Should censorship be sometimes justified Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should censorship be sometimes justified - Essay Example The government must have powers to censor sensitive security information, such as the military strategy, deployment of forces, and placement of key weapons systems in times of conflicts and wars. Some people, mainly libertarians who see little or no role for government, argue that the United States has no room for censorship citing the First Amendment to the US Constitution that prohibits restrictions, among other things, on the freedom of speech and the press. However, protecting the United States and American people becomes more important than preserving the freedom of speech in times of conflicts and wars, because giving away sensitive security information could help domestic quislings and external enemies to harm the country and hurt the people. Recognizing this imperative, Congress has enacted several laws, including the Smith Act, Communist Control Act and Atomic Energy Act, which give the US government the powers to impose censorship. Even the criticism of the governmentâ€⠄¢s recent request to withhold the details of the experiment that produced deadly H5N1 influenza virus, which could be used by terrorist, has been made only on a narrow ground that someone had already shared that information at a conference in Malta (Markel). Censorship also becomes necessary to prevent hate speech that destroys social harmony and leads to violence in a country characterized by enormous racial and cultural diversity. Opponents of censorship argue that individuals can make their own judgment and apply self-censorship, and US courts have sometimes put the freedom of speech above the need to control hate speech, such as by upholding the right of the Ku Klux Klan to carry out anti-minority marches. However, personal judgment and self-censorship alone are not enough to prevent hate speech that could disrupt communal harmony and lead people to harm each other due to enmity, bigotry or other narrow interests. The rant against Muslims in public places and in the media in th e wake of terrorist attacks against the United States in 2001 led to violence against Muslims and turbaned Sikhs across the country, which could have been avoided by censorship. Although Congress has already outlawed slander, libel, incitement to riot and obscenity, government should have broad censorship powers to control hate speech and promote social harmony (Stork), a proposition with which I agree. Likewise, the government must have powers to impose censorship to protect the rights, dignity and innocence of children who cannot do it themselves. Those who advocate absolute freedom of speech hold the view that individuals and the media are capable of using their discretion to withhold indecent and obscene information that could harm children. However, there is no shortage of pedophiles, rapists, rogue journalists and other criminals eager to exploit children’s vulnerability and innocence, and the government has obligation to protect children from them, if necessary, by imp osing censorship. I shudder with the fear that my own brothers, sisters and relatives could become victims of such criminals, lured by indecency and obscenity in the media and public places. Recognizing the need for censorship to protect children, Congress has made several laws, including the Communications Decency Act of 1966, that classify films

The South Korean Plastic Surgery Craze

The South Korean Plastic Surgery Craze Plastic surgery has become a craze among South Koreans since the beginning of the twenty first century. South Korea has the highest rate of plastic surgery than any other country in the world, with 74 procedures per 10,000 people (Winchester, 2013). Majority of people in Korea believe that facial appearance is an important factor in measuring one’s success in life. This paper argues that plastic surgery in South Korea needs a limitation and the plastic surgery craze in Korea has to be stopped. Three reasons why plastic surgery has to be reduced are because of plastic surgery addiction, standardization in physical appearance and side effects of cosmetic operations. Plastic surgery was introduced in Korea by Dr. Ralph Millard, an American plastic surgeon, who arrived in Korea in 1954 and performed double eyelid surgeries for Korean patients (Stone, 2013). Millard’s role was to help treat accident and burnt victims but he decided to help in a different way. Millard thought that a more western appearance would help Koreans assimilate better in the emerging international economy. (Millard. R, n.d.). The surgery quickly caught on and the first aesthetic surgery clinic opened in Korea in 1961. From then, numbers of women undergoing plastic surgeries increased from year to year. Currently double eyelids and nose jobs are so common that they are not named surgery but called as â€Å"procedure†. It is true to say that once Koreans desired to look more western, but nowadays cosmetic operations are not to look more western but to look more stunning as what Koreans think. According to Dr. Hyunenong Park (as cited in Stone, 2013), a plastic su rgeon in Korea, said â€Å"Even though many Caucasians have small and slim faces, it doesnt mean Asians want to be like Caucasians. If you inspect some Caucasian celebrities, you find countless examples of prominent jaws and high cheekbones. Nonetheless, if you inspect Asian celebrities, they all have small jaws and cheekbones. That’s because small and slim face is ideal to most Koreans†. This shows that Koreans undergoing plastic surgeries still look for distinctively Korean feature, rather than looks similar to Caucasian. Some people argue that plastic surgery boosts self-confidence and decreases the rate of depression in patients. Patients suffering from a health issue related to physical appearances had a great change in how they feel about themselves after procedure. For instance, a study found that patients who surgically altered their physical appearance, claimed to achieve their goal, felt healthier, less anxious and developed more self-esteem compared to those who chose not to have plastic surgery (Royal University of Bhutan, 2013). Moreover, researchers found out that plastic surgery plays a major role in decreasing depression in patients with appearance issues. Research carried out by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (2006), demonstrated a high correlation between plastic surgery procedures and mitigating depression in patients. The research showed 31 percent of the patients electing for the procedure who was currently on anti-depressants, had stopped taking anti-depressant medication for six months, after the surgery (American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2006). This shows that plastic surgery does play an important role in enhancing ones self-esteem and decreasing the level of depression but overdone plastic surgeries are causing major problems in our society. Peoples obsession with plastic surgery, is one of the reasons why plastic surgery needs to be reduced. Most of the people have something they don’t like about their appearance, but if it is not serious and does not affect our daily live, it is not necessary to undergo surgeries. Whereas in Korea, people have become more open about ‘reconstructing’ their face and procedures like eye-and-nose jobs have become what they call â€Å"basics† Furthermore, people’s obsession with plastic surgery is moving on from the ‘basics’ to radical surgical operations that require long painful recovery period which is potentially dangerous surgery (Standen, 2013). These people who are not satisfied with their current appearance and go through numerous procedures are suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD refers to people who continually find flaws in areas where there are no flaws and need to proceed several times of surgeries (ADAA, n.d.). They perceive themselves as being ugly while others could see him or her as physically attractive and are hardly satisfied with their appearance. Many people in Korea are currently experiencing this disorder but they are not conscious about it and this can lead to severe side effect. For example, a former Korean model Hang Mioku, addicted to plastic surgery, injected cooking oil into her face because plastic surgeons refused to perform any more plastic surgeries on her (Nair, 2013). Her face is badly disfigured but she is still desperate for softer, smoother skin. This Korean model is actually suffering from BDD but she is not conscious of the fact that she has a mental disorder. Another reason why there needs to be a limitation to plastic surgery is because careless operations cause serious side effects. According to the Korean Consumer Agency (as cited by Lim, 2014), rate of medical dispute on cosmetic surgery was the highest of all medical disputes in the year 2013 and it increased 28.5 percent more in the year 2014. Due to the enormous expansion of aesthetic surgery industry, plastic surgeons are not enough to cover all the patients and as a result, many unqualified plastic surgeons or doctors from other medical fields known as the ‘shadow doctors’ are doing procedures for. Shadow doctors, substitute plastic surgeons, are reported to be the main cause of the huge increase in medical incidents that were reported in recent years (Yoo, 2015). 70 percent of plastic surgery malpractice suits that were reported are from asymmetric problems followed by prosthesis failure, inflammation and post-scars (Lee, 2015). These side effects lead to health and mental diseases or even death. For instance, Kim Bok Soon, a patient who wanted to have her nose done to gain more self- confidence, was convinced by an unqualified doctor to have fifteen operations done to look like a celebrity but the result came out as a disaster. After the procedure, she cannot close her eyes or stop her nose from running and is currently suffering from chronic depression (Carney, 2014). Not only this, but a Chinese woman was found brain dead while undergoing combined eye and nose procedure in a clinic located in southern Seoul (Choi, Park, 2014). She suddenly stopped breathing and lost consciousness while surgery and was sent to a nearby hospital but was diagnosed with brain death and currently remaining comatose. Lastly, standardization in appearance is also a reason why the aesthetic operation has to be reduced. A series of photos of 2013 Miss Korea preliminary contestants revealed by an anonymous blogger shocked not only Koreans but the whole world and news organizations worldwide. International news presses all at once, criticized on how plastic surgery has turned the 2013 preliminary pageant contestants into almost identical looking people (Lewis, 2013; Odell, 2013; Zimmerman, 2013). Not only contestants but similarly looking women can be easily seen in many places in Korea but especially in Gangnam a district popular for plastic surgery. Christina Lim, who is trying to emulate doll-like features of the K-pop celebrities, said â€Å"Plastic surgery is a normal thing. My friends, they would actually just go on vacation and then they would come back with a new face. In Korea, you go down the street, you see this girl and you walk down the street, you see that girl again. The two girls are actually different person† (Chang Thompson, 2014). As Lim stated, many Korean women desire to undergo operations to achieve big eyes, round forehead, tall nose and v-line shaped jaw lines which is the latest beauty standard in Korea. The problem occurs from people who do not fit the beauty standard. People who are considered as not pretty because they do not fit into the beauty standard have a hard time with getting along with others and fit in to the society. In conclusion, the paper argued about limitation of plastic surgery in Korea. We have looked at how cosmetic operations enhance self-esteem and decrease depression but on the other hand, cause serious problems like aesthetic surgery addiction, standardization in appearance and severe side effects that may lead to death and serious social problems. Cosmetic surgery was a surgery to remove the physical appearances that cause other health disease or mental disease but because it is carelessly done and overly used in Korea, it is causing more problems than benefit to the society. To prevent this, cosmetic operations have to be limited to patients who really need the procedure and not to unnecessary people. Doctors performing procedures should also be carefully examined before they can do any cosmetic operations to patients to avoid any malpractice caused by unqualified doctors. 1

Common Issues in Romanticism Essay example -- Romanticism Essays

The key figures in Romanticism addressed many of the same issues. Such connectivity is marked in William Blake’s poems â€Å"Infant Sorrow† and â€Å"On Another’s Sorrow†, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Shelley, like Blake, argues for continual development of innocence to experience, and through the character of Victor Frankenstein’s creation, Mary Shelley suggests the equilibrium of innocence and experience offers insight into the human condition. The shift is distinguished by what Blake states in plate 3, stanza 2 of â€Å"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell†: â€Å"Without contraries is no progression† (112). Any event, idea, or emotion that is contrary to the innocent human conscience is a progression to experience. In Frankenstein, the balance and shift of innocence and experience is evidenced by the creature’s observance of the De Lacey’s, the misfortune that befalls him in his wandering, and finally, the progr ession of experience reaches maturation through murder. A careful analysis of the creature’s initial human interaction shows a steady shift from innocence as the creature experiences the world around him. Frankenstein’s creation is simple and child-like in conscience yet aged and abhorred in appearance. Although a paradox, the creature is akin to an adult child: innocent and naà ¯ve, but forced to experience the world. Blake recognizes this concept in his poem â€Å"Infant Sorrow† in which he states, â€Å"Into the dangerous world I leapt: / Helpless, naked, piping loud, / Like a fiend hid in a cloud† (ll. 2-4). One rarely thinks of a newborn baby as a â€Å"fiend†. It seems more believable to observe the grotesque form of the creature as a fiend. However, both the infant and Frankenstein’s creation entered the world with veiled and â€Å"clouded† eyes, unable ... ... for his actions, likewise, humans continue to, at the least, coexist with their fellow man, abiding by laws and regulations. It is hopeful then that in the world today, the balance of innocence and experience is not entirely overturned. Works Cited Blake, William. â€Å"The Marriage of Heaven and Hell†. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period. Eighth Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. (111-120). Blake, William. â€Å"Infant Sorrow†. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period. Eighth Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. (95). Blake, William. â€Å"On Another’s Sorrow†. Classical Poetry: Songs of Innocence. Passions in Poetry Foundation: 11 Nov. 2008. . Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Second Edition. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000.

Italy Tax System

Faculty of Business and Management, Brno University of Technology INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN BUSINNES LAW Tax system in Italy 2009/2010 Taxation in Italy The taxation system in Italy is administered by the Agenzia delle Entrate (Revenue Agency) which is the national legal authority for taxation. Taxation of an individual's income in Italy is progressive. In other words, the higher the income, the higher the rate of tax payable. There are reduced rates of tax and tax exemptions available to certain income earners. The liability for Italian income tax depends on where a person is domiciled. A domicile is usually the country we regard as the permanent home and where we live most of the year. A foreigner working in Italy for an Italian company who became resident in Italy and has no income tax liability abroad is considered to have a tax domicile in Italy. A person can be resident in more than one country at any time, but can be domiciled only in one country. The country of domicile is important regarding inheritance tax, as there’s no longer any inheritance tax in Italy. Generally, person is considered to be an Italian resident and liable to Italian tax if any of the following applies: †¢The person has permanent home in Italy; †¢He/She stays at least 183 days in Italy during any calendar year †¢Person carries out paid professional activities or employment in Italy, except when secondary to business activities conducted in another country; †¢The centre of person’s economic interest in in Italy If the person is registered as a resident in a comune, he/ she is liable to pay income tax in Italy. If a person moves to Italy to take up a job or start a business, he/she must register with the local tax authorities soon after the arrival. This is done at a local tax office. An individual is also liable for tax on his income as an employee and on income as a self-employed person. Tax will be payable on income earned in Italy and overseas by an individual who meets the test of a â€Å"permanent resident† of Italy. A foreign resident who is employed in Italy pays tax only on income earned in Italy. It is important to point out as regards taxable income from outside Italy, that a â€Å"tax credit† is granted for tax deducted outside Italy. In the case of income from a salary, the employer is obligated to deduct the amount of tax payable on a monthly basis. A self-employed person must prepay income tax that will be offset on filing an annual return. The advance payment is determined on the basis of the return made for the previous year. In the event of a new business, the advance will be calculated on the basis of estimates made by the owner of the business. The taxation system in Italy is divided into two categories: Direct taxes * IRPEF or IRE: Imposta sui Redditti delle Persone Fisiche ( Personal Income Tax) * IRPEG or IRES: Imposta sur Redditi delle Persone Giuridiche (Corportation Tax on the Income of limited liability and joint-stock companies – SRL or SpA) * IRAP: Imposte Regionale sulle Attivita Produttive (Regional Tax which applies to the value of goods and services) Italy Personal Income Tax rates in year 2009 * 23%0 – 15,000(EUR) * 27%15,001-28,000(EUR) * 38%28,001-55,000(EUR) * 41%55,001-75,000(EUR) 43%75,001 and over (EUR) Capital Gains Tax in Italy For individuals capital gains are generally added to the regular income. †¢The rate of tax payable on capital gains from shareholding is 12. 5% for non-qualifying shareholding of up to 25% in a company. †¢For the purpose of calculating a capital gain, the gain is decreased in line with the rate of increase in inflation, from the date of purchase to the da te of sale. In regard to capital gains in a corporation, identical relief is allowed at the rate of increase in the Index. †¢Companies pay 27. 5% tax on capital gains. In sale of participation, 95% is tax exempt, subject to certain conditions. Italy Reporting Dates and Payment The tax year in Italy ends on December 31st. Advance payments of tax are made on the following basis. †¢ An Individual – An individual whose only income is from a salary is not obligated to file an annual tax return. His employer deducts tax from the employee and transfers the payment immediately to the tax authorities on a monthly basis. †¢ A Self-Employed Individual is obliged to pay 100% of the tax forecast for a year, or an amount that is the equivalent of 98% of the tax paid in the previous year. The pre-payment is made in two installments. 40% of the total is paid by June 20th and the remaining 60% is paid on November 30. The date for filing an annual return for an individual is July 31. Fines are imposed for arrears in filing an annual return at the rate of 120% – 240% of the tax, depending on the length of time that the return is in arrears. †¢ A Limited Company – A limited company is obligated to submit Financial Statements within 30 days of the date of approval of the Statements. Up until the date of approval of the Statements, the Company is obligated to pay the amount of tax due for the previous year as well as 40% of the advance on account of the tax forecast for the current year. Italy Deduction of Tax at Source Italy Taxation of Employees As regards employed persons, the employer is obligated to deduct tax at source from an employee and to make additional contributions to social security. Italy Social Security †¢An employed person – th e employer's contribution is around 30% of the salary and the employee's contribution is around 10% of the salary. A self-employed person – the rate of payment is between 17%-25. 7% with an upper limit that changes from year to year. Indirect taxes * IVA (VAT) * Imposta di Registro (Registration Tax) * Imposte Ipotecarie e Catastali (Mortgage and Land Registration) * Imposta di Bollo (Revenue Stamps) * Accise o Imposte di Fabbricazione e consumo (Inland Duties) IVA (VAT) * Standard Rate 20% (since Oct 1997) Reduced Rate 10% Italy VAT Recovery Time: 18 months Italy VAT Registration Threshold Non-Resident: Nil Inheritance Tax ; Gift Tax There is no longer any tax on inherited property, regardless of its value and the relationship between the deceased and the heirs. On immovable property and real property rights, the catastral tax (imposta catastale) and land registry tax (imposta ipotecaria) must be paid at the rates of one percent and two percent, respectively, of the cadastral value of the property or the real property rights included in the inheritance. If one of the beneficiaries satisfies the conditions for the main or only residence (prima casa), the cadastral and land registry taxes due on an inheritance or a gift are a fixed amount of â‚ ¬168 each. In relation to gifts, the rules vary depending on the degree of kinship and the value of the gift. There are no taxes payable on gifts in favour of a spouse, descendants or other relatives up to the fourth degree. Gifts in favour of persons other than those mentioned above are subject to taxes on the transfer if the value of the share due to each beneficiary is greater. Other Taxes There are other taxes payable to central, regional, provincial or local governments. These are usually paid once a year. Bollo Auto (Car Tax), which includes the tax on your car radio and the stamp duty on your Italian driving licence * Bollo Moto (Motorbike Tax) * Bollo Motorino (Scooter Tax) * Canone RAI (TV Tax) * Tassa Rifiuti (Garbage Tax) * Imposta Comunale Sugli Immobili – ICI (Municipal Property Tax) Deductible Burdens and Tax Allowances Tax allowances include the so-called â€Å"no-tax area†, (a deduction of between â‚ ¬3,000 and â‚ ¬7,500 to avoid taxing those on low incomes), as well as allowances for dependant family members (dependant wife and/or children). Some deductible burdens (oneri deducibili) are expenses which can be used to reduce the total income. For example: some types of medical expenses, national insurance contributions, donations to religious institutions, donations to universities, research bodies and associations for the protection of assets of artistic interest, the cadastral income (income deriving from the value of any land owned) of the main residence are considered to be deductible burdens. Some deductible burdens are expenses which can be used to reduce the amount of the gross tax due. Again by way of example: medical expenses, passive interest on mortgages, education expenses, donations to Bodies or Foundations for research, for performing arts, for social purposes, donations to political parties. Each type of expense has its own rules for the deductions. For example: from rental property income a fixed amount of 15 percent of the income is deducted for expenses, while from business and self-employed income the expenses sustained for the carrying out of the activity are deducted. Some unearned incomes are taxed only on 40 percent of the amount. The majority of these burdens are not deductible from the income of non-residents. Other deductions in Italy Deductions must be made from the following payments to nonresidents according to this table: * Dividend27 (1. 375% to EU and EEA residents) * Royalties22. 5% * Interest12. 5 / 27% * Director's Remuneration20% Deduction at source in the case of a dividend, royalties and interest paid to foreign residents is subject to the Double Taxation Prevention Treaty. Double Taxation Treaties Double taxation treaties contain rules that determine in which country an individual is resident. Italian residents are taxed on their world-wide income, subject to certain treaty exceptions. Non-residents are normally taxed only on income arising in Italy. Citizens of most other countries are exempt from paying taxes in their home country when they spend a minimum period abroad, e. g. a year. Double taxation treaties are designed to ensure that income that has already been taxed in one treaty country isn’t taxed again in another treaty country. The treaty establishes a tax credit or exemption on certain kinds of income, either in the country of residence or the country where the income was earned. Where applicable, a double taxation treaty prevails over domestic law. Italy has double taxation treaties with over 60 countries, including all members of the EU, Australia, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland India, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, RSA, Russia, Singapore, the Slovak Republic, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Turkey, and the US. Bibliography: SOCR. CZ. Pravidla pro volny pohyb sluzeb a svobodu usazovani v  EU- Italie. [online]. [cit. 2010-04-12]. URL:http://www. ocr. cz/images/prirucka/pdf/it. pdf, cit. 1 BUSINESSINFO:CZ. Italie: Financni a danovy sektor [online]. [cit. 2010 012]. URL:http://www. businessinfo. cz/cz/sti/italie-financni-a-danovy-sektor/5/1000683/ ANGLOINFO. COM. Personal Taxes – Income Tax, Capital Gains & Inheritance Tax – in Italy. [online]. [cit. 2010 012]. URL: http://rome. angloinfo. com/countries/italy/tax. asp CANAD INTERNATIONAL. GC:CA. Income and Other Taxes in Italy. [online]. [cit. 2010 012]. http://www. canadainternational. gc. ca/italy-italie/consular_services_consulaires/tax_italy-italie_taxes. aspx? lang=eng

Health Provider and Faith Diversity

Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity Delia Stoica Grand Canyon University: HLT-310V February 4, 2012 Abstract The following paper describes three different religions: Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. It will detail the spiritual perspective on healing that all three of the faiths have. A description of what is important to their healing and what is important for the healthcare provider to know in caring for people of these faiths. Also there will be a summary of how these faiths differ from Christianity. Introduction The United States is known as a â€Å"melting pot†.This is due to all the different nationalities and faiths that are seen in our country. As healthcare providers we are faced with trying to understand all the different cultures we encounter on a daily basis in a hospital setting. There are many different faiths, some are well known such as Christianity and some are not quite so known such as Hinduism. Different faiths have different rules and regulations that they follow. Knowing all the intricate ins and outs of every religion is going to be impossible, but that should not stop someone from trying to learn all they can regarding the patients they are caring for.Everyone has probably heard of Judaism, Islam and Hinduism, but that does not mean that a nurse or physician would know all the things that would be different in regards to caring for patients of these different faiths. Hinduism Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. There are six major philosophies in the Hindu religion. One of the major one is Vedanta. Vedanta teaches that â€Å" that man's real nature is divine, and that the aim of human life is to realize divinity through selfless work, devotion to God, control of the inner forces, and discrimination between the real and the unreal.It recognizes that Truth is one and accepts all religions, properly understood, as valid means of realizing the truth (Guidelines, 2002)†. Hindus believe that the body is just a vehicle for the soul, and that when the body dies the soul transfers to another body until it can finally get to be united with God. They recognize that death is a natural part of life and the true self does not die when the body dies. There are a lot of things that the religion accepts which are part of the Western medical practices.Seeking medical attention is something that Hindus will do, but they believe that Western medicines tends to overmedicate their patients, especially with antibiotics which could make them hesitant to start an aggressive treatment plan. Some people of this religion may practice Ayurvedo or homeopathy to cure some problems. This religion allows for blood transfusions and organ transplantation/donations. There is no rule against performing an autopsy if needed. Because this religion practices modesty, women may prefer to be examined by a physician of the same sex.Hindus are very social and family oriented. It is impo rtant that the family be involved in the treatment and care of the patient. Women of the Hindu religion wear a red dot on their forehead to symbolize that they are married, some also wear necklaces, bracelets or toe-rings, which are not to be taken off, this is something that needs to be considered if there is a need for a procedure such as an MRI that requires all metals to be removed. Men of this faith wear a â€Å"sacred thread† which is never supposed to be removed.Many Hindus are strict vegetarians and will not eat beef or beef products, if at all possible they should be allowed to bring food from home unless there is a dietary restriction. In situations where there is an end-of-life issue, family needs to be very involved. Hindus do not believe in artificially prolonging life and may prefer to die at home. Because Hindus practice cremation and it needs to be done within 24 hours of death it is critical that all the paperwork is in order quickly. Judaism Judaism is one o f the oldest religions still around today.There are Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish followers. Orthodox Jews strictly follow all traditional laws of the religion. The faith holds medical practitioners in high regards and even may break some rules if medical experts believe that it may be life saving. Most Jewish people observe the Sabbath, which is from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, in which they are not allowed to work. In this regard a Jewish patient would not be able to write, use the button for a PCA pump, drive or even turn on a light switch. As healthcare ractitioners we need to keep that in mind when caring for patients during this time. The food they eat is â€Å"kosher† foods, which means that there are special ways of preparing beef. Pork, fish and gelatin are not allowed and neither is beef and milk together. Care needs to be taken with preparation of these foods for these patients, as healthcare providers we need to keep in mind that this is not just an issue of them being picky but an extremely important part of their religion. Men in this religion may wear yarmulkes â€Å"skull caps† during prayer and some may wear it all the time (Handbook, 2000).We need to make allowances for up to 10 people in the room during prayer. When dealing with end-of-life issues there are deep debates regarding withholding or withdrawing of life-saving therapy and families may want to consult a rabbi before making any decisions. The Jewish faith requires that burials happen quickly after death and autopsies at not permitted unless required by law. There is a requirement that a family member or representative of the family remain with the body at all times after death until burial, and also that amputated limbs be available for burial.Islam The Islamic religion is slowly becoming one of the largest religions out there. People who follow the Islamic religion are known as Muslims. Islam believes are â€Å" that all events, including health even ts, are the will of God, Muslim patients may be more likely to display acceptance of difficult circumstances and be compliant with the instructions of health care providers (Healthcare Providers, 2010)†. It is believed that the preservation of life overrides all guidelines, rules and restrictions.This faith requires extreme modesty and for men all body parts between the naval and knees need to be covered, for woman all but the face, hands and feet should be covered at all times when in the presence of anyone outside their family. Muslims are required to pray five times a day on a prayer mat facing Mecca. Patients that are ill can be excused from prayer if it is medically deemed that it is detrimental to their health. Patients are required by their faith to perform ablution with water before prayers and after urination and defecation. Islamic rule is that you use your left hand for dirty and right hand for clean duties.Muslims will prefer to use their right hand to eat and as a healthcare provider if you are feeding a Muslim patient it is preferred that you also use your right hand. Islam has a very strict rule regarding consumption of certain foods. Foods that are not permitted include pork, or pork derivatives and alcohol or alcohol containing foods. This could be a problem when giving certain medication that contains pork or alcohol. Providers should be aware of the medication given to a patient that is Muslim in order for them to follow the halal diet.Islam sees death as a natural part of life. They do not require treatment to be provided if it will only prolong a terminal illness. During end-of-life care, families may want to pray with the patient at bedside. This religion forbids autopsies, unless required by law. In the Islamic faith, burial needs to happen as soon as possible after death. The body should be washed by a family member or representative of the family and not by hospital staff, the body also needs to be covered by a sheet and face Mec ca if at all possible. Comparing and ContrastingThe previous religions discussed all have certain rules that need to be followed when it comes to dealing with healthcare. Christianity in general does not put any restrictions on healthcare providers. Certain Christian faiths such as Jehovah’s Witnesses do not allow blood transfusions because they feel it is not part of their body. The three religions discussed feel that anything that can be done to safe the person should be done and that life is important. Interestingly enough Hinduism, Judaism and Islamic faiths all have restrictions on food that they deem unclean.The only Christian faiths that have restrictions on food are Catholics and Orthodox Christians, which do not eat meat during Passover. There are many differences between Christianity and other faiths and not too many similarities when it comes to healthcare. Conclusion In doing the research for this paper, there have been a lot of good points brought up in regards t o taking care of patients that are of a different faith than myself. It is extremely important to me as a person and as a nurse to know who my patients are and what their beliefs and faiths are.In order to be able to take care of a patient, physically and emotionally we need to know the restrictions that we may face in our everyday dealings with them. Working in a hospital that sees an enormous amount of people from all over the world it is important to keep religion and culture in mind when providing care. Being able to do research and finding all the rules and requirements is a great educational tool to use and will make your patients more apt to trust you if they see that you understand where they are coming from. References Bennion, R. (2000). Handbook on cultural, spiritual and religious beliefs.South Devon Healthcare. Retrieved February 3, 2012 from www. e-radiography. net/nickspdf/Handbook%20on%20beliefs. pdf Guidelines for health care providers interacting with patients of t he Hindu religion and their families. (2002). Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council. Retrieved February 3, 2012 from info. kyha. com/documents/CG-Hindu. pdf Healthcare providers handbook on Muslim patients. (2010). Queensland Health and Islamic Council of Queensland. Retrieved February 3, 2012 from http://www. health. qld. gov. au/multicultural/health_workers/hbook-muslim.