Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The ACA was enacted with the goals of increasing the quality and affordability of health insurance, lowering the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance coverage, and reducing the costs of healthcare for individuals and the government. It introduced a number of mechanisms—including mandates, subsidies, and insurance exchanges—meant to increase coverage and affordability.[6][7] The law also requires insurance companies to cover all applicants within new minimum standards and offer the same rates regardless of pre-existing conditions or sex.[8] Additional reforms aimed to reduce costs and improve healthcare outcomes by shifting the system towards quality over quantity through increased competition, regulation, and incentives to streamline the delivery of healthcare. The Congressional Budget Office projected that the ACA will lower both future deficits[9] and Medicare spending.[10] Overview of provisions Legislative history Background John Chafee Healthcare debate, 2008–10
Medicare (United States)
A sample Medicare card. There are separate lines for basic Part A and Part B's supplementary medical coverage, each with its own date. There are no lines for Part C or D, which are additional supplemental policies for which a separate card is issued. In the United States, Medicare is a national social insurance program, administered by the U.S. federal government since 1966, that guarantees access to health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older who have worked and paid into the system, and younger people with disabilities as well as people with end stage renal disease (Medicare.gov, 2012) and persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In 2010, Medicare provided health insurance to 48 million Americans—40 million people age 65 and older and eight million younger people with disabilities. Medicare has been in operation for over forty years and, during that time, has undergone several changes. Medicare has several sources of financing. or Some beneficiaries are dual-eligible. U.S.
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism (also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism[1] and Hare Krishna) is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India in the 16th century. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gauḍa region (present day Bengal/Bangladesh) with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu". Its philosophical basis is primarily that of the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana, as well as other Puranic scriptures and Upanishads such as the Isha Upanishad, Gopala Tapani Upanishad, and Kali Santarana Upanishad. Philosophical concepts[edit] Living beings[edit] Release from the process of samsara (known as moksha) is believed to be achievable through a variety of yoga processes. Supreme Person (God)[edit] Gaudiya Vaishnavas believe that God has many forms and names, but that the name "Krishna" is the 'fullest' description because it means "He who is all-attractive",[5] covering all of God's aspects, such as being all-powerful, supremely merciful and all-loving. Bhakti Yoga[edit]
Modern Physics and Ancient Faith
Modern Physics and Ancient Faith (2003) is a book by Stephen M. Barr, a physicist from the University of Delaware[1] and frequent contributor to First Things. This book is "an extended attack" on what Barr calls scientific materialism. National Review says of the book: "[A] lucid and engaging survey of modern physics and its relation to religious belief. . . . Barr has produced a stunning tour de force . . . Contents[edit] The book is divided into five parts spanning 26 chapters. Reviews[edit] See also[edit] Issues in Science and Religion References[edit] External links[edit]
Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames
Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames is a touring evangelistic drama that has been performed worldwide. The tagline on the official website asks, "Where will you be when reality strikes?". It is based on an evangelical presentation of the Gospel, and presents the Biblical message that one must believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved and go to Heaven, or otherwise face eternal punishment in Hell. The play takes the form of a series of skits in which various characters are "unexpectedly" killed, and then immediately find out whether they are destined for heaven or hell. If they have refused to believe, they fail to be born again, they are consequently sent into eternal existence in Hell, represented by red lights and a literal Satan. If they have received Jesus as Lord of their life he is their Savior and they are, lovingly, welcomed into Heaven, depicted by a white-robed Jesus, dazzling white lights and a chorus of angels. Reality Outreach is based out of St. Reality Outreach Ministries
Methodism
The Methodist movement is a group of historically-related denominations of Protestant Christianity which derive their inspiration from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother Charles Wesley were also significant leaders in the movement. It originated as a revival within the 18th-century Church of England and became a separate Church following Wesley's death. Early Methodists were drawn from all levels of society, including the aristocracy,[a] but the Methodist preachers took the message to labourers and criminals who tended to be left outside organized religion at that time. Origins[edit] John Wesley Charles Wesley George Whitefield The Methodist revival originated in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England. People are all, by nature, "dead in sin," and, consequently, "children of wrath." Methodist preachers were notorious for their enthusiastic sermons and often accused of fanaticism. Theology[edit] Liturgy[edit] A United Methodist minister consecrating communion
American Civil War
The American Civil War was one of the earliest true industrial wars. Railroads, the telegraph, steamships, and mass-produced weapons were employed extensively. The mobilization of civilian factories, mines, shipyards, banks, transportation and food supplies all foreshadowed the impact of industrialization in World War I. Causes of secession Slavery To settle the dispute over slavery expansion, Abolitionists and proslavery elements sent their partisans into Kansas, both using ballots and bullets. Republicans denounced the Dred Scott decision and promised to overturn it; Abraham Lincoln warned that the next Dred Scott decision could threaten the Northern states with slavery. Considering the relative weight given to causes of the Civil War by contemporary actors, historians such as Chandra Manning argue that both Union and Confederate fighting soldiers believed that slavery caused the Civil War. States' rights Main article: States' rights Sectionalism and cotton trade Territories Protectionism
Historical Perspectives
Written by: Julia Hardy Zen has become a pop culture phenomenon in the West, especially in the United States. In recent years, there have been a number of notable scholarly publications that have severely criticized these pop culture forms of Zen as inauthentic. They have also been critical of some of the people who introduced Zen to the West, both for their romanticized and inaccurate portrayals of Zen, and for their associations with the rise of Japanese nationalism prior to World War II. Robert Sharf, a frequent critic of westernized Zen, says that, unlike other forms of Buddhism that were introduced to the West through historical and textual studies and field reports, Zen was introduced by Japanese intellectuals and priests whose view of Zen was shaped by the "New Buddhism" that developed after the Meiji Restoration in the late-19th century. Zen became a framework for establishing a Japanese national identity.
