Animal Testing And The Cosmetic Industry - 994 Words

Synthesis paper In this paper there are three main topics that are going to be covered. They are alternatives to animal testing, animal testing in cosmetics, and the news in the cosmetic industry related to animal testing. For this paper there were four sources that were evaluated. All of them had a few things in common and through that it was easy to link them together through three different subtopics that will be evaluated later in this paper. The first source that I will be using is â€Å"The Science of Dermocosmetics and Its Role in Dermatology†. This article was written by Dreno, B., E. Araviiskaia, E. Berardesca, T. Bieber, J. Hawk, M. Sanchez- Viera, and P. Wolkenstein. The second article that will be effective in this essay is â€Å"New†¦show more content†¦They are the chemico approach, the vitro approach, the silico approach, computer simulator, and using humans to test called the human patch test (Vandebriel, Loveren 1). Most if not all of the articles discuss the vitro testing to some degree. Vitro testing involves using cellular/culture based toxicity tests to see how it would affect humans and other living organisms that might be exposed to the product (Mone, 2). As more research is being done on this method of testing it is becoming more evident among companies that are making the transition from animal testing to this method. In the Korean Cosmetics company article it included a section about a Norwegian and UK collaboration that wanted to further the research vitro testing. Another method that is becoming popular is silico testing. Silico testing is type of modelization (Dreno Et. Al.1). It is pretty similar to vitro testing but focuses more on the different pathogens that are involved and can pass through the vitro testing. The second topic that is going to be covered is animal testing in cosmetics. There are different tests that are performed on animals when they are being tested on. These tests often include sensitization tests to see how the active ingredients react with skin (Dreno etc. 2). When the animals are tested the research team looks for signs of redness or irritation among other things. When animals are being tested there are certain guidelines that have to be followed to ensure the animalShow MoreRelatedAnimal Testing in the Cosmetic Industry: An Increasingly Controversial Issue706 Words   |  3 PagesAnimal testing has become an increasingly controversial issue since the 1980s. This has been the case especially in the cosmetics industry, where esthetic value rather than necessity is at the core of the industry. Since information regarding the often unnecessarily cruel practice of animal testing has become public knowledge, many activist groups have targeted the industry to pressure manu facturers into stopping practices that have been deemed unacceptable. While some of these efforts have met withRead MoreCosmetic History And Facts About The Cosmetic Industry1731 Words   |  7 PagesThe cosmetic industry has become such an integral part of the human culture that it often goes on without notice. In the vast and various cultures across our planet cosmetics are used for multitudes of reasons from religious expression, camouflage for soldiers in combat, Hollywood sets, to getting ready for a date. In our culture the use of makeup is almost a rite of passage into young adulthood for young girls and their mothers. The one question that almost no one ask when they open the make-upRead MoreThe Fight Against Animal Testing1456 Words   |  6 PagesThe Fight Against Animal Testing in Cosmetics The makeup industry has flourished for as long as one can remember. The popularity of beauty bloggers, celebrity makeup lines, etc. have actually led to a record-breaking boost in makeup sales. Cosmetic brands have become more prominent, and makeup stores such as Sephora and Ulta continue to thrive. However, various demands must be met in order to keep up with the growing consumership, and one of the most controversial topics contributing to the successRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned1547 Words   |  7 PagesThe Humane Society estimates thousands of animal deaths a year in the United States alone that are caused by cosmetic animal testing. Animals typically used in this specific type of testing are guinea pigs, rats, mice, and rabbits. Today, we have technology that can replace jobs yet, we still use primitive procedures that no longer cater the best to our current society. Cosmetic animal testing is not only harmful but it is also ineffective Animal testing is unethic al and unnecessary, cruel and shouldRead MoreAnimal Experimentation Should Be Banned1426 Words   |  6 Pagesjudged by the way its animals are treated.† - Mahatma Gandhi. These famous words still ring true in today’s society as we struggle to overcome the scientific experimentation on animals. Animals have acted as the archstone of human civilization since the dawn of man, from a source of food, to companionship. However, in the past century, we have been blurring the line between environmental entitlement and environmental rape. Every member of the human race interacts and depends on animals, and we owe themRead MoreWhy Companies Must Reconsider Their Use For Cosmetic Industry911 Words   |  4 PagesRoder and ). if you are woman and interested in cosmetic, you will be familiar to the name. you may be using the products or want to get it. Cosmetic industry is the one of the hot industry in entertament. over 000 compnay release the products in the world and — ì†Å'ë ¹â€ž ì‹Å"ìž ¥Ã¬ Ëœ ê ² °Ãª ³ ¼. when I chose the new cosmetic, I am always looking what it include and what color it is. I naver consider how the lipstic and mascara are making. The brand are doing the animinal testing and tons of rabits and dogs are suffering forRead MoreShould Animals Be Used for Research in the Cosmetic Industry?533 Words   |  3 PagesShould animals be used for research in cosmetic industry? Animal testing is widely used to develop new medicines and to test the safety of other products. These experiments can cause pain to the animals involved or reduce their quality of life in other ways. Animal experimenters are aware of this problem and agree that the testing should be made as humane as possible. While this practice has been followed for years now, some people still strongly believe that it is a cruel act and should be permanentlyRead MoreAnimal Testing And Its Morality1283 Words   |  6 Pages100 million helpless animals will suffer and die from malicious chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics tests. Rabbits, Cats, birds, reptiles and amphibians are not covered by the minimal protections of the Animal Welfare Act, so they go unnoticed towards the millions of sufferers. Millions of rodents, birds, rabbits, primates, felines, canines, and other types of animals are locked inside barren cages in laboratories across the country. People have diverse opinions on animal tes ting and its morality.Read MoreAnimal Testing Is Not A Recent Occurrence Essay1359 Words   |  6 PagesThe cosmetic industry is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide, catering to both men and women. Cosmetics seem to be so pervasive that everywhere you look, you can find some sort of cosmetic advertisement or commercial. Considering this high demand for cosmetics, many companies strive to produce products that will satisfy the consumer. However, in order for some cosmetic companies to manufacture their products, testing is conducted in the expense of animals. In the following report, we willRead MoreCosmetic Testing with Animals is Cruel Essay1302 Words   |  6 PagesCruelty of Cosmetic Testing on Animals    Each year, thousands of animals are brutally tortured in laboratories, in the name of cosmetic research. A movement to ban animal testing for cosmetic purposes has been gaining popularity, with many companies hopping on the bandwagon against this research. New alternatives have been developed to eliminate the necessity to test on animals. This is only a small beginning of what is necessary to end these immoral acts. Animal testing in cosmetics is useless

Making a Hero of Harriett Tubman - 766 Words

Many people think Batman and Superman are heroes because of their bravery and daring personalities but they are not true and honorable heroes. True and honorable heroes have to sacrifice for others, have good intentions to their actions, and make a difference in other’s lives. Others may argue that there is more to a hero than those traits or that you only need one of the traits but you can’t be a hero without all three traits even if you have other good traits to make up for it. A hero is selfish if they do not sacrifice for their task. Even if they have done something good for another person, they can’t be a hero because they didn’t jeopardize themselves for the good of others. To be sacrificial, one has to expose themselves for the well-being of others. Some could argue that you could save other people without making an actual sacrifice and that the person is still helped or saved but then the person was only lucky to be helped or saved and that does no t make the other person a hero. Harriet Tubman is a good example of sacrificing for the good of others, â€Å"†¦Tubman escaped to Philadelphia, then immediately returned to Maryland to rescue her family. Slowly, one group at a time, she brought relatives out of the state, and eventually guided dozens of other slaves to freedom.† (p1,  ¶3) as stated by Wikipedia editors, 2014. Harriet’s life and new-found freedom were at risk because she chose to go back to the home of the people who had owned her for her entire life. She was aShow MoreRelatedEssay On Harriet Tubman1602 Words   |  7 PagesHarriet Tubman â€Å"I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.† -Tubman The world was blessed with Harriet Tubman in 1822 on the eastern shore of Maryland. Unfortunately, Tubman was born into this world as a slave and lived on a plantation with her family, which consisted of four brothers and four sisters. Her parents named her Araminta â€Å"Minty† Ross but soon, with the coming of age, she changed her

Impact of Workplace Bullying on Staff Engagement

Question: Describe about the Impact of Workplace Bullying on Staff Engagement. Answer: Introduction The extent of workplace bullying is a serious concern considering the organizational and social context. It has been found that the practice of the workplace bully is very much effective towards the discrimination of the morale value so the workers in an organization and it certainly affect the financial performance of the organization (Way et al., 2013). One significant part of the workplace bully is associated with the consideration of the fact that the identification of the bullying is difficult to consider as it happens covertly and many times it happens out of the sites of the supervisors and other co-workers. This research study is concerned with the fact of involvement problem the staffs properly in the working environment of organizations. Background of the research The major concern regarding the development of the research is associated with the central finding of the other researchers that mainly concerned with the specific type of mistreatment and negative acts performed towards a target. In addition, it is also associated with understanding the frequency of the occurrence of the workplace bullying and determination of the physical and mental stress on the employees (Francioli et al., 2015). Existing research has shown the fact that in the case of certain industries such as ICT industry the mental stress the employees gain is actually affecting the performance and overall progression of the organization or the industry. Aim and Objective In this particular research, the major aim is associated with the determination of the impact of the workplace bullying on the engagement of the staff in the working environment of an organization. In this context, the researcher has focussed on the difficulties the staffs faced in a bully environment. The objectives are- To understand the nature of bullying in working environment To find out the extent of the difficulties the staff faced in the working environment due to the practice of bully To understand the impact of bullying on the proper engagement of the staffs To recommend some process that can reduce the extent of bullying in the working environment Research Questions What are the natures of bullying in working environment? What types of difficulties the staff faced in the working environment due to the practice of bully? What is the impact of bullying on the proper engagement of the staffs? Significance of the Research The conductance of the current research is associated with the understanding of the relationship between the workplace bullying and the effect of bulling practice on the job satisfaction and the productivity maintenance. In this regard, it has been found that the factors associated with the workplace bulling are mainly concerned with the extent of the recruitment process, promotion; limited performance-based cultural aspects and internal process of managing the grievance and harassment. This research is associated with the consideration of the factors that ultimately leads to the extent of the bullying practice in the organizational scenario (Houck Colbert, 2016). Moreover, the involvement of the management is one of the major reasons that encourage the practice of the bullying due to several reasons. The reasons are mainly a range of the lifestyle of the individuals that are mainly concerned with the healthy eating, physical activity, smoking and stress awareness of the employees. Research gap and problem statement Concentrating on the research work of the other researchers, the researcher has developed the problem statement for the current research that needs to be addressed by the subsequent development of the research aspects. Considering the research work of Oladapo from the Webster University it has been highlighted the extent of the management bullies and its effect on the employees the research work is mainly concerned about the effect of bullying on the physical status of the employees It highlights the social impact and health wellbeing of the individuals. On the other hand, the research work published from the workplace bullying institute it has highlighted the types of bullying practiced in an organization. However, the research has highlighted the problem statement and the research gap regarding the impact on the working engagement by the staffs. The research is intended to fill the gap. Part B: Literature Review Introduction Literature Review as a chapter would help the researcher in evaluating the studies of past researchers regarding bullying in work place. The researcher would scrutinize the principles and approaches adopted by past researchers based on theories, models, and concepts in a systematic and logical manner. Nature of Workplace Bullying The research study laid by Woodrow and Guest (2014), clearly projects on the fact that most of the international workers of Europe face the issue of employee bully in various work field grounds. As estimated by the researcher, nearly 23-27% of the employees faces the issue on a regular basis and at any point of time. This factor of workplace bullying adds to excessive work stress and undesirable mental torture for the workers. The acts of aggression along with harassment among the lives of the European workers are affecting the working quality and engagement of the staffs in the work. As per the Dispute related concept along with Predatory Bullying effects. It can be stated that the factor of employee bullying can be subjected to two distinct phases. The despite related a highly escalated interpersonal conflict between two members or a group of members mainly subjects bullying (Nielsen Einarsen, 2012). This tends to evolve out an interpersonal despite between the two parties resulting in the effect of the minority or inferior group. On the other hand, it can be stated that predatory bullying effect tends to refer the cases where a victim is not subjected to any act, which can support him/her to be stated as a predator. In this case, someone is abusing his/her own powers and thereby tend to develop a management system based on altercative policies. As reported by Nielson et al. (2014), the most common forms of predatory bullying include aggressive leadership style along with acting out prejudice. Denying the humanity of the opponent and thereby clarifying the protocol for utilization, destruction, elimination and manipulation is another subjective form of bullying which mainly triggers for a high rated conflict (D'Cruz et al., 2014). When one of the parties is at a disadvantageous point and is thereby subjected to an intensive interpersonal and social dispute, then he or she can e subjected to this level of bully within the corporate sector itself (Nielsen et al., 2014). Although the studies based on the nature of bullying are quite effective and based on the true theoretical concept, however, the root source of bullying was not explained. In the concept of predatory bullying, although the researcher targeted for the factor of randomization and power difference, still it is not backed up with enough proofs and evidence. It was just an assumption of the researcher, which was portrayed in the study (Hansen et al., 2014). Staff Engagement in a Bullying Environment Staff Engagement in Bullying Environment is considered to be one of the most controversial factors in the corporate culture. The factor of bullying is observed to be a common aspect, especially in the developed countries, such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany. As per the quantitative survey reports of Branch et al., (2013), it can be stated that organizations which are subjected to higher employee bullying parameters have the tendency of achieving high employee turnover rate. In the competitive market, every organization seeks to achieve an effective outcome in the globalized market in order to achieve competitor advantage. Hence, the job opportunities in companies are quite higher in the last three years, as compared to the early times. Thus, maintaining an effective and efficient working condition is considered an important parameter. As per the opinion of Power et al., (2013), it was stated that the definition of an effective and effi cient working condition projects to a healthy work-life balance along with minimum employee bully within the corporate premises. The researcher clearly designated towards the parameter of employee satisfaction and thus projected the fact that staff engagement would be minimum under the conditions of employee bullying activities and thus, the management will have to bear all the responsibilities regarding high turnovers due to this (Qureshi et al., 2014). Nature of difficulties in working process of the Staffs During the course of the research study led by Nielson et al. (2016), it was projected that a staff member might be subjected to both physical and mental issues while working under an excessive stress working condition, especially when it is subjected to employee bullying. Since the researchers consider bullying to be an additional and unwanted parameter related to employee dissatisfaction within a work place, it definitely earns an extra dimension of influence among the lives of these entities. The factor of neurological disorders is common among the employees working under such conditions. Moreover, psychological disorders such as delirium and dementia are also observed to be common among these people. Gap Analysis In the entire study, it can be stated that all the factors of mental health and physical health associated with bullying factors only and no other relevant situation are completely based on assumptions. No effective or supportive theories or models are there to support these factors. Moreover, the root cause of bullying is not specified and is perfectly based on assumptions of the past researchers. Thus, an in-depth analysis regarding the actual involvement of the stress that is exerting pressure on the staffs is necessary to highlight with proper literature findings and necessary development of the data analysis. This research thus intended to address the research gap. Methodology Research method overview The researcher has intended to address the research objectives with the generation of appropriate data with the help of the research methodology (Bryman, 2015). It is associated with the development of the appropriate germane process of the research collection. Research Philosophy For this particular research relying on the epistemology is believed to be helpful for providing necessary establishment of the existing facts regarding the problem the staffs faced in work engagement due to workplace bullying. In this aspect, the paradigm of positivism is essential for addressing the hidden facts that are associated with the practice of bullying (Wahyuni, 2012). Research Approach The researcher has considered the deductive research approach over the inductive research approach as it will help in the process to avoid the problem of time constraints (Whong Wright, 2013). In this regard, the researcher has depicted on the existing theories developed by the other researchers to establish the fact with the aid of appropriate data collection and analysis (Graham et al., 2012). Research Design In this particular research, the researcher has intended towards the application of the exploratory research design over the explanatory and descriptive research design (Taylor et al., 2015). In this case, the exploratory research design will help to explore the appropriate reasons associated with the understanding of the impact of certain buying on the mental approach of the employees that alter the approach of the workers towards working behavior. Moreover, the exploratory research design will provide a necessary blueprint for the research to progress with. Data collection and Research Method Research data collection is dependent on two major data collection process such as primary and secondary research collection. In this aspect, the researcher will collect the literature knowledge with the help of the secondary research process by concentrating on the relevant journals and articles (Kenney, 2010). On the other hand, the data collection will concentrate towards the mixed approach in which both the quantitative and qualitative research data collection need to be developed to gather necessary data regarding the completion of the research (Tran, 2016). Expected Outcome Quantitative research collection is helpful for developing the numerical data and qualitative data collection is useful for developing the descriptive analysis regarding the change in the engagement pattern of the staffs due to the extent of the workplace bullying. Sampling Method and Data analysis Sampling is an essential part of a research that helps in the process of appropriate data collection. In this research 50 workers have been chosen randomly form the XYZ organization of Australia. The respondents are subjected to perform a survey based questionnaire to generate the numerical data that are subjected to statistical analysis. In addition, 5 workers also subjected for qualitative analysis to develop descriptive information. The research is associated with the variables of bullying factors and impact on the change approach of employees (Williams, 2011). Research Limitations The major limitation of the research is the time constraints. Moreover, the research is also associated with a small number of respondents for providing necessary support towards the conclusion of the research. Timeline of the Research Considering the progression of the research, it has been found that the researches are mainly associated with the consideration of the longitudinal study and cross-sectional study. In this case, due to time limitation, the research is associated with the cross-sectional study. Main activities/ stages Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Topic Selection Data collection from secondary sources Creating layout Literature review Formation of the research Plan Selection of the Appropriate Research Techniques Primary data collection Analysis Interpretation of Data Collection Findings of the Data Conclusion of the Study Formation of Rough Draft Submission of Final Work Conclusion Thus, it can be concluded from the above discussion that the researcher has intended to understand the impact of bullying towards the staff engagement in the working environment. Development of the research aim and objective is completely based on the knowledge gathered to form the other researchers work. Moreover, positivism research philosophy helps to understand the extent of objective development. The literature review section has clearly indicated the factors influence the bullying practice in the organizational scenario that ultimately hampers the development of the proper working environment for certain employees. The research work of another researcher has indicated the fact that though the uses of samples are limited the findings of the research have suggested that the employees are associated with perceiving the organizational environment. The environment is correlated with the abusive bosses, co-workers, and negative acts of the other concerns. The existing studies are mai nly highlighting the toxic environment of the bullying practice. However, the current research is considering the mental stress that the employees feel due to excessive bullying. It is harmful to the employees to concentrate on the work and thus it also exerts a negative impact on the performance of the organization in operating industry. During the development of the research, it has been found that the other research works are associated with inconsistencies in providing the data regarding the impact of bullying. Some research has also highlighted the positive impact of bullying in the organizational and personal development context. The research gaps are mainly in the mental stress the employees suffer due to bullying. This research is intended to develop effective results with the help of the appropriate research methodologies that can shed light on the new aspect of the academic research. The future scope of the research can encourage the researcher to arrange the research in a broad manner and the data collected can help in the process of academic research progression. References Branch, S., Ramsay, S., Barker, M. (2013). Workplace bullying, mobbing and general harassment: A review.International Journal of Management Reviews,15(3), 280-299. Bryman, A. (2015).Social research methods. Oxford university press. D'Cruz, P., Noronha, E., Beale, D. (2014). The workplace bullying-organizational change interface: Emerging challenges for human resource management.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,25(10), 1434-1459. Francioli, L., Hgh, A., Conway, P. M., Costa, G., Karasek, R., Hansen, . M. (2015). Do Personal Dispositions Affect the Relationship Between Psychosocial Working Conditions and Workplace Bullying?.Ethics Behavior, 1-19. Graham, J.E., Karmarkar, A.M. Ottenbacher, K.J., (2012). Small sample research designs for evidence-based rehabilitation: issues methods.Archives of physical medicine rehabilitation,93(8), pp.S111-S116. Hansen, . M., Hogh, A., Garde, A. H., Persson, R. (2014). Workplace bullying and sleep difficulties: a 2-year follow-up study.International archives of occupational and environmental health,87(3), 285-294. Houck, N. M., Colbert, A. M. (2016). Patient safety and workplace bullying: an integrative review.Journal of nursing care quality. Kenney, K., (2010).Visual communication research designs. Routledge. Nielsen, M. B., Einarsen, S. (2012). Outcomes of exposure to workplace bullying: A meta-analytic review.Work Stress,26(4), 309-332. Nielsen, M. B., Einarsen, S., Notelaers, G., Nielsen, G. H. (2016). Does exposure to bullying behaviors at the workplace contribute to later suicidal ideation? A three-wave longitudinal study.Scandinavian journal of work, environment and health,42(3), 246-250. Nielsen, M. B., Magery, N., Gjerstad, J., Einarsen, S. (2014). Workplace bullying and subsequent health problems.Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening: tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny raekke,134(12-13), 1233-1238. Power, J. L., Brotheridge, C. M., Blenkinsopp, J., Bowes-Sperry, L., Bozionelos, N., Buzdy, Z., ... Madero, S. M. (2013). Acceptability of workplace bullying: A comparative study on six continents.Journal of Business Research,66(3), 374-380. Qureshi, M. I., Rasli, A. M., Zaman, K. (2014). A new trilogy to understand the relationship among organizational climate, workplace bullying and employee health.Arab Economic and Business Journal,9(2), 133-146. Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. DeVault, M., (2015).Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook resource. John Wiley Sons. Tran, B., (2016). The Nature of Research Methodologies: Terms Usage within Quantitative.Mixed Methods Research for Improved Scientific Study, p.1. Wahyuni, D. (2012). The research design maze: Understing paradigms, cases, methods methodologies.Journal of Applied Management Accounting Research,10(1), 69-80. Way, K. A., Jimmieson, N. L., Bordia, P., Hepworth, G. (2013). Self-labelling versus behavioural experience of workplace bullying: differences in sector-and industry-level prevalence and sources.Journal of health, safety and environment,29(2), 83-102. Whong, M.K. Wright, C., (2013). Scope research methodologies. Williams, C., 2011. Research methods.Journal of Business Economics Research (JBER),5(3). Williams, C., (2011). Research methods.Journal of Business Economics Research (JBER),5(3). Woodrow, C., Guest, D. E. (2014). When good HR gets bad results: exploring the challenge of HR implementation in the case of workplace bullying.Human Resource Management Journal,24(1), 38-56.

My Baptism free essay sample

Baptism: The Door of the Church: The Sacrament of Baptism is often called The door of the Church, because it is the first of the seven sacraments not only in time (since most Catholics receive it as infants) but in priority, since the reception of the other sacraments depends on it. It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, the other two being the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Once baptized, a person becomes a member of the Church. Traditionally, the rite (or ceremony) of baptism was held outside the doors of the main part of the church, to signify this fact. The Necessity of Baptism: Christ Himself ordered His disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations and to baptize those who accept the message of the Gospel. In His encounter with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), Christ made it clear that baptism was necessary for salvation: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. We will write a custom essay sample on My Baptism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For Catholics, the sacrament is not a mere formality; it is the very mark of a Christian, because it brings us into new life in Christ. Baptism of Desire: That doesnt mean that only those who have been formally baptized can be saved. From very early on, the Church recognized that there are two other types of baptism besides the baptism of water. The baptism of desire applies both to those who, while wishing to be baptized, die before receiving the sacrament and Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do His will as they know it through the dictates of conscience (Constitution on the Church, Second Vatican Council). Baptism of Blood: The baptism of blood is similar to the baptism of desire. It refers to the martyrdom of those believers who were killed for the faith before they had a chance to be baptized. This was a common occurrence in the early centuries of the Church, but also in later times in missionary lands. The baptism of blood has the same effects as the baptism of water. The Form of the Sacrament of Baptism: While the Church has an extended rite of Baptism which is normally celebrated, which includes roles for both parents and godparents, the essentials of that rite are two: the pouring of water over the head of the person to be baptized (or the immersion of the person in water); and the words I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Minister of the Sacrament of Baptism: Since the form of baptism requires just the water and the words, the sacrament, like the Sacrament of Marriage, does not require a priest; any baptized person can baptize another. In fact, when the life of a person is in danger, even a non-baptized person—including someone who does not himself believe in Christ—can baptize, provided that the person performing the baptism follows the form of baptism and intends, by the baptism, to do what the Church does—in other words, to bring the person being baptized into the fullness of the Church. Infant Baptism: In the Catholic Church today, baptism is most commonly administered to infants. While some other Christians strenuously object to infant baptism, believing that baptism requires assent on the part of the person being baptized, the Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, and other mainline Protestants also practice infant baptism, and there is evidence that it was practiced from the earliest days of the Church. Since baptism removes both the guilt and the punishment due to Original Sin, delaying baptism until a child can understand the sacrament may put the childs salvation in danger, should he die un-baptized. Adult Baptism: Adult converts to Catholicism also receive the sacrament, unless they have already received a Christian baptism. (If there is any doubt about whether an adult has already been baptized, the priest will perform a conditional baptism. ) A person can only be baptized once as a Christian—if, say, he was baptized as a Lutheran, he cannot be rebaptized when he converts to Catholicism. While an adult can be baptized after proper instruction in the Faith, adult baptism normally occurs today as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and is immediately followed by Confirmation and Communion. The Effects of the Sacrament of Baptism: My Baptism free essay sample The Sacrament of Baptism is often called The door of the Church, because it is the first of the seven sacraments not only in time (since most Catholics receive it as infants) but in priority, since the reception of the other sacraments depends on it. It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, the other two being the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Once baptized, a person becomes a member of the Church. Traditionally, the rite (or ceremony) of baptism was held outside the doors of the main part of the church, to signify this fact. The Necessity of Baptism: Christ Himself ordered His disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations and to baptize those who accept the message of the Gospel. In His encounter with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), Christ made it clear that baptism was necessary for salvation: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. We will write a custom essay sample on My Baptism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For Catholics, the sacrament is not a mere formality; it is the very mark of a Christian, because it brings us into new life in Christ. Baptism of Desire: That doesnt mean that only those who have been formally baptized can be saved. From very early on, the Church recognized that there are two other types of baptism besides the baptism of water. The baptism of desire applies both to those who, while wishing to be baptized, die before receiving the sacrament and Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do His will as they know it through the dictates of conscience (Constitution on the Church, Second Vatican Council). Baptism of Blood: The baptism of blood is similar to the baptism of desire. It refers to the martyrdom of those believers who were killed for the faith before they had a chance to be baptized. This was a common occurrence in the early centuries of the Church, but also in later times in missionary lands. The baptism of blood has the same effects as the baptism of water. The Form of the Sacrament of Baptism: While the Church has an extended rite of Baptism which is normally celebrated, which includes roles for both parents and godparents, the essentials of that rite are two: the pouring of water over the head of the person to be baptized (or the immersion of the person in water); and the words I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Minister of the Sacrament of Baptism: Since the form of baptism requires just the water and the words, the sacrament, like the Sacrament of Marriage, does not require a priest; any baptized person can baptize another. In fact, when the life of a person is in danger, even a non-baptized person—including someone who does not himself believe in Christ—can baptize, provided that the person performing the baptism follows the form of baptism and intends, by the baptism, to do what the Church does—in other words, to bring the person being baptized into the fullness of the Church. Infant Baptism: In the Catholic Church today, baptism is most commonly administered to infants. While some other Christians strenuously object to infant baptism, believing that baptism requires assent on the part of the person being baptized, the Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, and other mainline Protestants also practice infant baptism, and there is evidence that it was practiced from the earliest days of the Church. Since baptism removes both the guilt and the punishment due to Original Sin, delaying baptism until a child can understand the sacrament may put the childs salvation in danger, should he die un-baptized. Adult Baptism: Adult converts to Catholicism also receive the sacrament, unless they have already received a Christian baptism. (If there is any doubt about whether an adult has already been baptized, the priest will perform a conditional baptism. ) A person can only be baptized once as a Christian—if, say, he was baptized as a Lutheran, he cannot be rebaptized when he converts to Catholicism. While an adult can be baptized after proper instruction in the Faith, adult baptism normally occurs today as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and is immediately followed by Confirmation and Communion. The Effects of the Sacrament of Baptism: Baptism has six primary effects, which are all supernatural graces: 1. The removal of the guilt of both Original Sin (the sin imparted to all mankind by the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden) and personal sin (the sins that we have committed ourselves). 2. The remission of all punishment that we owe because of sin, both temporal (in this world and in Purgatory) and eternal (the punishment that we would suffer in hell). 3. The infusion of grace in the form of sanctifying grace (the life of God within us); the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; and the three theological virtues. 4. Becoming a part of Christ. 5. Becoming a part of the Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ on earth. 6. Enabling participation in the sacraments, the priesthood of all believers, and the growth in grace. Question: What is Baptism? Christian denominations differ widely on their teachings about baptism. Some believe baptism accomplishes the washing away of sin. Others consider baptism a form of exorcism from evil spirits. Still others teach that baptism is an important step of obedience in the believer’s life, yet only an acknowledgment of the salvation experience already accomplished baptism itself has no power to cleanse or save from sin. The following takes a look at the latter perspective called Believers Baptism: Answer: A general definition for the word baptism is â€Å"a rite of washing with water as a sign of religious purification and consecration. † This rite was practiced frequently in the Old Testament. It signified purity or cleansing from sin and devotion to God. Since baptism was first instituted in the Old Testament many have practiced it as a tradition yet have not fully understood its significance and meaning. In the New Testament, the significance of baptism is seen more clearly. John the Baptist was sent by God to spread the news of the coming Messiah—Jesus Christ. John was directed by God (John 1:33) to baptize those who accepted his message. John’s baptizing is called â€Å"a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. † Mark 1:4 (NIV). Those baptized by John acknowledged their sins and professed their faith that through the coming Messiah they would be forgiven. Baptism then is significant in that it represents the forgiveness and cleansing from sin that comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Purpose of Baptism: Water Baptism identifies the believer with the Godhead – Father, Son Holy Spirit. â€Å"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. † Matthew 28:19 (NIV) †¢Water Baptism identifies the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. â€Å"When you came to Christ, you were circumcised, but not b y a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedurethe cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. † Colossians 2:11-12 (NLT) â€Å"We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. † Romans 6:4 (NIV) †¢Water Baptism is an act of obedience for the believer. It should be preceded by repentance, which simply means â€Å"change. † It is turning from our sin and selfishness to serve the Lord. It means placing our pride, our past and all of our possessions before the Lord. It is giving the control of our lives over to Him. Peter replied, Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the churchabout three thousand in all. † Acts 2:38, 41 (NLT) †¢Water Baptism is a public testimony the outward confession of an inward experience. In baptism, we stand before witnesses confessing our identification with the Lord. †¢Water Baptism is a picture representing profound spiritual truth: Death â€Å"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. † Galatians 2:20 (NIV) Resurrection â€Å"We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. † Romans 6:4-5 (NIV) â€Å"He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God. Romans 6:10-13 (NLT) Cleansing â€Å"And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. † I Peter 3:21 (NIV) â€Å"But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. † I Corinthians 6:11 (NIV) Questions On Baptism Friday, October 10, 2003 Home Greetings! Initiation of a non-Christian into the Roman Catholic Church is celebrated in a Rite called baptism. In this rite, a person is either immersed in water, or sprinkled with water by another Christian who says, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. What makes a baptism valid? Baptism is valid so long as water was used with the Trinitarian formula (See Mt 28:19 for the Trinitarian formula, and John 3:5 for the necessity of water). In an emergency, even tears or saliva could be used where running water is not present. Catholics believe that all people who have received water baptism in the Trinitarian formula are mysteriously united to the Churc h, and indwelt with the grace of Jesus Christ. What is grace? Grace is Gods favor, and more than this, it is the very life of God within a person through the Holy Spirit. With grace, three dispositions, or virtues are infused in the soul: faith, hope and love. God cannot co-exist with sin, and when we turn away from God, we can sin so badly as to cut off this flow of divine life within us. Catholics call this mortal sin, referring to the notion of deadly sin we find in 1 John 5:17. Yet, even when we sin mortally, the Council of Trent states that faith lingers in the soul to draw us back to Christ. Only blasphemy of the Holy Spirit an ongoing and deliberate rejection of the free gift of grace can damn us. We can trust teh one who started the work of salvation in us through baptism to bring it to completion. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? The Second Vatican Council affirms that the grace of baptism is necessary for salvation. Yet, the Council speaks of salvation outside, but not apart from the Church. Catholics believe that the grace of baptism is given through the rite itself, but is also provided to those who, through no fault of their own, have either never heard the Gospel, or heard the Gospel in a distorted manner so that they were unable to accept it. Many theologians (myself included) argue that anyone who has not actively rejected the Gospel as properly understood may be under the saving grace of baptismal grace. The Church has always maintained that the Old Testament prophets are counted among the saints in heaven. The Council of Trent affirmed that even prior to baptism, a grace called prevenient grace draws a person to baptism. Furthermore, the Church always taught that there is such a thing as baptism by desire. Traditionally, baptism of desire was used to refer to martyrs who were murdered while preparing for the rite of baptism. These various doctrines have lead theologians to the conclusion that there is saving grace available without strictly receiving water baptism. Yet, for a believer in Jesus Christ, it would make no sense to reject water baptism, since Christ himself was baptized and taught his disciples to baptize. In the early church, baptism was a public witness to becoming a Christian, and often a person was placing their life on the line by receiving the sacrament. To reject water baptism and claim to believe in Jesus is a contradiction, and in this sense, baptism is necessary for all believers. However, knowing that prevenient grace draws the sinner to the sacrament, many theologians today argue that there are two types of saving faith, and one depends on the other. Primordial faith is a trust in a vague and fuzzy awareness of divine holy mystery and openess to transcendant experience that goes beyond language. This faith is what begins the salvation process in us, and it is this grace that is spoken of when we say the grace of baptism is necessary for salvation. Many theologians since Karl Rahner argue that we are all born with the gift of such grace, even as we are all effected by original sin. If we respond to this grace, we seek language to describe the experience, and primordial faith is then translated into fiducial faith, which is the belief in a particular creed, doctrine, and set of religious practices. For the Catholic Christian, fiducial faith expresses itself and becomes actualized in cooperation with Christ through the sacraments. However, the non-Catholic may very well be saved by fiducial faith expressing primordial faith in a different cultural context. Who performs a baptism? Typically, a baptism is performed by a priests, but in an emergency, any Christian who has already received baptism can perform the rite. Catholics recognize the baptisms of other Christian demonimations as valid, so long as water was used, and the Trinitarian formula was followed. Catholics consider the rite of baptism to be a sacrament. Sacraments are outward signs of internal grace instituted by Christ and preserved in the Apostolic tradition. Catholics believe that Christ, himself, acts in each sacrament, so that even if a sacramental rite is performed by the worst sinner, the sacrament is valid. How often can baptism be received? Because it is the first step of initiation, baptism is only received one time in life, and Catholics do not believe anyone who has received a valid baptism needs to repeat it, even if the rite was performed before a person was fully mature, or the rite was by an imperfect person, or in a manner that was hasty or sloppy. Indeed, Catholics see it as a lack of faith to repeat baptism. At the same time, Catholics do bless themselves with holy water as they enter a church as a constant reminder of baptism. What are the effects of baptism? Perhaps the effects of baptism are best understood by looking at the symbolic meaning of the rite. Water is a natural symbol of birth, life, and cleanliness. It symbolizes birth as a mothers water is broken. It symbolizes life as we need it for nourishment. It symbolizes cleanliness as we bathe daily with water. Water also symbolizes death, as we can drown in water. In Judaism, ritual baths and purifications symbolized that we were making ourselves presentable to God, the most high and most holy and pure being of all. According to the New Testament, the baptism of John, who preceded Jesus was a baptism of repentance. The word for repentance in Greek means conversion, and is rooted in the notion of turning a stiff neck. John seemed to use water baptism as a symbolic action to convey the notion of the hope to one day be immersed in the Spirit to be cleansed from sin to live a new life. Johns preaching was eschatological and forward looking, and painted a picture of cosmic conflict between good and evil. Johns baptism looked for the day when the Spirit would be poured forth like a river on the people to produce a change of heart. Jesus received the baptism of John, and many Bible scholars point to this incidence as evidence of a historical person named Jesus. According to the criteria of embarrassment, the early church would have no reason to invent this encounter, since the action implies John is greater than Jesus and that Jesus needed to repent. Many believers in Christianity are raised to believe that Jesus was baptized by John in order to provide us an example. However, this oversimplifies the issue, and implies that Jesus was play acting. Even a perfect person can and would have turning points in life if that person is fully human. A conversion experience does not always involve turning from sin to virtue. Rather, like a moth becoming a butterfly, a conversion experience can be growth from one stage of human development to another. The New Testament is clear that Jesus grew as a human person (See Luke 2:40). By receiving the baptism of John, Jesus reveals that he has fully entered the human condition. Like us, in his humanity, he longed to be immersed in the Holy Spirit and to grow and change. John preached that there would be one who come after him who would baptize with fire and Spirit. Having received the baptism of John, the growth or conversion that Jesus displayed was to begin to live as though the fullness of Gods reign was breaking into our world here and now, already present, but not fully present yet! There is some evidence in the New Testament that Jesus continued the ministry of baptism after John, and may have even rivaled John for a period (See John 4:1). However, where John was an ascetic preaching hell-fire and brimstone, Jesus preached that the reign of God was breaking in through mercy upon the marignalized. It is not that Jesus made no mention of hell. However, when he does mention hell, it is always in the context of the rigidly unforgiving, or those who commit heinous sins that hurt other people. For Jesus, it appears that baptism was transformed from a symbolic act that looked forward to a day of immersion in the Spirit, to a symbolic rite that made the Spirit present. In Jesus and his disciples, baptism truly became a rite of initiation for those who choose in the here and now to live in the reign of god breaking into our reality. By accepting the baptism of Jesus, one was chosing to live here and now as though God is your only king, and to trive for perfection. After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, baptism took on new meaning. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Saint Paul called baptism an immersion in the death and resurrection of the Lord (See Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12). The author of 1 Peter refers to baptism as a cleansing. With Saint Augustine int he fourth century, the emphasis on the notion of bap tism as cleansing became critical in his debates with a monk named Pelegius. Pelegius believed that Christ saved us by offerring an example of perfection that we chose to follow by our own inherent goodness. Those who rejected Christ and refuse to imitate him are simply evil. Pelegius taught a crass works righteousness. Augustine, profoundly aware of his own sinfulness, countered that he could not even want to follow Christ if God had not given him the gift to desire Christ. Augustine, relying on Saint Paul, believed that we are saved by grace, and that grace enables us to imitate Christ. Augustine developed the concept of original sin to explain what he felt Paul was saying when Paul says all people are sinners due to Adams sin (see Romans 5:12). Augustine argued that grace is a completely free gift given to us while we are sinners, and through the gift, we are made righteous, with baptism symbolizing cleanliness and new birth. As a demonstration that he was interpreting the Scriptures correctly, Augustine wrote to Pelegius appealing to common tradition asking if what he was saying were not true, why does the Church baptize infants? So, the effect of baptism is that we die to our sinful selves to rise with him. Grace, the very life of Christ, is infused in the soul by the one who lives today! This new life is experienced as rebirth in water and Spirit. We are immersed int eh Holy Spirit so that live as sons of daughters of the great King of the universe, whose reign of peace and justice is breaking into the world through Christ acting in us. Why do Catholics baptize infants? Acts 10 speaks of the entire family of Cornelius, and the whole household, including his servants, receiving Peter and the Apostles to eventually become baptized. Catholics believe that the episode indicates the possibility that children were baptized within the New Testament period, since it is likely that Cornelius had children. Yet, there is no direct and unquestionable proof that infants were baptized in the New Testament. Many Protestant Christians argue that the symbolism of conversion and change is lost by performing baptism on infants, and that such batisms should be considered invalid. Catholics believe that in the early church, adult baptism was the norm as the Church reached out to new members. However, we saw above that Saint Augustine argued against the works righteousness of Pelegius by appealing to the already wide-spread and ancient tradition of infant baptism. Infant baptism may or may not not perfectly allow the recipient to experience grace as conversion. Yet, Catholics accept in faith that conversion is occurring even in the infant. For many Catholics, infant baptism is a response of gratitude to God for a child, and a celebration of birth. Parents naturally want to share their faith and culture with their children. As a rite of intitiation, baptism knits a person into that web of relationships that forms the Church the Body of Christ. What Christian parent would not seek to have their child knit into this web of relationships? On a deeper theological level, Catholics speak of a real transformation taking place in the infant where all guilt of original sin is removed, and grace is infused in the soul conforming the child to Christ. Through baptism, a person is born again, and the effects of the sacraments last eternally! By offering the rite to an infant, we are emphasizing that grace is an absolutely free gift, not even earned by our desire for conversion or our intellectual undertsanding of what we receive. This may confuse many Protestants, who believe that Catholics teach works righteousness. The Catholic Church holds as infallible, according to Scripture, the local council of Orange, and the Ecumenical Council of Trent that salvation is by grace alone. However, Catholics believe that with new birth comes growth, and that with baptism, Christs life life is infused inthe soul to produce faith and works. Faith without works cannot save, and works without faith cannot save. Yet, the whole process of salvation is initiated as a free gift of Christ. See my essay Justification: Protestant or Catholic for more detail on this subject. In the New Testament, Paul speaks of laying hands on people after baptism, and James speaks of annointing people. The word Christ literally means annointed. Catholics generally believe that in the sacrament of confirmation (laying on of hands and annointing), a person is confirmed in the faith. This second sacrament completes initiation in the Catholic Church and is closely connected theologically to baptism, though separated by years in time for many Catholics. Adult converts receive the two sacraments together. This is usually done in young adulthood, and provides an opportunity for a similar experience to Protestant young adult conversion at baptism. Why do Catholics use the Trinitarian formula, and not the name of Jesus Personally, I am not sure that God considers the name of Jesus alone as an invalid baptism. However, there are denominations and churches separated from Rome who baptize in the name of Jesus only because they reject the doctrine of the Trinity. We saw above that the Trinitarian formula for baptism is Scriptural in Matthew 28:19. We know from early Church writings that the Trinitarian formula was used from most ancient times, and the doctrine was accepted as the correct interpretation of scripture by the world-wide Church at several Ecumneical Councils. Thus, Catholics believe that the Trinitarian formula is revealed through Scripture and Sacred Tradition to be a if not the correct way to do baptism. Since the issue arose late historically, and was clear attempt to break the unity of the Church, Catholics do require a new baptism for those who join s from a community that did not use the Trinitarian formula. Why do Catholics sprinkle instead of immersing? Immersion is the proper way to do baptism to convey the full symbolism of the sacrament. Sprinkling in the early church was only used for emergencies, such as impending death. As the Church expanded into Northern Europe, it is highly probable that cold weather caused Christians to turn more often to sprinkling. Irish missionaries may have carried the practic e back southward. The Church defends that baptism by sprinkling is valid. At teh same time, Vatican II called for a renewal and retrieval of the meaning of sacramental gestures so that the fullness of what was conveyed in the New Testament is mediated in the signs. I have seen more and more Catholic churches building baptismal fonts large enought to immerse an adult. In the future, I expect immersion to once again become the norm. One final point When John began baptizing, he warned his Jewish siblings that God could make children of Abraham from the stones. Receiving his baptism of repentence was useless if one was not changed by it. God always respects our freedom, and we are always free to reject and act against the grace that is given us. We do this when we sin. Catholics believe that God initiates the salvation as an absolutely free and unmerited gift that can start in an infant. Catholics believe that Christ acts in the sacrament, so that we can never say that baptism does not have an effect. Christ promised to act in every valid baptism. Even Adolf Hitler (who was baptized Catholic) was changed by the sacrament. (Think how much worse he may have been if his life were never touched by grace! Yet, knowing that every baptism has an effect on the recipient, and trusting individually that the One who died for me and began a work for me in baptism wants to bring it to completion, I must respond to him! Johns warning to the children of Abraham is still true for Christians. We must, by Gods continued outpouring of grace, receive the Lordship of Christ and allow his will to shape our lives and continually change us. While baptism always has an effect, not everyone who has been bapized is absolutely assured slavation.