Free Essays on Early Christianity

What do we learn about the life and structure of the church from the evidence of the first two centuries? Defining the term ‘church’ as it was used by the early Christians is a useful way of exploring their lives and community organisation. The early Christians saw the term ‘church’ as â€Å"the designation for the individual community in a particular place† (Brox). This designation shows the importance placed upon the community by the Christians. There was also considerable independence of communities in that they required nothing outside of themselves to nurture their belief. However this did not mean that the different communities lived in complete isolation, in fact the term ‘church’ was also used for all the communities in a region and throughout the world. Thus because of the independence of local churches they tended to develop along different lines with different traditions, festivals etc. These differences were widely accepted and were usually explained in terms of apostolic authority. As an apostle had founded their community in his particular style and because he shared the same basic ideals of the other apostles so did individual communities share the same basic ideals. These actions showed that the church valued belief and faith over the nitty- gritty details of worship. The unity of the church can be demonstrated by the exchange of correspondence between the communities. These letters circulated the main concerns of the church at the time usually to give advice or reprimand a church. The messengers delivering letters were always of the church and were given hospitality. This encouraged further communication between the different churches and also established norms of which churches or certain individuals within the church were accepted and which were excommunicated for various reasons. The churches also gave hospitality to itinerant preachers who had gone forth to spread the word. The presence of itinerant p... Free Essays on Early Christianity Free Essays on Early Christianity What do we learn about the life and structure of the church from the evidence of the first two centuries? Defining the term ‘church’ as it was used by the early Christians is a useful way of exploring their lives and community organisation. The early Christians saw the term ‘church’ as â€Å"the designation for the individual community in a particular place† (Brox). This designation shows the importance placed upon the community by the Christians. There was also considerable independence of communities in that they required nothing outside of themselves to nurture their belief. However this did not mean that the different communities lived in complete isolation, in fact the term ‘church’ was also used for all the communities in a region and throughout the world. Thus because of the independence of local churches they tended to develop along different lines with different traditions, festivals etc. These differences were widely accepted and were usually explained in terms of apostolic authority. As an apostle had founded their community in his particular style and because he shared the same basic ideals of the other apostles so did individual communities share the same basic ideals. These actions showed that the church valued belief and faith over the nitty- gritty details of worship. The unity of the church can be demonstrated by the exchange of correspondence between the communities. These letters circulated the main concerns of the church at the time usually to give advice or reprimand a church. The messengers delivering letters were always of the church and were given hospitality. This encouraged further communication between the different churches and also established norms of which churches or certain individuals within the church were accepted and which were excommunicated for various reasons. The churches also gave hospitality to itinerant preachers who had gone forth to spread the word. The presence of itinerant p...

Pension Plans in the United States After Retirement

Pension Plans in the United States After Retirement Pension plans are one of the key methods to successfully saving for retirement in the United States, and though the government does not require businesses to provide such plans to its employees, it does offer generous tax breaks to companies that establish and contribute to pensions for their employees. In recent years, defined contribution plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) have become the norm in terms of small businesses, self-employed individuals, and freelance workers. These monthly set amounts, which may or may not be matched by the employer, are self-managed by the employees in their personal savings accounts. The primary method of regulating pension plans in the United States, though, comes from its Social Security program, which benefits anyone who retires after the age of 65, depending on how much one invests over the course of his or her life. Federal agencies ensure that these benefits are met by every employer in the U.S. Are Businesses Required to Offer Pension Plans? There are no laws that require businesses to offer their employees pension plans, however, pensions are regulated by several governing agencies in the United States, which largely helps define what benefits larger businesses must offer their employees - like health care coverage. The  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Department of State  website details that the federal governments tax collection agency, the Internal Revenue Service, sets most rules governing pension plans, and a Labor Department agency regulates plans to prevent abuses. Another federal agency, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, ensures retiree benefits under traditional private pensions; a series of laws enacted in the 1980s and 1990s boosted premium payments for this insurance and stiffened requirements holding employers responsible for keeping their plans financially healthy. Still, the Social Security program is the greatest way in which the United States government requires businesses to offer their employees long-term pensions options - a just reward for working a full career before retirement. Federal Employee Benefits: Social Security Employees of the  federal government- including  members  of the military and civil service as well as disabled  war  veterans- are offered several types of pension plans, but the most important government-run program is Social Security, which is available after a person retires at or above the age of 65. Although run by the Social Security Administration, the funds for this program come from payroll taxes paid by both employees and employers. In recent years, however, it has come under scrutiny as the benefits received upon retirement  only cover a portion of the income needs of its recipient. Especially because of the retirement of many of the post-war  baby-boom generation early in the 21st century, politicians feared the government wouldnt be able to pay all its obligations without increasing taxes or decreasing benefits for retirees. Managing Defined Contribution Plans and IRAs In recent years, many companies have switched over to what is known as defined contribution plans wherein the employee is given a set amount as part of their salary and is thus tasked with managing their own personal retirement account. In this type of pension plan, the company is not required to contribute to the savings fund of its employee, but many choose to do so based on the result of the employees contract negotiation. In any case, the employee is responsible for managing his or her salary allotment intended for retirement savings. Although it is not difficult to set up a retirement fund with a bank in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), it can be daunting for self-employed and freelance workers to actually manage their investments into a savings account. Unfortunately, the amount of money these individuals have available at retirement entirely depends on how they invest their own earnings.