Baring Bank Case Essay Example for Free

Baring Bank Case Essay The Fall of sanngs sank The story of Barings Bank shows how overconfidence, coupled with poor internal control, can even bring down an historic financial institution. Below we provide a few teaching points. Nick Leeson seemed to have all the characteristics of an overconfident trader. As described in the chapter, excessive trading, lack of diversification, and too much risk were obviously present. Self-attribution bias seemed to play a major role. One commentator notes that Leeson got overconfident after initial trades were successful and] when he started to lose money, got way too aggressive trying to make it up. When Leeson was asked about his actions, he explained that l was determined to win back the losses [ ] I was well down, but increasingly sure that my doubling up and doubling up would pay off , thereby overestimating his abilities by thinking he could outperform the market even after severe losses. A case study into the affair concluded that it was overconfidence that led Nick Leeson to bet his reputation. But, as Saul Hansell of The New York Times stated, It isnt Just rogue traders loose annons stretching internal rules on trading desks who have destroyed their investors wealth. Money managers who play by the rules can get caught up short, too, when they fall to overconfidence about their mastery of the markets. He further wrote that, It is no secret that traders, as a class, are a young, independent and cocky bunch. The sheer size of the money they are Juggling can lead toa master-of-the- universe attitude. The Fall of Barings sank Barings Bank was founded in 1762 as the John and Francis Baring Company by Sir Francis Baring. This bank was the oldest merchant bank in London, financed the Napoleonic Wars, and was the Queen of Englands own bank. In 1996, one man, Nick Leeson, managed to bring down Barings Bank, one of the oldest and most conservative financial institutions in the world, through his illicit trading activity. In 1989, Leeson Joined Barings Bank. After being transferred to Jakarta, Indonesia to sort through a back-office mess involving EIOO million of share certificates, Leeson solidified his reputation within Barings when he successfully rectified the situation in 0 months. Lesson also knew how to account for derivatives, even if he did not fully understand the complexities of their pricing. Therefore, in 1992, when Barings opened a new office in Singapore to trade on the expanding Singapore Mercantile Exchange (SIMEX), Leeson became an obvious candidate to manage it. Senior management at Barings Bank assumed that Leeson would turn the Singapore office into a highly profitable endeavor and therefore gave him extensive responsibility. As eliminated the necessary checks and balances usually found within trading rganizations. Soon he was Barings Banks star Singapore trader, bringing in substantial profits from trading on the Singapore exchange. By 1993, Leeson had made more than Elo million, about 10% of Baringss total profit for that year. In 1994, he delivered over half of the E52. 9 million in revenue for his division on his own, making many proclaim him as the miracle worker. In his autobiography Rogue Trader, Leeson said the culture at Barings was simple: We were all driven to make profits, profits, and more profits I was the rising star. Aided by his lack of upervision, the 28-year-old Nick Lesson promptly started unauthorized speculation in futures on the Nikkei 225 stock index and Japanese government bonds. SIMEX regulators were aware of Leesons cross-trading activities, and his breach of their exchange regulations, but did not act decisively to stop him. Leesons large trading volumes were quickly becoming important for the exchange, and being a lightly regulated market was central to SIMEXs stra tegy to woo trade from neighboring Osaka. Using futures contracts, Leeson speculated that the Nikkei would rise.

Social Class Is Form Of Social Stratification Sociology Essay

Social Class Is Form Of Social Stratification Sociology Essay Introduction: Social class is a form of social stratification which impacts on peoples lives either negatively or positively. It refers to wealth, education level, occupation and prestige of a particular group of people. Factors which are inter-connected include the gender, sexuality, race and abilities (McDowell et al., 2013). It is important that social class be understood in the context from which it originates, primarily due to factors which occur inter-connectedly as mentioned above. There are many concepts relating to social stratification, but for the purpose of this essay I will focus mainly on Karl Marxs conflict theory, supplemented by Max Webbers functionalist ideology. Similarly factors such as education and employment will be central in this essay. I believe that the acquisition of knowledge and prestige via employment plays an important role in defining an individuals lifestyle and subsequently their life chances. Body: It must be noted that most of the research done by Karl Marx was based on westernized capitalist societies and it is primarily due to this fact that his concept of conflict theory exists in an economic realm or context (Lenski, 2008). Marx demarcated class of people in terms of either lower, middle or upper class. In Manifesto of the Communist Party Marx refers to lower-class societies as the proletariat and the upper-class as the bourgeoisie. The proletariat are a class of people who do manual labour which requires no specific skill, or simply put, they are the working (blue-collar) section of society. The bourgeoisie employ the working class society in order to increase their capital (Mohandesi, 2013). It is interesting to note that the position an individual finds himself or herself relative to the above category, impacts on their life chances and thus their social class. According to Max Weber (Davidson, 2009) social class and a persons life chances are interdependent. In this se nse, the higher an individual is positioned in the social hierarchy (class) the better his or her life will be; the opposite occurs for those who are in a poorer position. Factors include becoming wealthier, increasing ones prestige, the acquisition of knowledge and the improvement of an individuals living conditions. These are known as social advancements or improvements. According to a research study by Jean Anyon (1980) educational opportunities vastly improved as the socio-economic conditions of a particular social group increased. Anyon (1980) in Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work found that schools were organised in a manner which reflects the social class of the families. Her results were derived from five schools which were broken down into working-class, middle-class, affluent professional and executive elite schools. Furthermore Anyon (1980) concludes that skills and knowledge which moves toward social power or prestige are obtainable to children from higher social groups but are inaccessible to the working class which are offered a practical curriculum. This study shows that the curriculum grooms children to fill an employment role suited to their social class or better put, so that the more challenging professions are occupied by the most skilled and talented individuals. In this sense, lower class schools educated individuals i n a manner which requires them to follow orders rather than use their own initiative and understanding of the work. The emphasis on individualism increases as the social class of the school increases. In my experience I concur with what Anyon has found because there exists numerous types of schools or institutions ranging from technical to managerial and professional. Examples are the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town College and The University of the Western Cape. Marx also suggests that institutions are used to oppress the subordinates of a society, this statement coupled with Anyons research, displays a rather frightful image. Institutionally people are being transformed and socialized, from a young age, to follow the layers of strata found in society. Education ultimately leads to employment which in turn culminates in the acquisition of wealth or material property. According to Max Weber, the ownership of physical assets, which is obtained by means of production, creates unique characteristics in terms of the individuals life chances (Shortell, 2012). Furthermore, Weber believes that the ownership of property is central to class differences and in this case there will always be a relationship between employee and employer or property renter and property owner. In our modernized capitalist society empowered by neoliberalism, emphasis is placed on the acquisition of wealth thereby stratifying society into upper-class rich and the lower-class poor inhabitants. In this sense one can improve ones social class by increasing wealth and also the ownership of property-making this an open societal system (opposed to the system of slavery). Employment is therefore an opportunity to achieve wealth and increase status, however, inequalities o ccur whereby a bread baker (regardless of his skill) has less chances to improve his conditions than the owner of the bakery. Functionalists (Marxism) would argue that economic disparity benefits the majority of society and is also an essential element for the operation of society as a whole (Lenski, 2008). Conclusion: In my opinion, I see employment as the second phase in a three phase process in light of an individuals life chances. The first phase being education and the last being a successful business owner or CEO. As mentioned above, the level of education provided to individuals varies according to their socio-economic standing. This is the crux of my argument mainly due to the manner in which institutions shape society in preparation for their pre-planned future i.e. external forces of which they have no control over. A false consciousness thus exists in the open capitalist society whereby the proletariat is made to believe that they have equal opportunities to improve their life chances, when in actual fact their original social class serves as a key which only opens a limited number of doorways to success. Those who are endowed with a higher social class are granted unlimited opportunities to all elements of success, prestige, wealth, knowledge and ultimately advantages to better their li fes chances.

Cyber Bullying and Racial Discrimination

Cyber Bullying and Racial Discrimination Melissa Hui Xin Yue Q3: In the recent times, cyber bullying and hate mongering towards people groups have increased, especially in social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism and other forms of similar negative impressions have dominated cyber space. Analytically discuss ways and means to combat the above mentioned phenomena in an amicable and workable manner. According to Bill Belsey (2000), cyberbullying is defined as activity that involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm others. In this digital era, it is without a doubt that most children have their own cell phones, and with the fast Internet connectivity, it is safe to assume that most of the children has at least one social media account. This increase the chance of them being a cyberbully or being cyberbullied. Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism is generally associated with bullying. In a 1991 Runnymede Trust Report, Islamophobia was defined as hostility towards Muslims, and therefore fear or dislike of all or most Muslims. Whereas Anti-Semitism is the prejudice, discrimination and hatred of Jews as a national, ethnic, religious or a racial group (Lipset, 1969). These cyberbullying activities can be stopped and prevented by raising awareness for Islamic practice s and Judaism, have counselling for students who are being cyberbullied and government’s efforts in stopping cyberbully. Cyberbullying activities towards Jews and Muslims is a problem that can be stopped by raising awareness about Islamic practices and Judaism. Awareness can be raised by operating campaigns about Islamic belief and Judaism. These campaigns should run throughout the whole year in schools and also in public areas. Governments and schools should see the brighter side of these two religions instead of stereotyping them as terrorist in accordance to what have happened in the events of 9/11 Attacks in New York (2001) and Charlie Hebdo killings (2014). According to Martin et al. (2011), stereotyping is categorizing information about others in daily life. Campaigns should have activities like cultural talks about what Islamic beliefs and Judaism are about. What could be better than a little bit of eye candy to catch your attention? Clothing and accessories can be used as a media to spread awareness. Example, you can wear a blue t-shirt in support of Islamic beliefs and Judaism. Games and activ ities with the Muslims and Jews will show how friendly and fun they are in contrast of the stereotypes that people have about them. Student exchange programmes are a good way to raise awareness on Muslim students or Jewish students. These students can show their host families about their religion and culture, prompting their host families to stop having stereotypes towards the students’ religion. In response to the event September 11, 2001, Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program is one of the programme that provides scholarship for students from Islamic countries to learn about American society and values (YESprograms, 2002). With raising awareness, this will help the students and society to not be afraid of Muslims and Jews. Thus, discrimination and cyberbullying towards Muslims and Jews will decrease because they understand and empathize that everyone in the world has feelings. Counselling is a great way to stop cyberbullying. Although you might think that counselling will not do much change, but in fact, according to Bower and Rowland (2006), counselling is more effective than usual care, people receiving counselling is likely to be satisfied after treatment. Muslims and Jews who are being cyberbullied can go to see a counsellor whether at school or outside of school. Victims can choose to join either one-on-one sessions if they are too shy or they can join group sessions where they get to listen to other victims’ experiences. Listening to other victims can help them because they empathize with the victims. Based on Dr Brenà © Brown’s research (2010), she defines shame as the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging. When a victim decides to share his or her experience, the victim is being courageous to face his or her problem. Counsellors should always encourage the victims to talk about their feelings and relieve their stress about being in their own religion. Group sessions not only have experience sharing, but also should have games and activities to bring the victims together and show them that they are not alone. Dr Brenà © Brown once said, â€Å"To practice courage and compassion is to look at life and people around us†. Counsellors should teach the victims the ways to protect themselves when they are being cyberbullied, like reporting to the police or blocking the cyberbully on internet. No doubt that counselling is able to make an impact in the lives of victims of cyberbully. The Government should do their parts in stopping cyberbullying toward Muslims and Jews. Whenever victims report about cyberbullying, the police should not turn a blind eye over them just because the police is Islamophobia or Anti-Semitism. Police should be fair and just when it comes to criminal and law-breaking citizens. B.F. Skinner (1938) coined the term operant conditioning; it means roughly changing of behaviour by the use of reinforcement which is given after the desired response. If the cyberbully is a student, the school should give warning to the cyberbully. The cyberbully must undergo charity hours if caught cyberbullying anyone if caught by the school. These charity hours help them to reflect on themselves for what they have done so that they will not repeat it again. Governments should take away the cyberbullies’ electronic devices and internet when they are caught cyberbullying. Government should impose and reinforce the laws on cyberbullying. Hiring more cyber po lices will help to decrease the cyberbullying rate. Actions will be taken if the cyber police accepts bribery from the cyberbully. Incentives can be given by the government for the non-profit counselling groups that help the victims of cyberbullying. The government should provide a building for the non-profit counselling groups to do their activities in. By doing this, the government is helping the victims indirectly because the government provided facilities for the counselling groups. Thus, Muslims and Jews can share their emotions and relieve their stress caused by cyberbullying. Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism should not be the topic for cyberbullying nor should any characteristics be used as a topic for cyberbullying. You may not be the ones being cyberbullied, maybe one day your child might be cyberbullied. Being born into your own race is not your fault or your choice, we cannot change our race and should not discriminate other race as well. So, let us make an effort to stop cyberbully towards Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism by raising awareness, counselling sessions and also government’s efforts in stopping cyberbullying. References: Belsey, B. (2000). Cyberbullying. Retrieved March 10, 2015, from http://www.cyberbullying.org/ Defining Islamophobia (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2015, from http://crg.berkeley.edu/content/islamophobia/defining-islamophobia 9/11 Attacks. (2010). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks# Charlie Hebdo and its satirical role. (2015, January 8). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-15551998 About YES Program. (2001, January 1). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://yesprograms.org/about Lipset, S. M., â€Å"The Socialism of Fools- The Left, the Jews and Israel,† Encounter, (December 1969), p.24 Retrieved March 11, 2015 Martin, J.N. , Nakayama, T.K. (2011), Experiencing Intercultural Communication, McGraw-Hill International Edition Bower Peter, J. and N. Rowland (2006) Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of counselling in primary care. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Retrieved March 12, 2015 Brown, B. (2010, September 1). The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think Youre Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. Retrieved March 12, 2015 Skinner, B. F. (1938).The Behavior of organisms: An experimental analysis. New York: Appleton-Century.

SouthWest Airlines :: essays research papers

According to their main website, their mission statement is, â€Å"The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.† This reveals Southwest’s true mission: To please their customers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For their loyal customers, Southwest offers a â€Å"Rapid Rewards† program which gives the customers free tickets based on the number of times they fly with Southwest. Customers who make 8 round trips or 16 one-way trips receive a free ticket. Programs such as the â€Å"Frequent, Frequent Flyers-Companions Travel† offer a year of free trips to customers. Customers who make 50 round trips a year can designate someone to fly with the customer free of charge for an entire year. Award programs such as these show that they appreciate their loyal customers and that they are willing to take cuts, such as giving away free tickets, to prove to their customers that their patronage is valued.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another aspect of their great customer service is their online travel booking center. The customer can rent a car and make reservations at a hotel all online. This allows the customer to thoroughly plan their vacation or trip. Since Southwest was a relationship with Alamo, Budget, Dollar, and Hertz, customers have the ability to pick what kind of car they will get upon arrival. By making friendly relations with other companies Southwest is making their customers’ job easier by consolidating all the necessities of travel under one roof. This shows that Southwest is willing to go the extra mile for their customers and do more than just provide transportation by air, but also transportation by land, and also accommodations at hotels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a part of their â€Å"low fares, no frills† campaign, Southwest does not offer any in-flight meals to their customers. They believe that by offering the bare minimum, so they can offer low customer rates. However during the flight they do offer complementary juices, cold drinks, and nuts to the passengers. They also encourage the passengers to bring their own meals on board for their own pleasure and convenience. Actions like this show the honesty of Southwest Airlines. Although they could make a sizeable amount of revenue by offering in-flight meals, Southwest allows passengers to bring their own meals so that the customer saves money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A big part of Southwest’s game plan is cost reduction; this shows that Southwest is very customer-oriented.

Clockwork Orange Essay -- essays papers

Clockwork Orange In all of my reading, I have come to the conclusion that Anthony Burgess is one of the greatest literary genius’s of the twentieth century. His masterpiece, A Clockwork Orange, is unrivaled in obvious depth, insight, and innovation. The novel is a work of such quality, such perfection, that it seems to be genuinely written by a literary demigod. The novel's main theme deals with free choice and spiritual freedom. More specifically, "[The ethical promise that 'A man who cannot choose ceases to be man'] can be taken as both the explicit and implicit themes of the novel" (Morgan 104). Anthony Burgess expresses his view that no matter how "good" one's actions are, unless one has free moral choice, he is spiritually damned. The novel revolves around one criminally minded teen, Alex, whose world consists of rape, murder, and ruthless violence. Alex is eventually setup by his "droogs" (friends) and is arrested and jailed. After some time in jail, Alex is placed in a new rehabilitating program that uses electro-shock therapy, new medicines, and exposure to violent film. The program breaks all that Alex holds dear and builds him up with a new artificial conscience. This part of the novel "presents the reader with a new, reformed Alex, an Alex without free will or freedom of choice, an Alex who has become a victim" Burgess considers this lack of freedom to be spiritually murderous and terribly wrong. Burgess knows that it is better to choose to be evil, than to be forced to be good. Alex is tormented by his new state of oppression. He is incapable of making any choice; he must always do what is good. Alex is then taken under the wing of a writer who is fighting the oppressive government. The writer... ...a way that appears to distance it. Stanley: If this occurs it may be because the story both in the novel and the film is told by Alex, and everything that happens is seen through his eyes. Since he has his own rather special way of seeing what he does, this may have some effect in distancing the violence. Some people have asserted that this made the violence attractive. I think this view is totally incorrect. Bibliography: Coale, Samuel, Anthony Burgess (1981); Mathews, Richard, The Clockwork Universe of Anthony Burgess (1978). Kagan, Norman, The Cinema of Stanley Kubrick (1989); Nelson, Thomas Allan, Kubrick: Inside A Film Artist's Maze (1982); Phillips, Gene, Stanley Kubrick: A Film Odyssey (1975); Walker, Alexander, Stanley Kubrick Directs, rev. ed. (1972). English to Russian Dictionary (1996). â€Å"A Clockwork Orange† (1963); Burgess, Anthony

Alcohol consumption during this developmental period

Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs worldwide, and when used excessively it has deleterious effects on almost every organ system.   Many people begin to drink alcohol during adolescence and young adulthood.Alcohol consumption during this developmental period may have profound effects on brain structure and function. Heavy drinking has been shown to affects on brain structure and function.Heavy drinking has been shown to affect the neuropsychological performance of young people and may impair the growth and integrity of certain brain structures. Furthermore, alcohol consumption during adolescence may alter measures of brain functioning, such as blood flow in certain brain regions and electrical brain activities. Not all adolescence and young adults are equally sensitive to the effects of alcohol consumption, however.Moderating factors-such as family history of alcohol and other drug use disorders, gender, age at onset of drinking, drinking patterns, use of other drugs, an d co-occurring psychiatric disorders-may influence the extent to which alcohol consumption interferes with an adolescent’s normal brain development and functioning (Tapert, Calwell, & Burke, 2004-2005).Emerging adulthood, the transitional period between high school and young adulthood, is marked by the formation of identity, the establishment of more mature interpersonal and intimate relationships, and the transition to new adult-type roles. It is also is a time of increased alcohol use and abuse, which can have long-term effects on both physical and psychological well-being and may have implications for the attainment of traditional adult roles.Gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, college, employment, peer and family influences, individual temperament, and attitudes about drinking all influence drinking behavior in this population.Attending college may represent a special risk to emerging adults, as increases in alcohol availability and acceptance of drinking on college c ampuses may lead to increases in heavy drinking among students.The non student population of emerging adults also is an important target for preventive interventions, especially because people in this segment of the population may be less likely to mature out of heavy drinking patterns established during adolescence, thus, the transition from high school to young adulthood appears to be an ideal developmental turning point during which to target interventions.Arnett (2000) referred to the transitional period from high school to young adulthood as â€Å"emerging adulthood.† This stage of life is defined as the period from the end of secondary school through the attainment of adult status (Arnett 2005), covering approximately ages 18 to 25, although it can extend longer. Emerging adulthood is marked by frequent change and exploration. It also is a period of increased alcohol use and abuse. The transition out of high school may be marked by increases in alcohol use and intoxicat ion.Even men who drank heavily in high school may drink more and become intoxicated more often after high school. Drinking patterns during the senior year of high school generally are useful in predicting post-high school drinking behavior, although research results vary. Some studies have found a high degree of individual stability in problem drinking from the early twenties into adulthood, whereas others have notMost emerging adults will outgrow heavy drinking and related problems before adulthood, on their own and without treatment (Marlatt et al. 1998). Research consistently shows that most indexes of alcohol use, and especially heavy drinking, are higher among males than females (O’Malley and Johnston 2002).In addition, the gender disparity in heavy drinking increases between late adolescence (i.e., senior year of high school) and young adulthood. In contrast, the rates of alcohol problems among male and female college students tend to converge (Jackson et al. 2005), alt hough men still report more problems in the public domain compared with women.Racial and ethnic differences in drinking and related problems have been documented in the literature. In general, White and Native American emerging adults drink more than African Americans and Asians, and drinking rates for Hispanics fall in the middle. In addition, in contrast to the peak in drinking among Whites around ages 19-22, heavy drinking among African Americans and Hispanic peaks later and persists longer into adulthood (Caetano and Kaskutas 1995).Some argue that the college campus environment itself encourages heavy drinking (Toomey and Wagenaar 2002). Alcohol use is present at most college social functions, and many students view college as a place to drink excessively. Students experience greater exposure to drinking and encounter higher levels of peer drinking and positive attitudes toward alcohol as they transition from high school to college.Alcohol is the drug of choice among adolescents in the United States. Slightly over 50% have tried alcohol as early as grade 8; by the end of high school, 80% have tried it and 50% are current drinkers. These statistics cause concern because adolescents are particularly susceptible to several of the negative consequences associated with drinking-motor vehicle crashes (Zador, Krawchuk & Voas 2000), sexually transmitted diseases (Bailey et al. 1999), suicide, death and disability.Many observers believe that alcohol advertising contributes to the widespread social acceptability of drinking and thereby fosters both initial and continued use. Television advertising, which is banned in the United States for cigarettes but not for alcohol, is cited as a major source of alcohol advertising available to young people.Large numbers of American youth are exposed to television advertisements for alcohol, particularly beer (Grube & Wallack 1994). Young people typically see these advertisements on sports and certain late night programs popular with youth (Madden & Grube 1994).Youth exposure to advertising in additional venues, as well as through other promotional activities, is also substantial (Taylor 1990). In the United States, most young people are exposed to alcohol advertising in such common locations as supermarkets and corner stores; many also see alcohol advertising in magazines and at concerts and sports events.One study found no relationship between advertising and actual drinking behavior (Wyllie, Zhang & Casswell 1998), while others have suggested a positive relationship between advertising exposures (Grube & Wallack 1994) or positive responses to alcohol advertisements (Wyllie, Zhang & Casswell 1998) and intentions as an adult. In addition, intentions to drink as an adult tap the child’s expectations of engaging in an activity that is normative and legal for adults; they are far removed from the child’s actual drinking behavior or expectation of drinking while under age.

Issues of Same-Sex Marriage

6, November 2009 Issue of Same-sex Marriage As the world rapidly transitions into the twenty-first century, a new set of problems arise and the people of the world are faced with challenges that they have never encountered. The majority of world cultures are based around religion and religion comes with many stipulations that are not agreed upon by everyone. In Christian culture, the issue of homosexuality is a conflict that is currently being debated. The direct issue is whether or not people of homosexual tendencies have the right to share a union that is comparable to that of heterosexual couples.Marriage has been described as a legally binding contract, a moral commitment, a change of familial ties, and in some cases, a religious rite. That religious rite is what is being debated. Why shouldn’t two homosexuals be joined by the same kind of relationship that is accepted by everyone? These unique individuals share the same human characteristics as their heterosexual counterp arts, and they hold the same civic responsibilities. Many argue that a same-sex relationship ruins the sanctity of marriage or is morally irreprehensible, but the issue of divorce does the same exact thing.Not to mention, the main argument against homosexual relations is people believe the church has the last word on all moral issues, but after thousands of years, they hold almost no relevance in today’s issues. Pondering the idea of same-sex dealings, people need to take into consideration the fact that unions between two people does not effect outside parties personally; so it should mean next to nothing to them to see two men or two women be bonded by more than plutonic love. The Catholic Church has been active for many centuries. In the early years, the church was the ruling party of the lands in ancient Europe.However, as time progresses, the church slowly lost its power and it was merely there as a support system for its believers. Church theories are known around the w orld, but as time moves ahead, they continue to loose their value. I believe the churches messages are mere suggestions. Due to the fact that the modern countries have spent an enormous amount of time and money shaping their nations into what they think it should stand for apart from church’s principles. The church and its ideals are not nearly as valuable to the modern world.But when dealing with the issue of same sex unions, it is exactly the opposite, people go by what the church says as if the church is the actual government. It is puzzling to hear people speak of their respective churches and what it stands for, as if that church is the last word on all things of moral impact. Perhaps I am a modernist, but I believe that the government can be the only one to issue judgments upon relationships. The institution of a federal government can actually preside over different aspects of relationships, including marriage.The government has recorded over thousands of different way s married couples are given special status under federal law. It is not fair to limit same-sex couples a variety of benefits just because they are gay. Because the issue of same-sex marriage has become a prominent discussion topic, the Catholic Church decided to publish their opinion on the matter. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith states, â€Å"all Catholics are obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions† (Griffiths, 10).The church so blatantly stating all Catholics should be opposed to homosexual unions is absurd. It offers no real reason, other than its contradiction to the bible. The bible is a book written thousands of years ago, and some might argue that it holds no real evidence of its events being true. In addition, the bible itself contains homosexual activity; in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, homosexual pursuits are very evident. One could go as far as to say that the Catholic Church is boarding hypocritical.Joseph Cardinal Ratzinge r states in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that in every moral disorder, homosexual activity prevents one's own fulfillment and happiness by acting contrary to the creative wisdom of God (CDF 18). It is unimaginable how the Catholic Church can come to a conclusion such as this, because they know nothing about homosexuality. All the church sees is the general idea of being gay , and therefore misinterprets the entire culture. With a world as diverse as this one, no one can assume they know everything about a topic that they haven’t experienced for themselves.To generalize that someone is unable to be happy is utterly bizarre because they have no real way of knowing what that person is going through. Charles E. Curran and Richard A. McCormick explain it best in their pursuit for homosexuals’ needs to be incorporated into a wider community, for physic-security and well being just as the rest of the people in society (Curran, McCormich, 345). Homosexualsâ⠂¬â„¢ needs to be accepted into society is parallel with everyone else’s, because it gives people security and the feeling of acceptance.Most people are able to achieve acceptance through their community, but when homosexuals strive for acceptance within their community, they are shut down for their orientation. It is not right to exclude homosexuals from normal society just because they are different. Sexuality is a defining characteristic of ones life; it carves the path on how one will live the rest of their life. Because sexuality holds such an important place in people’s lives, it should not be able to hold them back in anything they want to do.Of course homosexuality is very different from what was considered the norm hundreds of years ago and therefore still somewhat a taboo topic, but homosexuality is not a bad thing. People who oppose same-sex relations are not willing to take the chance and introduce something different into their lives, and more often than n ot, it is just an uncomfortable situation that they are unwilling to face. For same-sex couples to be accepted, we, as a society, must put our judgments aside and experience a world where gay people are able to participate in daily life without being oppressed.I suspect that people would not notice a change from how life is today; the idea of same-sex relationships only affect the people who actually take part in such behavior. I honestly believe that homosexuality would not be nearly as big as a problem as it is today, without the influence of the Catholic Church. The church spews out their opinions on all issues, and provide no alternative; it is either their way or not at all. Same-sex relations should be positively acknowledged with the rights of every other couple in the world, and not ignored.Work Cited Curran, Charles E. , and Richard A. McCormick, S. J, eds. Readings in Moral Theology. 8th ed. New York: Paulist Press. 330-46. Print. Griffiths, Paul J. â€Å"Legalize Same-Se x Marraige. † Commonweal (2003): 10-14. Print. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, â€Å"Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons† (October 1, 1986), http://www. vatican. va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19861001_homosexual-persons_en. html, 18.