The Koran And The Protestant Bible - 1249 Words

The Koran and the Protestant Bible Over the course of this semester, we have talked about the five main religions, each of which containing their own views, backed by their own scriptures and holy books. Due to a length limit, I am going to outline how the Protestant Bible and the Koran came to be in order to demonstrate the differences between how these books were created. I do not begin to understand all of the complications on this topic, nor will all of the arguments that could be made be touched on; however, my critical analysis will include how these books were manifested, and their unique paths to authentication and being accepted by the people of their religion. To begin, I will talk about the Koran and how it came to be. Followers of Islam commonly hold to the truth that the Koran was given to the Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel; however, this is not recorded anywhere in the Koran itself. It is said that over the course of his lifetime, the angel Gabriel revealed to Mohammed the words of Allah. Mohammed , being illiterate, would remember the pieces of prophesy and recite it to his scribes, who would then read it back to him. He would also sometimes show them to Gabriel to make sure they were transcribed correctly. In total, there are 114 suras, or chapters, in the completed Koran. The entire Koran was completed over Muhammad’s lifetime, which was from 570 CE to 632 CE, though he reportedly did not receive his first visit from Gabriel until he was forty yearsShow MoreRelated Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism Essay1591 Words   |  7 Pagesmain sacred text is the Koran, which they believe Gabriel gave to Mohammad from God. Muslims believe that the Koran is the final revelation from God, as the Bible has been â€Å"corrupted† upon translation. My passage is Isaiah 53 where it talks about a suffering servant for Israel. While Christians believe this is a prophecy of Jesus, Muslims believe that Jesus was only a prophet. They believe Jesus was never crucified, and Allah made someone look like Jesus instead. (Koran 4:157) InterestinglyRead MoreChristianity And Islam : A Dominant Religions Worldwide1471 Words   |  6 Pageshave a sacred text; Christians consider the Bible the inspired word of God, His words written and spoken through his followers. However Muslims hold the belief that the Koran is the literal spoken breath of God. Mohammed was merely transcribing the words of Allah, much as a court reporter does. With this knowledge they hold to be true Muslims hold the Koran and Islam at a higher level of truth and authenticity then the beliefs held by Christians and the Bible. There are two main paths to salvation inRead MoreDifferences Between Christianity And Islam1578 Words   |  7 Pagesconditions, such as being naked. When God discovered what they had done he banished them from the garden, leaving the couple to depend on working the land for food stating â€Å"†¦thou shall eat of it all the days of thy life† (King James Bible, Genesis 3:17). (Kind James Bible, Genesis 1-3). Christian belief from this point proposes Adam and Eve set out on their own and became the original father and mother of the worlds population. The genealogy is traced from their children to a prophet of God namedRead MoreBible Versus the Toran12356 Words   |  50 PagesTABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION PAGE 1 II. AUTHORSHIP OF THE BIBLE PAGE 2 - 9 III. THE BIBLE PAGE 10 - 18 IV. AUTHORSHIP OF THE QURAN PAGE 19 V. THE QURAN PAGE 20 - 23 VI. THE BIBLE COMPARED TO QURAN PAGE 24-28 VII. FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM COMPARED TO THE TEN Read More What different religions believe Essay934 Words   |  4 Pagesin the Ten Commandments from their separate books of faith. It is obvious that those of Islam learned this from having the blood connection with the Jew through the fatherhood of Abraham and of course the protestant accepts the first five books of the Bible just as outlined in the Torah or Koran. The Orthodox Jew stands true to the customs and practices of the past and adheres to passing on to the next generation without alteration those rituals that have been in effect for centuries. The OrthodoxRead MoreThe Religions Of Islam, Hinduism, And Buddhism1241 Words   |  5 Pagesbegan in the Arabia by the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century, and is the second largest religion in the world today. Muslims are the followers of the Islam and believe in only on God, or Allah. Muslims base their beliefs on their holy book the Koran and the Sunnah. The Sunnah provides the five basic Pillars of Islam. These are: declaration of faith, praying five times a day, giving money to charity, fasting, and a pilgrimage to Mecca at least one time. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/ataglance/glanceRead MoreAbortion Is Not The Murder Of An Infant1507 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"There is disagreement as to which religions the term protestant encompasses.† Protestant encompass es means Protestantism and that also means faith alone. There is about thirteen religion grouping and each of the group has a different perspective on abortion. The first written works of Christianity states â€Å"You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.† In the early Christianity, abortion was prohibited. The early church leader who had agreed on abortion stated:Read MoreReport: Religious Life on Planet Earth1127 Words   |  5 Pagesof forms that it would be impossible to summarize them all, and even though not all of them believe in a personal God, Deity or Supreme Being, they all have their own scared texts or writings that they believe to be divinely inspired, such as the Bible, Quran or Bhagavad Gita. In addition, they all have prophets, mystics, teachers and holy men like Moses, Jesus, Mohammad and Buddha who are thought to have been sent to earth to show humanity the proper path to enlightenment, salvation and moralityRead MoreEssay on Compare and Contrast: Christianity and Islam2315 Words   |  10 Pageshaunted man and as such Islam and Christianity are no exceptions. The point of controversy is about resurrection. Will it be resurrection of the body? Both the Bible and the Koran affirm it. The Quran states, â€Å"Does man suppose that We shall not put together his bones? Yes indeed, We are able to proportion (even) his fingertips† (75:3-4). In the Bible it is said â€Å"that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both righteous and the wicked† (Acts 24:14-15). As per the original Christian doctrine the trueRead More The Use of Narratives to Express the Religious Beliefs of People in Western Religions1954 Words   |  8 Pagesimpart many of the rules, laws, and moral fundamentals for these faiths, and are used by religious writers as a novel method of initiating discussion or providing a parallel for other narratives. From the beginning of the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible, it is evident that the identity of Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the West hails from Biblical narratives. Genesis and its two accounts of creation are an essential starting point for Jewish, Christian, and Islamic beliefs. It provides a foundation

Dance Coursework Free Essays

Today in the lesson we were looking at Vera Drake, Vera Drake is a film which was released in 2004, the film was written and directed by Mike Leigh, telling the story of a working-class woman in London in 1 950 who performs illegal abortions. Vera believed that she was doing the right thing by helping young girls get rid Of the child that they didn’t want (abortion), in Ethel sass abortion was seen as a crime, people wasn’t allowed to have one, this is why Vera got arrested and questioned. After we watched the trailer for the film we got into groups and to given characters from what we already knew about Vera, the characters were Vera, Veer’s husband and the police officer. We will write a custom essay sample on Dance Coursework or any similar topic only for you Order Now Once we had our characters we then got ‘Hot Seated’ people from the group asked the person getting hot seated question such as ‘did you believe you were doing the right thing? ‘ and ‘did you know you were helping others commit crimes that we don’t accept? ‘ the person then who had been given the role of Vera and was beefing Hot Seated then had to answer and act in the way their character would. How to cite Dance Coursework, Papers

Case Study Barnes and Noble free essay sample

Noble is the largest retailer of books in the United States. They operate nearly 700 stores in all 50 states (barnesandnobleinc. com). Having the most bookstores in the United States was a competitive advantage for Barnes amp; Noble in the past. With the rise of Internet and e-book technology Barnes amp; Noble has had to change its business model. In this case study I will use Porter’s Competitive Forces and Value Chain models to analyze how these technologies have affected Barnes amp; Noble and its competitors. I will also write about how Barnes amp; Noble is changing its business model to compete in a changing industry. Lastly I will at Barnes amp; Noble’s new strategy and if it has been and will be successful. The internet and e-book technology has changed the way that Barnes amp; Noble, its competitors and book publishers conduct their respective businesses. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study Barnes and Noble or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Using the Porter’s Competitive Forces model and Value Chain model it is easier to understand how and why that has happened. The competitive forces model is â€Å"used to describe the interaction of external influences, specifically threats and opportunities, that affect an organization’s strategy and ability to compete. † (Laudon amp; Laudon p. G2). The model describes a company’s business environment. Porter uses five competitive forces that help describe the business environment for a company. The internet and e-book technology can be found effecting the business environment in these five forces. The first force is Traditional Competitors. Barnes amp; Noble’s competitors are competing for market share. Market share can be gained by the development of new products that help build the brand of the company. The internet has helped Barnes amp; Noble as well as its competitors develop new products and services. Laudon amp; Laudon write, â€Å"In a sense the internet is ‘transforming’ entire industries, forcing firms to change how they do business. † (p. 101). Before the rise of the internet and e-book technology Barnes amp; Noble was able to use their size and influence on book publishers to keep costs low and gain market share. Other companies in the industry have used the internet and e-book technology to gain market share. This has forced Barnes amp; Noble to change its business model. Laudon amp; Laudon write, â€Å"Booksellers were one of the many industries disrupted by the internet and, more specifically, the rise of e-books and e-readers. Bamp;N hopes to change its business model to adapt to this new environment before it suffers a similar fate as many of its competitors, like Borders, B. Dalton, and Crown Books. † (p. 117). The impact of losing market share has caused Barnes amp; Noble to focus more on new technology to develop new products and business strategies. Another force in Porter’s competitive forces model that shows the impact of the internet and e-book technology is the force of Substitute Products and Services. The internet and e-book technology have become a substitute for traditional brick and mortar book stores that sell hard copy books. Laudon amp; Laudon describe the effect of technology has by writing; â€Å"New technologies create new substitutes all the time. The more substitute products and services in your industry, the less you can control pricing and the lower your profit margins. † (p. 95). Barnes amp; Noble used their size to gain a pricing advantage but with more substitute products becoming available because of the internet, they are not able to control the pricing and they are losing profits. With more substitute products available â€Å"more than ever, consumers are reading books on electronic gadgets—e-readers, iPods, tablets, and PCs—instead of physical books. † (p. 117). The internet and e-book technology has provided more substitutes and changed the way consumers are purchasing books. The new technology has provided a cheaper alternative to Barnes amp; Noble’s book stores. Because of the internet and e-book technology consumers do not need to come into a retail store to buy a book and Barnes amp; Noble is losing competitive advantage. Porter’s Value Chain model â€Å"highlights specific activities in the business where competitive strategies can best be applied (Porter, 1985) and where information systems are most likely to have a strategic impact. This model identifies specific, critical leverage points where a firm can use information technology most effectively to enhance competitive position. † (Laudon amp; Laudon p. 101). The Value Chain model helps a company determine what business practices and strategies t can use to gain a competitive advantage. Companies like Barnes amp; Noble can compare what they are doing with what their competitors are doing to identify what is working in the industry. They are also able to pinpoint what business activities should be focused on to increase their competitive advantage. Laudon amp; Laudon writ e, â€Å"Using the business value chain model will also cause you to consider benchmarking your business processes against your competitors or other in related industries, and identifying industry best practices. † (p. 103). The internet and e-book technology has changed business environment. Barnes amp; Noble has used benchmarking in a couple of different ways. They have looked at what has not worked in the retail book industry and they have also looked at what has worked. In the retail bookstore business Borders was Barnes amp; Noble’s biggest competitors. â€Å"Bamp;N clearly took notice of the fate of Borders, its chief rival. Borders stubbornly refused to adapt to the Internet, first handing over its entire Internet operations to Amazon, and waiting to relaunch its own Web site until 2008, at which point the company was already on the road to bankruptcy. † (Laudon amp; Laudon p. 17). Borders did not adapt to the change in technology. The impact for them was big enough that they went out of business. Barnes amp; Noble was able to see that their primary activities have to focus on using internet and e-book technology to drive their competitive advantage. The impact for Barnes amp; Noble is that they have to change the way they do business. They had to shi ft their focus from their retail stores to their more e-content type products. Because internet and e-book technology has impacted the way Barnes amp; Noble is doing business, it has also had an effect on the publishers. The success of the publishers and their businesses are closely related to what Barnes amp; Noble and its competitors are doing. â€Å"Publishing companies have been forced to adjust their allocations of printed books and new titles for stores, and books are beginning to be released as apps in addition to physical books. † (Laudon amp; Laudon p. 117). Although printed books are more profitable for publishers, they have had to change their primary activities to keep their competitive advantage as suppliers. The publishers need Barnes amp; Noble for their long term success. Internet and e-book technology has made if more difficult for Barnes amp; Noble and its publishers to stay competitive. The impact of the technology for the publishers could also lead to something more than having to change their business model. Loudon amp; Loudon write, â€Å"Amazon’s goal for e-books is to cut out the publishers and publish books directly, selling books at an extremely steep discount to drive sales of its Kindle devices. † (p. 118). Of course that is a huge impact on the publishers and Barnes amp; Noble. With traditional competitors gaining more market share by introducing new products and more substitute products becoming more available in the market place you can use Porter’s Competitive Advantage model to see how internet and e-book technology have impacted Barnes amp; Noble. Also, the Value Chain model can explain how Barnes amp; Noble has looked at the industry impacts of internet and e-book technology and changed their activities to search for a competitive advantage. The Internet and e-book technology has had an effect on Barnes amp; Noble and its competitors. Because of the new technologies Barnes amp; Noble has had to change its business model. To compete with the companies like Amazon and Apple, Barnes amp; Noble has focused more on the e-book section of the industry. â€Å"Initially, the company had concerns about the effect of growing demand of e-Books on the revenue of its bookstores. However, it focused on the enormous potential of the e-content market and accordingly repositioned its business from a store-based model to a multi-channel model with focus on internet and digital commerce. (Marketline p. 4). As mentioned before Barnes amp; Noble saw how new technologies effected its competitors. Even though the company has a lot invested in its retail space they knew that they had to enter the e-content market. Laudon amp; Laudon write, â€Å"The company has thrown its energies behind development and marketing of the Nook series of e-readers. † (p. 117). To compete with Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad, Barnes amp ; Noble developed their own tablet. The new business model is not just the selling of the e-reading tablet. Barnes amp; Noble is also focusing on the development of technologies that complement the Nook. Some of those technologies include the e-books for the readers and apps that enhance the reading experience for the readers. Barnes amp; Noble is also using the resources of other companies to compete with Amazon and Apple. â€Å"On April 30, 2012 Microsoft announced that it would invest $300 million for 17. 6 percent stake in a new company consisting of Bamp;N’s Nook tablet and e-reader business and its College division. † (Laudon amp; Laudon p. 118). As mentioned above Barnes amp; Noble was concerned with entering the e-content market. The influx of capital from Microsoft has made it easier for them to devote resources to the Nook. The partnership with Microsoft has added features to the Nook that have allowed Barnes amp; Noble a way to connect with millions of Windows users. Barnes amp; Noble has made changes to focus more on the e-content market with their Nook. Because they still have a lot invested in their nearly 700 retail locations they are also developing technologies to get consumers into their stores. In-store sales have been dwindling due to new technologies and Barnes amp; Noble is using apps on the Nook to drive foot traffic. â€Å"For example, if you connect to a Wi-Fi network in a Bamp;N store with your Nook, you can get free extras in many apps and games like Angry Birds, where you can unlock a bonus character that normally costs a dollar. † (p. 119). Once people are in the stores Barnes amp; Noble is also trying to create a different experience for them. They have experimented with expanding spaces for activities like games and toys. They also have made more display room for the Nook tablets and their e-content. All of these changes that Barnes amp; Noble is making are a direct attempt to deal with the rise of internet and e-book technology. It is clear that Barnes amp; Noble has changed its business model. They have entered into the e-content arena and have moved away from being a company that primarily uses brick and mortar locations. Barnes amp; Noble has made significant investments into the Nook and its accessories such as e-books and apps. One question to ask about the new business model is has it been successful and will it be in the future. Also, another question to ask is if Barnes amp; Noble can do anything different in the future to help drive revenue. Early indications of success for the Nook were positive. Laudon amp; Laudon write, â€Å"Bamp;N’s nook business has been growing rapidly, and traditional bookstores are not. Total e-book sales were nearly $970 million in 2011, more than double from the previous year, and the percentage of e-books within the total number of books sold is still on the rise, measuring 14 percent that same year. † (p. 117). From those numbers it is clear that the investments being made and the change of the business model were showing positive returns. Although the Nook was still lagging behind, the positive reviews helped it gain market share from Amazon and Apple. Industry insiders have given the Nook and its content positive reviews when comparing it to Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad. The problem for Barnes amp; Noble is that they are competing with two well established brands. On top of that companies like Google and Samsung have entered the tablet market. That leaves Barnes amp; Noble to compete with companies that have greater resources than them. Amazon, Google and Apple are able to create a higher level of brand awareness. Despite the early success, recently the outlook for the Nook and Barnes amp; Noble’s new business model does not look good. Jeffrey Trachtenberg highlights this in his Wall Street Journal article by writing, â€Å"What concerns us is that as the overall market gravitates toward color tablets, youd have expected that Barnes amp; Noble would have been able to maintain its share because it introduced two new color tablets during the quarter, said Morningstar analyst Peter Wahlstrom. They arent behind on the tablet front in the sense that their devices compare well with others, but they are behind in terms of marketing, awareness and adoption. And thats critical. (p. 1). Although Barnes amp; Noble is producing a tablet that favorably compares to its competitors, consumers still are not buying it because the Nook hasn’t been able to gain the awareness needed in the market place. Another issue th at Barnes amp; Noble is having with its new business model is that they haven’t been able to develop content for the Nook that can compete with other tablets on the market. Leslie Kaufman of the New York Times writes, â€Å"Others pointed out that even if the Nook itself was a nice device, its offerings were not as rich as that of its rivals. Shaw Wu, a senior analyst at Sterne Agee, a midsize investment bank in San Francisco, said, â€Å"It is a very tough space. It is highly competitive, and extras like the depth of apps are very important. But it requires funding and a lot of attention, and Barnes amp; Noble is competing against companies like Apple and Google, which literally have unlimited resources. † (p. 1). The Nook and Barnes amp; Noble cannot compete with the resources and it is causing their new business strategy to fail. In the beginning Barnes amp; Noble’s new strategy to develop the Nook and its e-content worked well. Over the last year the Nook’s performance has falling off. I don’t think that Barnes amp; Noble can or will continue to try and compete head to head with the likes of Apple, Amazon, and Google. To be successful in the tablet market a company not only needs a good tablet but they also need good software to go with it. Barnes amp; Noble does not have the resources to have a good tablet with good software. The financial losses that Barnes amp; Noble has suffered recently have signified that their strategy is not working. A recent New York Time article (2013) writes, â€Å"The problem was not so much the extent of the losses, but what the losses might signal: that the digital approach that Barnes amp; Noble has been heavily investing in as its future for the last several years has essentially run its course. † (Kaufman p. 1). Recent performance has showed that his may be true and that Barnes amp; Noble has to make another change to their business model. For Barnes amp; Noble to stimulate more business it is necessary for them to change their focus. There are indications that they have already talked about ways to do this. William Lynch the company’s chief executive was quoted in the New York Times (2013) saying â€Å"that a reformulated Nook strategy would focus more on digital content like e-books and magazines, sales of which increased by 6. 8 percent in the quarter. He also said the company planned to be a leader in â€Å"digital education† and that it expected that to be a growth area. † (Kaufman p. 1). Barnes amp; Noble has also hinted at shifting more focus back to their largest asset, their retail stores. In the same article Leslie Kaufman writes that, â€Å"The company said that there was clear evidence that the digital trade book sales were â€Å"flattening,† meaning that the bookseller’s physical retail position would be strong in the future. Mr. Lynch said Barnes amp; Noble continued to take market share from other physical book retailers. The company also promoted prototypes for new stores to be opened in malls. †(p. 1). From this article it seems like they are again dividing resources. I do not think Barnes amp; Noble has the ability to divide its resources and be successful. They tried that with the Nook and were unsuccessful. I think for Barnes amp; Noble to be successful in the future they need to focus on digital content. Their strategy of promoting the Nook tablet was not successful because they didn’t have the resources to develop content that could compete with Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad. With divided resources between the Nook tablet and the digital content, the content suffered. If Barnes amp; Noble can shift resources from the Nook to digital media they may be able develop content that can match or even exceed that of its competitors. Also, with resources focused on developing digital content, Barnes amp; Noble can start focusing on making content not only for the Nook but also for the use on its competitor’s tablets.