normal, and did not pose a problem, now they have trouble keeping it the way it was. They must cover their nakedness, and they must hide and keep themselves at a distance – where they feel somehow hidden – from God (Gen. 3:7-9).The fact that society disregards the reality of God in its system highlights the reality of spiritual separation. The cause for many of the troubles that history has witnessed since time immemorial was man’s broken relationship wi th its Creator. It has been the reason from the start, and it still is until now. God spoke through Prophet Isaiah, that it was man’s sin which has actually separated man from God (Isa. 59:2). Left alone, man naturally would not choose God, much less, His righteous ways as revealed by Him in the Bible.Contrary to what have been suggested by many considered pundits of humanities, and sadly, by many church denominations through what has been now known as the â€Å"seeker-sensitive† approach in church’s services, man is not naturally inclined to seek God and the things of the Spirit of God. And so, under this cursed condition, it is not supposed to surprise anybody who have searched and found in the Holy Scriptures that the world is in its current troubled state. There’s actually spiritual anarchy where every one is a rule unto himself. Every one does what he/she deems good in his/her perception of things.If it feels good, then probably, it is good. This is how man is running his life, and it translates into the overall landscape of society. Man sets the trend. What had been considered â€Å"wicked† of the past generation, if it is now palatable to the senses, and hence, has been slowly swallowed and embraced as â€Å"acceptable† by the media and the general public, it becomes legal and normatively harmless. Therefore, in Paul’s words, God in turn has abandoned man in his choice of abandoning the knowledge of his Creator. This is, to a large degree, the reason for many troubles and sufferings that nations and people have been seeing.If the Bible is true – and it is this paper’s contention that it is the true truth – then the unrestrained freedom and lifestyles which seem to describe the earth’s populace for a long period of time now, is actually a judgment of God. A preacher once answered those who cast all the blame on God in the wake of 911 tragedy in these words: â€Å"We have done a ll we could, and effectively, we got God out of our schools and government institutions, and now we are asking where He is in all of these? † The application of Scripture to human dilemma and the likeThe portion of Scripture where Jesus â€Å"You have heard that it was said to those of old,† making it appear that his statements seem to abrogate the laws in the Old Testament replacing them with his â€Å"new more authoritative† teachings is a misinterpretation and misunderstanding of Jesus’ true intentions. Jesus was actually bringing back the true message of the Old Testament Law which was made vague by mere traditions of men and their own hazy and humanistic understanding. The Lord was pointing out to His audience the glosses that were made on Mosaic laws which made the ancient commands with minimal effectivity or worse, no efficacy.Jesus’ example and the Pharisees’ are insights that can be gleaned with emphasis on the application of princip les of the Scriptures. A Christian easily becomes a legalist when his/her understanding of the Scriptures, like the Pharisees, is not based on the Scriptures’ intended application. There is only the possibility of communicating the proper boundaries within the set limits of the Scriptures when a Christian has grasped its clear and full implications (Clarke, 2001, Power Bible CD).In the New Testament especially in the celebrated Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), Jesus usually referred to Himself as the authority. His declarations were not prefaced with â€Å"Thus says the Lord. † To His disciples, He says â€Å"You have heard that it was said to those of old. . . but I say to you. . . .† This clearly points to the authority on Jesus. This does not mean though that Jesus was subverting the authority of God, for He Himself was God in the flesh (Jn. 1:1-3,14); He was the second Person of the Trinity manifested in the flesh.One of the things that He was pointing out a mong others was the fact that the Pharisees of His day were in grave error following the traditions of their elders, and in this particular case, in their interpretation of many scriptures. Hence, He said, â€Å"You have heard it was said. . . but now I say to you. . . .† The apostles after Him followed suit. In all of their letters they derived authority from the words of Jesus. Their letters, to put it simply, were just elaborations of Christ’s teachings (Riggs, 2nd Ed. ) ConclusionEmbracing a more Biblical approach, becoming less philosophical and laden with such themes as the absoluteness of God’s sovereignty, the world’s being under God’s righteous judgment, God’s initiative in revealing Himself and His redemptive plan in Jesus Christ, are the essential â€Å"tools† that a Biblical counselor must possess in order to present the true condition of men and persuade him/her to change. The following characteristics then must be inculc ated in a Biblical counselor 1. ) Lofty View of Holy Scriptures.This is to uphold the conviction of the reformers about the Word of God and endeavor to clarify any theological subjects in the light of the revelation that is in the Bible. Like many effective pastors or counselors, the Bible alone is authoritative for life in general. It is the rule of faith for Christians, like a solid and strong immovable post in a pier where the anchor of the ship is fastened securely. The Word of God is the object of the Christians’ faith. It’s not of course a matter of God versus His Word. The entire Holy Scriptures derived its authority from God.But since it was God who spoke them, Scriptures therefore are without question normative and authoritative. The Scriptures are the touchstone on which all so-called traditions, existential experiences, and reasonings must be tested. When any of these are found contrary to God’s revealed will in the Scriptures, they can be discarded w ithout any scruple for the true church of Christ. According to Barth (McCormack, 1995), to interpret and apply the Bible properly, one must observe certain basic rules. And one of the basics is that the interpreter must subject himself/herself to the authority of the Bible.What is the central theme of the passage? What is its subject matter? The reader then has to subordinate his thoughts and his personal convictions to the revelation that God has provided for us in His Word – the Bible. In fact, the ultimate goal of the counselor is to develop and establish the â€Å"counselee† for a dependence on God’s word. The reader’s humble subjection of self to the wisdom of the Scriptures was his exercise of freedom. The result of this continual subordination is transformation. The interpreter is being transformed in the process of grasping what God has revealed.2. ) Dynamic Application of Biblical Truths. To be reverent and true to Biblical revelation, one needs not to confine himself to the lingo of the ancient cultures through which the Biblical narratives and the actual words of the prophets were written. The reader and interpreter can speak the ideas conveyed through ancient cultures in contemporary ways. It’s not insubordination to teach the Bible thus. In fact, it’s the whole point of hermeneutics – to bridge the wide cultural gap. To be unimaginative in one’s handling of the Scriptures is tantamount to parroting mere words.There has to be fresh application if there will be change. Lack of imagination is sometimes proof of not being influenced or shaped by the ideas read. Readers have to engage and interact mentally with the passages of the Bible so that a fruitful meditation would express itself in lively and engaging discourse. 3. ) Christocentric (Christ-Centered). Jesus Christ is the primary theme of the whole Scriptures. It has been mentioned above that to Barth’s high view of the Bible, it was necessary for the interpreter to subordinate him/herself to particular text’s subject.And since, Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Bible, it is necessary to interpret Biblical passages in the light of His person. Jesus Christ is the unifying subject in all of the books of the Bible. But looking at Luke 24:27-45, and realizing that it was Jesus Himself who first advocated this methodology, it thus comes as a necessity to find the Christ in every passage of Biblical books; or at the least, sense a foreshadowing (in the Old Testament) of His coming redemptive sacrifice. Jesus alone can give unity among scriptural texts. 4. ) Passage-Based Interpretation.Karl Barth (McCormack, 1995) believes that although interpreters often bring with them their presuppositions as they approach the text, the mistake of using the Biblical text as vehicle to transmit one’s belief, can be avoided through the interpreter’s direct encounter with the objective truth as found in the biblical passage. The real meaning or intention of the author of the text is objectively separated from the interpreter. And so, to properly apply exegetical work on the passage, a serious examination of historical background, and serious study of the text’s linguistic composition must be considered thoroughly.5. ) Bound By True Church’s Essential and Classic Teachings. Like Apostle Paul, a counselor then must also believe that s/he is just a recipient of essential Christian teachings (1 Cor. 11:23-26). It would be sinful for him/her to doubt nor innovate on established biblical truths. Reference: Atkinson, R. L. , R. C. Atkinson, E. E Smith, D. J. Bem, and S. Nolen-Hoeksema (2000). Introduction to Psychology. 13th Ed. New York: Harcourt College Publishers. Clarke, Adam (2001). Commentary to Matthew. Power Bible CD. Corey, Gerald (2004).Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Thomson Learning, USA. Corey, Gerald (200). The Art of Integrative Counseling. A rticle 29: â€Å"Designing an Integrative Approach to Counseling Practice† Retrieved February 20, 2009 in < http://counselingoutfitters. com/vistas/vistas04/29. pdf> Crabb, Larry (2000). Found in Anderson et al resource. Christ-centered therapy. http://books. google. com/books? id=Rn- f2zL01ZwC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=effective+biblical+counseling+by+larry+crabb +critique&source=web&ots=WFVYLIqP1n&sig=MqIhqE_XfGzIQODAKV5iMPjqz14# PPA19,M1Davison, Gerald C. and John M. Neale (2001). Abnormal Psychology. Eighth ed. John & Wiley Sons, Inc. Ellis, Albert (2001. Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, and Behaviors: New Directions for Rational E)motive Behavior Therapy. Prometheus Books Kaplan, HI, BJ Saddock and JA Grebb (1994). Kaplan and Saddock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences clinical psychiatry. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins. MacArthur, John (2008). Abandoned By God. Date Accessed: February 19, 2009. http://www. gty. org/Resources/Transcripts/45-14 McCorm ack, Bruce L. (1995).Karl Barth’s Critically Realistic Dialectical Theology. Published by Oxford University Press Inc. , New York. Pokrifka-Joe, Todd (2002). Appropriating Karl Barth's Theological Use of Scripture in Contemporary Theology. Proposed Doctoral Thesis in Theology at the University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK. Date Accessed: February 17, 2009 at http://www. luthersem. edu/ctrf/Papers/2001_Pokrifka-Joe. htm Riggs, Ralph. The Life of Christ. 2nd ed. Scripture Quotations from New King James Bible (The Holy Bible, New King James Version. 1982). Thomas Nelson, Inc.