Growth of Islamic Banking in the UK

Growth of Islamic Banking in the UK Islam is one of the worlds three major monotheistic religions; the other two religions are Judaism and Christianity. All three religions are the same historical origins and have many familiar beliefs. The main principle of Islamic banking and finance are depend on Islamic laws known as Shariah which mean (interest) (Riba) free. Interest is strictly prohibited in Islam which means Muslim cannot receive or paid interest in any transaction in which money is exchange for money. The interest that you give in order to increase the wealth of the people does not increase in the sight of Allah and the Zakat that your pay in order to win Allahs approval, its payers do indeed increases their wealth. This is very powerful and superb statement of Holy Quran which shows that interest is .prohibited by Allah because interest only increases wealth of individual not the society. Islamic banking is a financial system which is base on Islamic Shariah law and it is interest free financial system. The concept of Islamic banking is interest free banking because interest (Riba) is totally prohibited in Islam. The main belief of Islamic banking and finance is to discover the range of Islamic financial tools for investor and businesses that how they all collaborate without interest and what is the strategy behind all that and how the banks and financial institution encourage non- Muslims clients and offer them to use Islamic banking and finance system instead of conventional banking system. The adverse impacts of interest on the world economy in general and economies of developing countries in particularly entail that it could be the biggest threat for the developing economies and also believed by many renowned economists. it is estimated that US$ 200 billion funds managed by Islamic banking. The client of Islamic banking is not only in Muslim countries but also spreading in over Europe, northern Africa and United States of America. Islamic banking is growing day by day in different part of the world, thats why Islamic bankers, keeping speed with the stylish techniques and latest development have developed investment instruments that are both profitable and fairly motivated. Approximately 250 different Islamic and Financial institutions are operating worldwide. The growth of Islamic banking is a big threat to a conventional banking system not only in UK but also all over the world. Islamic banking system has six main features according to its product analysis. Interest free product It is Trade-related and there is a perceived genuine need for the funds. It is in purest form, it is equity related Meant to avoid exploitation no interest Invests ethically There are retail, and wholesale applications. In practice there appears to be more emphasis on the prohibition and restructuring of interest than on the potentially exploitative aspect of financing. Islamic banks operate on the basis of profit and not on paying and receiving interest. The banks can earn profit from these ways like trading leasing and by direct financing in Profit and Loss sharing contracts. The structure and conditions of these transactions must confirm to Shariah and fulfil its objectives. This means that banks advance money for productive activities on the basis of profit sharing principles. LITERATURE REVIEW With the beginning of 21st century there is a radical change and the number of Islamic banks increased and their geographical spread grew exceptionally and 76 countries covering all continents. There are number of publications in Arabic and Urdu, one of the famous books of (Qureshi 1946) regarding Islam and Theory of interest in which he seem that the public health and education is responsibility of government as a social services. Islam is concerned with the problem of economic development, but treats this as an important part of a wider problem, that of total human development. The primary function of Islam is to guide human development on correct lines and in the right direction. It deals with all aspects economic development but always in the framework of total human development and never in a form divorced from this perspective (Al-Harran 1993) Gerrard and Cunninghams (1997) study establishes that, in Singapore, where Muslims are in minority. The concept of Islamic banking system was not present amongst them in Muslim and non-Muslim. There are two different herd having two entirely different thoughts regarding movement of Islamic banking. For example when asked them, if Islamic bank could not make enough profit to share out among them in a period of one year so what they will do. Fifty two per cent of Muslims said they will prefer to continue their deposit with the movement of Islamic banking, and fifty six per cent non-Muslims said they will prefer to take out their money from Islamic banking. Since 1960s too much literature has been written on the topic of selection process of the banking system. Holstius and Kaynak (1995), Kaynak (1986),Laroche et al (1986) and the working paper of Chan (1989)Eroland El-Bdour (1989) evaluate the bank selection process in relation to conventional and Islamic banks. There were three very i mportant principle in the banking process of selection for Muslims were: first the provision of a fast and efficient service second the speed of transaction and third friendliness of bank personnel and as regard the non-Muslims, the three most important bank selection principle were: first, friendliness of bank personnel, second the provision of a fast and efficient service and third, the reputation and image of the bank. An Islamic bank is a mediator and trust of other peoples money like all others conventional banks the only one important thing which distinguish the Islamic banking to conventional banking which is induce all customers share in the form of profit and loss. This difference introduces an element of mutuality in Islamic banking, making its depositors as customers with some ownership rights inherent within it. However in practice, Islamic banks hardly look different from its conventional counterpart in terms of organizational set-up (Dar and Presley, 2000). Tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and other undesirable business sectors are excluded from Islamic investment. Ahmad, Chapter 7 Economics of Islam (Ahmad 1952), he give the picture of Islamic bank on foundation of a joint stock company with limited liability. According to his plan a current account of depositors where no pre-agreed interest and dividend would be paid. He gave the concept of Current account where depositors could participate with their capital as a partner with bank and get higher dividend as compare to account holder profit. Siddiqi(1968) gave a pioneer model which provide brief outline of Islamic banking. His model depends on Mudarabah and Shirka (partnership or Musharakah as it is now usually called). He divided the operation of Islamic banking into three different groups. Islamic bank will charge fees to provide any services for example commission or fixed charges. Foundation of financing in Islamic bank would be Mudarabah and partnership and services will be provided without any charges. According to his theory Islamic banking system is a feasible substitute of conventional banking system. Mohsin (1982) offered a new brief model of Islamic banking system in contemporary setting. His banking structure integrates the features of commercial, merchant, and development banks, mingle them in novel fashion. He include many non-banking services for example trust business, factoring, real estate and consultancy, as opinion that Islamic baking would be not stay alive with banking business alone. The arrival of Islamic Banking and Islamic Finance In accordance with the philosophy, culture and merit of Islam, the Islamic banking is describe as banking which is manage besides the conventional governance and risk management rules by the principle set down by Islamic Shariah. Interest free banking system is very fine perception that stands for with many banking instruments and operations, which keep away from interest. The ideology of the Islamic banking system is not only evading interest based transactions system which is proscribed in Islamic Shariah but also stay away from corrupt activities that contribute to accomplish the goals and objectives of an Islamic economy. First Islamic bank was established in 1963 in Egypt. The activities of this bank were interest free but it was secret project that made no references to Islam as the establishment in power at that time was aggressive to any form of Islamization. The real emerging started in 1970s as result of oil industry boom in the Gulf States, which flashed the appearing of liquidity and the revival of religious wakefulness in the Muslim world. In 1975 Dubai Islamic Bank was established, was a private initiative and it was established by Arab businessman. In the beginning governments did not greet this effort because Islamic finance disagreed with their investments in World Bank to get higher interest rate. In 1980ss the first Islamic banks united to form the Islamic Development Bank seen as the World bank of the Muslim world, that covering 56 Muslim world and contributes contribute Muslim economic thought. But the 9/11 brought too much changes on world economy which changed the views of Arabs whi ch and the rich Arabs withdrawing their investment from US $ accounts to be scared of having their accounts become frozen. All these scenarios created a great need of substitute of investment either in Middle East or in Europe, at the same time system was carrying out in the Middle East and its development was enhanced in Europe to fulfil the requirements of Muslim investors. In 1977-78 Pakistan started Islamic banking and financial system. Pakistan was one of the major Countries among those countries in the world that had been trying to apply completely interest free banking system. In June 1980 the modification was implemented in the legal framework of Pakistans financial and corporate system to authorize the issue of a new interest-free tools and modification were also created in the Banking Companies ordinance, 1962. The prohibition against usury (interest) was in the Quran take place on a number of times and pointed out interest and the proposal to ignore coddle in this action in Christianity and Judaism to involves its survival and the troubles that it carried for the society. The feudal lord who by virtue charging higher interest rate according to the historian and had power over those were anxious need to finance their survival. In the Old Testament (King James Version) Exodus, CHAPTER 22 M VERSES 25: If you lend money to any of my people that is poor by theem thou shalt not be to him as anusure, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. Lecitcus Chapter 25, verses 34-36: And if the brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay by thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea though he be a stranger, or a sojourner, that he may live with thee. Take thou no usuryof him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. In spite of the counsel beside this apply against the system offered. The contemporary financial technique be taught a tutorial from this spiritually guidance and fully struggled to implement a structure that was inadequate the level of usurious abuse. To build the market of debt based upon competition which encourage unfair nature of usury which was supposed to be decided by the forces of market vie each other. If we bring light to current scenario of global arena, we can easily realize that it is a development of the ancient feudal system and different countries facing the same dilemma as individual did prior as the conventional Jewish lending system of the shylocks to the Indian feudal system. Actually Debt to GDP ratio is the vigorous gauge for the countries who burden debt. Islamic financial and banking system depend on the Islamic economy system and the success ratio of this system could be determine in such a way that conventional banks start their Islamic windows not only in Muslims countries but also in the non-Muslim countries where Muslims are not dominated. Some famous Western banks have Islamic subsidiaries as, Citibank, American Express, HSBC, ABN Amro, Bank of America, Standard Chartered, Commerz bank, Barclays, Dutch Bank, ANZ Grindlays, Royal Bank of Canada and many others banks in the world and this list of bank is raising day by day. On the other hand some countries such as Pakistan, Sudan and Iran adopted 100% Islamic banking and they are successful in banking system. It is fairly true that Islamic banking system is depend upon risk –sharing. The Islamic banks are involved in the practice of trading, leasing and various other modes of financing according to Shariah compliant. If the Islamic banks are stable to get Halal income, depositors as well get stable and Halal income definitely. Interest (riba) is proscribed in Islam either getting or giving interest, despite of what reason the loans are composed and what the rates on which interest will be charged. This is the main opinion among Muslim scholars and all are agree on it that interest and riba is same thing. Amanah is placed to recognize the formation and deal out the financial services that are linked with the necessities of the Shariah (Islamic Law). Islamic banking has the same principle as conventional banking except that it operates in accordance with the Shariah principles. The basic ideology of Islamic banking is the sharing of profit and loss and the proscription of Riba (Interest). Islamic banking has grown in the Muslim world and offer Islamic products and services to make sure that the procedure and practices of the bank abide by the sharpie principles. HSBC logged the Amana banking because to make it possible for the Muslims to bank in accordance to their values and beliefs and they do not want to lose their Muslim customers in Islamic countries as a result of the emergence of Islamic banking. Its headquarter is in the UAE and have regional representatives in the UK, US, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei have resources of HSBC group and HSBC Amanah distribute the financial resources that are according to the requirements of the Shariah (Islamic Law). The western media suggest that Islamic banking in its present form is a recent phenomenon; in fact the basic practices and principles date back to the early part of the seventh century. (Islamic finance A Euromoney publication 1997). According to Khalaf (2007) Due to the different believes in Muslims community Islamic banking facing deficient in affirmation of decisions. Shortage of scholars is a big and serious issue in Islamic banking system because managers are not qualified and trained to practices the Islamic finance (Iqbal, Ahmad and khan,1998). Islamic banking has not a big network in UK and Islamic bank of Britain has only eight branches in whole UK which is not enough to fulfil the requirement of Muslim customers. The opening of Islamic window in conventional bank is a big threat. Islamic banking needs to improve their services and keep priority of Islamic Sharia. Islamic banking has great opportunity to grow in UK. Because number of Muslims from different countries of world live in UK. Islamic banking is facing difficulties and challenges to growing in UK due to lack of understanding about Islamic banking in the customers and shortage of Islamic Scholars in UK. RESEARCH METHDOLOGY The Research Process Remenyi, Williams, Money and Swartz (2002:64-65), explains the research process as consisting of eight specific phases, namely: Reviewing the literature. Formalising a research question. Establishing the methodology. Collecting evidence. Analysing the evidence. Developing conclusions. Understanding the limitations of the research. Producing management guidelines or recommendations According to Hussey, J Hussey, R (1997:15), there are six fundamental stages in the research process, namely: The identification of the research topic. Definition of the research problem. Determine how the research is going to be conducted. Collection of the research data. Analysis and interpretation of the research data. Writing up the dissertation or thesis. There will be two analysis methods that are used in this research. Factor analysis will be used reduce group and independent variables whereas logistic regression will be used to analyze the correlation between the categorical dependent variable with the independent variables found in the factor analysis. Primary data will be located for the purpose of analysis which will be further discussed in the collection of data section Analysis of Data The topic of my dissertation is The Growth of Islamic banking in UK as conventional finance, a look in to past, present and our hopes for the future. It is surprising to realize that how far and fast Islamic finance has come and how well it has managed to meet the challenges it faced in two decades. Islamic banking has worked reasonably well even in short history, but it always does face challenges. All of these challenges are technical in nature. The rapid growth of emerging market in developing countries is a very hopeful sign that with strong commitment in the next decade due to existing institutional and technical hindrances that may have hampered efficient operation of Islamic banking will be removed. The dissertation is based on the following research questions. What are the component of Islamic banking and how it works? Why all the arguments about the rate of interest in Islam? What make Islamic bank differ from a conventional bank? How much better working of Islamic finance in the views of customers in UK? Why the growing rate of Islamic finance is high as compare to other European countries? Customers satisfaction regarding Islamic banking system in UK? How Islamic finance as a substitute to conventional banking system in UK? Different prospects and threaten for Islamic banking system in UK? Aims and Objectives: Key aims and objectives were established, for accomplishing the project. They are thoroughly explained down below. Aims of research project are: To understand the basic principle of Islamic banking system. To discuss the role of Shariah board and its importance in Islamic banking. To describe the different financial contracts, which Islamic banking offers Objectives of the project are: To compare the major differences between Islamic and conventional banking system. To explore the problems faces by Islamic banking. To find out why the growing rate of Islamic finance is high as compare to other European countries To give recommendations for the acceptance of credit card and some other problems. Actually this study in groping in nature, therefore a review of peoples and bank Managers and sub-managers was appropriate method for data collections. The data collected by this method from UK and from individuals would mean that the data bring together is given that only estimation of entire population. A questionnaire was designed for the population to analyze the perceptions towards Islamic banking. Moreover the implication of this kind of exclusive study on this topic, there were numerous constraint. Primary Data From the informal interviews and from the Questionnaire survey together the primary data from the few important people from the banking industry are gathered. For this purpose information collected from senior management from HSBC and Islamic bank of Britain through emails telephonic and face to face interview. Questionnaire survey has been arranged amongst Muslims and non-Muslims population of UK. Secondary Data The information gathered for this dissertation has been mainly obtained from the secondary data, which includes books, journals, research material and websites. Limitations This result may not be indicative for the target respondents due to small sample size and limited time period. Due to limited knowledge of respondent or unawareness about Islamic banking, their replies shown their own imagination or thoughts. The data gathered from the respondents and from the country like United Kingdom where people have a limited knowledge of Islamic banking as against to the conventional banking even the Muslim of the country have an inadequate knowledge of the Islamic banking. Therefore the result about the Islamic banking should be taken only as analytical and perspective rather than decisive. The research will familiarize the readers with the principle of Islamic Sharia and provide an insight into the rules and principles of Islamic banking as well. In spite of the fact that Islamic banks are operating successfully along with the conventional banks and playing a significant role in the economy of the United Kingdom. Delimitations: This study is limited to the findings and evidences based on my research mainly to the responses of the organisation involved in the project. I am choosing not to observe multiple teams, even though such comparisons might be valuable, in order to allow more depth of understanding regarding the group on which I will focus.   Additionally,  I will not use structured interviews in order to minimise my obtrusiveness. Ethical considerations: I shall immediately report to my supervisor or my college if any difficulties encounters in complying with the ethical standards. In the final research report i shall describe how i complied with the ethical standards in carrying out the Project. The identity of individuals from whom information is obtained in the course of the Project shall be kept strictly confidential. At the conclusion of the Project, any information that reveals the identity of individuals who were subjects of research shall be destroyed unless the individual concerned has consented in writing to its inclusion beforehand. Plagiarism According to the definition given in the 1997 New Websters Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, plagiarism is the unauthorized use of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as ones own (508). Pyper (2000) defines plagiarism as: .. simply theft. It is taking the words, ideas and labour of other people and giving the impression that they are your own.. To avoid plagiarism I will document the sources properly using Footnotes, Endnotes, or Parenthetical References, and i will write a Bibliography, References, or Works Cited page and place it at the end of the research paper to list the sources used. I will credit another persons idea, opinion or theory I will credit any facts, graphs, drawings, any pieces of information that are not common knowledge. I will credit whenever i use quotations of another persons actual spoken or written words or paraphrase of another persons spoken or written words. I will try to use my own words. I am not expecting to write as professionally as the authors of the books and journals which i am going to read so i will be confident enough to write my own ideas in my own words. I will Plan my assignments in good time, so i am not tempted to make shortcuts.

Siddhartha: Journey Towards Self Discovery

A Journey Towards Self-discovery By: Gabrielle Revelo Behind all the endeavors of Siddhartha are prompts that steer him to a different path. Thus, he experiences many different faces of the world throughout his journey of discovering the truth within himself. In attaining truth, it is essential for Siddhartha to discover the unity of the world. One cannot find the reality in ones being if the world itself is disintegrated; a vital parcel of self-discovery is unity of the world.It is in the unity of the physical world where Siddhartha discovers the key concept of finding truth in his own persona. Therefore, finding unity with the world can co-exist with profound personal satisfaction in life. Everything that happens to Siddhartha piles up to realizations, because through his experiences he gains adequate understanding, which eventually leads him to the ultimate knowledge, which satisfies all his worldly desires. In the end, Siddhartha’s encounter with Vasudeva really matters th e greatest in his quest of finding truth.It is the ferryman who served as the catalyst for his self-discovery. Finding the unity of the mortal world is a constituent in achieving self-discovery; Siddhartha only attains the truth within him through discovering the unity of the world. When Siddhartha exposes himself in a disunited world of materialism with Kamala and Kamaswami, which Siddhartha denotes as the game of Samsara, he ends up with a vital realization; â€Å"Then Siddhartha knew that the game was finished, that he could play it no longer. A shudder passed through his body; he felt as if something had died† (85).As Siddhartha recognizes the disunity of the world, he feels nauseated with himself, and shares a mutual perspective on how he perceives the world. Through Siddhartha’s perception of a disunited world, he is unable to find the unity in himself. But as Siddhartha escapes the world of spirituality, in being a Brahmin, or a Samana and when he flees his life of materialism with Kamala and Kamaswami, Siddhartha ventures in the first representation of the unity of nature, the river; this is when Siddhartha reaches to a the ultimate discovery; â€Å"From that hour ceased to fight against his destiny.There shone in his face the serenity of knowledge, of one who is no longer confronted with conflict of desires, who has found salvation, who is in harmony with the stream of events, with the stream of life, full of sympathy and compassion, surrendering himself to the stream belonging to the unity of all things. † (136). Through the unity of nature, Siddhartha hears the sound of perfection or the sound of contentment within him. It is when he witnesses transcendence of the world where he discovers his being.Govinda wanders in the riverbanks to hear for himself the words of a pious ferryman who has been the talk of the town. He then discovers that the ferryman is no other than his childhood friend Siddhartha; as their conversation conclud es Govinda notices in his friends appearance; â€Å"He no longer saw the face of his friend Siddhartha. Instead, he saw other faces, many faces, a long series, a continuous stream of faces– hundreds, thousands, which all came and disappeared and yet all seemed to be there at the same time, which all continually changed and renewed themselves and which were yet all Siddhartha† (150).Through Govinda’s divine impression of Siddhartha’s physique, it ascertains Siddhartha’s achievement of peace. He is the sole witness of Siddhartha’s self-discovery. Siddhartha’s life from being a clever Brahmin, a patient Samana, a lavish businessman, and as a ferryman are all essential towards his self-discovery for they have indicated directions to Siddartha and eventually those prompts leads him towards self-discovery.As Siddhartha departs his life with his parents, the Brahmins, he follows the way of the Ascetics; after so many years of living the life of an Ascetic, Siddhartha moves further to seek enlightenment from the Gotama, the Buddha; â€Å"This fruit, for which we are already indebted to Gotama, consists of the fact that he has enticed us away from the Samanas. Whether there are still other and better fruits, let us patiently wait and see† (23). As Siddhartha absorbs the knowledge that the Samanas once imparted to him, it directs him to a different path.Through his constant longing for discovering truth, Siddhartha acquires more understanding that was essential to decode the puzzle towards truth. By the time Siddhartha absorbs the teachings of his previous spiritual life as a Brahmin and a Samana, and as he parts ways with the promise of Buddha’s enlightenment he goes to the town and experiences the domain of materialism; it took many years for Siddhartha to crash upon another realization; â€Å"I have had to experience so much stupidity, so many vices, so much error, so much nausea, disillusionment and sor row, just in order to become a child again and begin anew.But it was right that it should be so; my eyes and heart acclaim it† (96-7). Through experiencing another perspective of life, Siddhartha finally grasps the notion that truth is not defined by materialism. It is another milestone in his life, which forces him to reevaluate his life. Finally as Siddhartha encounters nature, represented by the river he finally locates the final parcel of his realization; â€Å"Within Siddhartha there slowly grew and ripened the knowledge of what wisdom really was and the goal of his long seeking.It was nothing but a preparation of his soul, a capacity, a secret art of thinking, feeling and breathing thoughts of unity at every moment of life† (131). In the terminal phase of Siddhartha’s realization, wisdom is reflected on his journey. Various directions prompt Siddartha to take up different lifestyles. Siddhartha’s encounter with the ferryman, Vasudeva impacts him the most in his journey towards self-unity; it is the ferryman who introduces the vast knowledge of nature to Siddhartha, whom Siddhartha eventually perceives, and ultimately attains peace.After Siddhartha awakens from his long unconsciousness to reality, he approaches a ferryman whom he adores his capabilities; â€Å" I also thank you, Vasudeva, for listening so well. There are few people who know how to listen and I have not met anybody who can do so like you. I will also learn from you from this respect† (105). Siddhartha’s appreciation of the ferryman’s listening capacity, the very first time they decide to venture together, directly highlights the ferryman’s importance to Siddhartha’s search. The peace that Siddhartha observes from Vasudeva’s image becomes his goal.When Sidhartha recognizes the ultimate power of the nature, in the moment of self-discovery, he remembers an essential person; â€Å"This knowledge matured in him slowly, and it was reflected in Vasudeva’s old childlike face: harmony, knowledge of the eternal perfection of the world and unity† (131). Through Siddhartha’s comparison of perfection to Vasudeva, demonstrates Siddhartha’s recognition of his predecessor’s great contribution to his realization. Moreover, Siddhartha exhibits his owed learning to the ferryman through recollecting his image to his experience of peace.Siddhartha explains to Govinda the great realization that Vasudeva came about; â€Å"When this holy man went off into the woods, he new everything; he knew more than you and I, without teachers, without books, just because he believed in the river† (147). Siddhartha illustrates the greatness of Vasudeva through explaining to his friend the realization that the ferryman once imparted to him. Through Sidhartha’s demonstration of his shared understanding with Vasudeva to Govinda, ascertains the vitality of Vasudeva in his search for truth.

Anatole Broyard

Despite the fact that Anatole Broyard never did write that novel he was paid for, his life is that of a man of literature, and not only because he was a critic. Lucky are those who know for a fact that one's position in life is static and unchangeable, that they have a place in the scheme of life. As Broyard's life shows, those who deal every day with the construction of reality know very well the nature of this: it is an illusion. A mere construct, which depends mostly upon our own actions and words.But Broyard recognizes the awesome power of these constructs, and the fact that by the choice of construct is equivalent to the choice of destiny. Broyard's story is precisely the story of such a choice. His father first gave him the idea that social identity is only a matter of words, and the son picked up on this and made his own life into a work of fiction. It had been a long and tedious job, more so than writing any novel – but he succeeded with great effect.It seems to me tha t this happened in a large part because Broyard understood that if he did not want to live this lie, he would have to live a socially reinforced lie. He didn't want to be Black (and possibly Proud of It), but rather he just wanted to live. It is a very understandable desire: to be judged by the measure of one's skills and not by the topics one raises. The only other way to avoid this would be to find a different job, where one is judged not so much by the words one speaks but by one's actions – and yet this was not an option, as Broyard loved writing.In the case of a public person, of one who speaks for a living, to construct a different social identity was the only way out for someone who did not want to deal with the issue of minorities for the rest of his life. Naturally, it is the most ironic thing that when faced with a real topic to write, Broyard was unable to do it, because it would mean undoing the legend he had been writing all of his life.This is the point where he went from using his own construct to being trapped by it. A predictable fate, but not necessarily a bad one. The question, in the end, is one of priority. Broyard lived a life that was mostly free from outside stereotyping, much more so than if he had admitted his heritage. However, this cost him a great amount of psychological strain. It is difficult to call him a happy man – but possibly happier than if he chose any other road.

The Hypocritical Church Essay - 1237 Words

In the medieval literary masterpiece The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, not only does Chaucer provide the reader with an entertaining story about a group of approximately thirty pilgrims who meet (by chance) at an inn, in a suburb of London, on a trip to see the shrine of St. Thomas #225; Becket in Canterbury cathedral, but he also divulges to the reader a remarkably horrid picture of an English Church run amok with corruption, greed and, more importantly, hypocrisy. Writing about pilgrims drawn from almost every rank of 14th century English society, The Canterbury Tales takes a look at medieval life from (what seems like) every angle and every class, displaying the actuality of the Church by illuminating and†¦show more content†¦First, the bald and oversized Monk that Chaucer tells of is entirely undisciplined. His taste was all for tracking down hare, meaning he engaged in a forbidden pastime for monks, hunting. He was fashionable, with sleeves trimmed with gray fur, the finest in the land, and he was fond of precious metals, wearing a pin made of wrought gold. The Monk is a mere pleasure seeker who relished a plum swan as his favorite roast. The Prioress, in comparison, has a much more shallow aura about her. She kept small dogs as pets, which, of course, were forbidden in convents during medieval times, and even more repugnant, her dogs were fed roasted meat or milk or good wheat bread. Chaucer tell us, She would weep if she b ut came upon a mouse caught in a trap, if it were dead or bleeding, implying that she cares more about the suffering of animals than people. Chaucer uses a barrage of satirical statements when describing and discussing the Prioress, giving the reader the impression that she actually contradicts her appearance. She is focused on irrelevant things such as dignity, charm and pride, as well as wealth, as evidenced by her coral rosary beads with the brooch of golden sheen hanging from it. Next we are introduced to the Summoner and the Pardoner, who are two derelict peas in a pod. One of these men summons those charged by the church for a crime, and the other sells indulgences, certificates from the pope,Show MoreRelatedEssay about The Hypocrisy of Religion660 Words   |  3 Pagesepitome of goodness and morality and are supposed to live lives worthy of emulation. Yet, in Voltaire’s Candide and Goethe’s Faust, the church is infested with hypocrisy what with religious leaders being hypocritical characters that are corrupt, greedy and immoral. These are seen in so many instances in both texts as will be discussed below. 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In All Seven Deadly Sins Committed at Church Bake Sale†, one is able to get a decent sense of the hypocrisy of religion through writing by the Onion. An annual bake sale is hosted by St. Mary’s church, where the masses are fed with homemade baked goods, and friendly competition crosses the line and leads to sin. Whether it is Mrs. Betty Wicks who â€Å"commits the sin of gluttony at every St. Mary’s bake sale, as well as most Friday nights atRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter And Arthur Miller s The Crucible1050 Words   |  5 PagesDeception (1000) Emigrating from the Old World to purify the Church of England, the Puritan society was one of very strict religious beliefs. Believing in living plainly, the Puritans denounced those who went against their ways. They even excoriated fellow members of their community if a sin was bound to ones name. One sin in particular, adultery, was seen as a contravention to the covenant that the Puritans had established with God. 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Shaws concept of Crosstianity , as he calls it, shows a religion in which the church preaches what the rich and powerful tell it, scoundrels are treated as equals, and punishment is concerned with prosecution rather than salvation. Poetic justice rulesRead More Chaucers Women From Eve to Mary Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesChaucers Women From Eve to Mary The Middle Ages was an interesting time to be a woman. For centuries the church generally disapproved of, with equal measure, women and sex. Women were not even thought of as human beings, and were seen as necessary only in what they could do for their men. When the men left for the Crusades women were given a larger role in the upkeep of their husbands’ houses and estates, and assumed a more public role in the community. This gave the women a greater feelingRead MoreChristian Hypocrisy: An Inevitable Crisis1533 Words   |  7 Pagesand children (Holman Christian Standard Bible, Gen. 34.1-29). This outraged response ought to spark the realization that defiling a person against their will should not be practiced among believers. Sadly, in January 2010, one pastor at a Newcastle church openly admitted to raping six young boys between the ages of nine and twelve when he held â€Å"counseling sessions† for the children (Peters 1). These heinous crimes were repeated copio usly and his abuse of power clearly destroyed young lives that couldRead MoreSocietys Influence on the American Dream1202 Words   |  5 PagesDue to the loss of his best friend, Babbit realizes his life has no meaning and rebels against societys conformity destroying his reputation. Lacking the courage to be independent, Babbits dream of true ecstasy crumbles when he succumbs to hypocritical lifestyle realizing that he needs conformity. Strongly influenced by a sanctimonious society, Babbit, a man in search for himself, realizes that he needs conformity to live. Babbit dreams of improving his status in the community, not realizingRead MoreThe French Of Religious Identity Essay1472 Words   |  6 Pagesthe public space. The French call it laà ¯cità © or secularism but it means much more than just the separation of church and state. It guarantees the freedom from religion in the public domain so that no one is oppressed by religion and everyone is seen equally. Muslims, living in France, are being treated unequally by the state while they support the catholic majority. This seems hypocritical coming from a nation that prides itself on being secular. The hypocrisy of Frances outdated laws of secularism