There are many factors that can be associated with the cause of violent crime. Research suggests that some of the factors include severe mental health abnormalities, children who are consistently exposed to violence at home, firearm availability, the independent subculture of violence, and the socialization process, just to name a few. In addition, it has also been found that when homicide occurs, there is often a preexisting relationship that is present. Some relationships include a romantic relationship, narcotic seller/narcotic buyer relationship, or a gang rivalry. Despite the understanding of the aforementioned, criminal justice professionals still have difficulty controlling homicides. Review Chapter 10 in your primary text, and watch the video Murder Capital USA Ganglands of Chicago (Links to an external site.), which discusses the high murder rates in Chicago and focuses on contributing factors (Siegel, 2015; Danzo1212, 2013). In your paper,

• Critique a criminological theory that explains why homicides occur.
• Discuss ways to decrease and control homicides in the United States.
• Discuss some of the factors of focus of the various sociological schools of crime causation that explain why murder occurs.

Your paper must

• Be three to five double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.).
• Include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Use at least five scholarly sources in addition to the course text and the article being evaluated.
• Document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

EACH QUESTION MUST HAVE IT’S OWN SUBTITLE IN THE PAPER

 

Text

Siegel, L. J. (2015). Criminology: The core (5th ed.). Retrieved from https://redshelf.com/

• Chapter 10: Violent Crime

Multimedia

Danzo1212. (2013, December 22). Murder capital USA ganglands of Chicago (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F1-5prOJDs

• The video discusses the high murder rates in Chicago. It focuses on factors that significantly contribute to the high murder rates such as gang conflict, the drug trade, and innocent victims caught in the cross fire. It concentrates on ideas to control the aforementioned and supports this week’s discussion, “Degrees of Murder,” and the assignment, “Controlling Violent Crime.” Transcript (Links to an external site.)
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Journal

Instructions

Contrast the rights of public employees with private sector employees to organize and bargain collectively. What authority do the unions have in each sector? Do you feel there is a tendency in your home state to favor the rights of public employees or the private sector? Are unions celebrated, or is the emphasis on the right to work? Share your rationale.

Your journal entry must be at least 200 words. No references or citations are necessary.

Scholarly Activity

Instructions

You are a new union representative. Draft a memo requesting copies of documents, policies, and procedures the union has in place so you can begin your job effectively. Be sure to indicate the importance of these documents on your position. 

Your memo should be at least one full page. Below is a suggested format for the memo: 

To: (Include the name of the supervisor and any others to whom the memo needs to be sent)
From: (Your name and role in the organization/union)
Date:
Re.: Specify the Topic (In this case—Requesting specific documents, policies, and procedures pertaining to your role as the new union representative)
Request: Include paragraph explaining your request (For example: “I am compelled to express concern about how we at ____ Company handle issues related to equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment prevention laws. In an attempt to do my job efficiently and effectively, I respectfully request the following documents, policies, and procedures that reflect our organization’s efforts to affirm equal employment opportunity and those documents that reflect the organization’s sexual harassment prevention efforts:”)
Name of document
Name of document
Name of document 

Requested date: (when would you like to meet with the company leadership to discuss the documents?) 

Be sure close the memo with a sincere thank you for the cooperation of the person(s) to whom the memo is addressed and a desire to work together often in the future. References and citations are not necessary for this assignment.

  In addition to the thread, you are required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words. See the grading rubric for further details. 

Reply to Daryl

It has been my experience that the proclamation of the Word of God has to come from a place of spiritual preparedness on the part of the person that is making the proclamation. This is not to say that a person that is not spiritually led or prepared cannot proclaim the Word of God. Paul makes that fact abundantly clear in his epistle to the Philippians. He writes, “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.” He adds, “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.” (Phil. 1: 15 & 18, NIV)

The Word can be proclaimed from many vessels, but I consider that Spurgeon is directing us toward a place that I have come to in the course of many years of ministry. The first person I preach to is myself. That is my spiritual preparedness is of the utmost importance. Today we have people who are proclaiming the Word of God but messaging it in a manner that carries no personal accountability. The message is purposed not to offend, not to ruffle any feathers. That method will fill the pews, but it will not lead to a lasting transformation. Meyer’s methodology is sound in that we want the message to be heard and contextualized in the culture of the hearer.

Our proclamation, therefore, will come from our theology. This is why then we must have a robust and defensible definition of theology. Dr. Millard Erickson gives this, “The discipline that strives to give a coherent statement of the doctrines of the Christian faith, based primarily on the Scriptures, placed in the context of culture in general. Worded in a contemporary idiom and related to issues of life.” (Erickson, p. 8) When we work from only human understanding, experience or feelings, we are not preaching Christ. We may inspire, we may encourage, but the message of Christ is to be transformational. This transformation is only accomplished by exposure to the light and living water which is Holy Spirit. We can see in the ministry of Christ many followed Him.
Nevertheless, when He sat them down and explained or shared His theology the Bible is clear, many walked away. Jesus did not preach anger, criticism nor did He proclaim a life of ease and cavalier behavior. No, He shared that there is a cost, that the path is narrow, but the reward is immeasurable. To that end, we who have accepted the call must be spiritually prepared and educationally sound in order to give our best to Christ and humanity.

References

Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Academics, 2013.

Reply to Katrina

 

Each in their own way, Spurgeon and Meyer both recognize the primary importance of the spiritual-preparedness of the preacher. In your thread, relate what you have learned about the importance of person and spiritual-preparedness in your own preaching ministry. Also explain the balance between academic, expository preparation versus solely spirit-let (or experientially-led) preparation.

During the Chaplain Formation Practicum (CHPL 598), I became acutely aware that my spiritual preparedness was not where it should be. I don’t think that it was arrogance. It felt more like utter ignorance. I grew up in church, accepted Christ as my Savior at a young age, stayed on track for the most part, strayed a few times, but I came back. I knew that my Bible knowledge was weak, but I thought that I just needed to read my Bible more. However, when we started reading Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney, my whole perspective changed drastically.[1] I had never read a book on the spiritual disciplines before, and it humbled me to my core. There was so much that I needed to change, so much that I needed to start doing, so much that I felt so ashamed that I was so ignorant of before. It was a huge wake up call for me. My spiritual preparedness for the ministry that God has for me had not reached full steam until I fully understood what I must do to be a spiritual leader. I wish that I could say that it did not intimidate me to the point that in tears I asked God if He was sure that he wanted ME to do this ministry, but it did. After I surrendered to God’s plan for me initially, I had been full of enthusiasm and energy. I was growing and learning and academically sound, but I did not fully grasp the spiritual requirements of it until this book vividly showed me my current state and HOW I needed to grow.

I feel that these two books by Charles H. Spurgeon and Rev. F. B. Meyer both gave me a chance to view sermon preparation from two different angles much the same as my academic verses my spiritual preparedness. Spurgeon’s book felt like I was reading a very proper sermon. With statements such as “Brethren, we are not alone. Legions of angels are all around us,”[2] and “As to the unbelieving business, my brethren, I bear my witness that the preaching of the gospel confronts it well,”[3] his text conveys eloquence. However, it is verbose, and I found it a challenge to read. There was so much content packed in that I had to continuously stop and re-read what I had just read. Therefore, Spurgeon’s book seemed very academically oriented. It definitely conveyed spiritual truths, but due to the challenge of reading it, I did not grasp the spiritual as readily. F.B. Meyer’s book, by comparison, I found much easier to follow. For example, when listing the advantages of expository preaching, Meyer uses simple and straightforward sentences such as “It saves the preacher from getting into ruts,”[4] and “Continuous exposition compels the preacher to handle big themes.”[5] What I LOVED about Meyer’s book, however, were the sermon examples at the end of the chapters! The beginning of the chapter would address a particular topic which would then be eloquently demonstrated in the example at the end. His examples used a variety of analogies and languages and followed the persuasive elements format of explanation, illustration, argumentation, and application that we learned about in our text.[6] The combination of readability and example resonated with me and encouraged me spiritually and academically. This mirrors the same balance that a well-structured sermon should have.

Using only a Spirit-led preparation for a sermon can get a preacher into a rough spot. As Meyer noted, there are always people in the congregation who have committed indiscretions or faults who may think that the pastor is “holding them up before the congregation for criticism and reproof.”[7] Expository preaching helps the preacher to understand the Bible better, and, therefore, relay it to the congregation better.[8] Expository preaching still involves the Holy Spirit’s leading to help the pastor explain, illustrate and apply the text. It is a more well-rounded and proven method for presenting the gospel that steers clear of the pitfalls that can be stumbled on in sermon preparation.

Bibliography

McDill, Wayne. 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group,

            2006.

Meyer, F. B. Expository Preaching: Plans and Methods. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock

            Publishers, 2001.

Spurgeon, Charles H. An All-Around Ministry: Addresses to Ministers and Students. United

            States of America: Ichthus Publications, 2014.

Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Colorado Springs, CO:

            NavPress, 2014.

[1] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2014).

[2] Charles H. Spurgeon, An All-Around Ministry: Addresses to Ministers and Students (United States of America: Ichthus Publications, 2014), 66.

[3] Ibid., 82.

[4] F. B. Meyer, Expository Preaching: Plans and Methods (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001), 49.

[5] Ibid., 51.

[6] Wayne McDill, 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2006), 124-136.

[7] Meyer, Expository Preaching, 53.

[8] Ibid., 49-62.

 Instructions: Read the following case study and answer the reflective questions. Please provide rationales for your answers. Make sure to provide citations/references for your answers in APA format.

   CASE STUDY: Active Labor: Susan Wong Mrs. Wong, a first-time mother, is admitted to the birthing suite in early labor after spontaneous rupture of membranes at home. She is at 38 weeks of gestation with a history of abnormal alpha-fetoprotein levels at 16 weeks of pregnancy. She was scheduled for ultrasonography to visualize the fetus to rule out an open spinal defect or Down syndrome, but never followed through. Mrs. Wong and her husband disagreed about what to do (keep or terminate the pregnancy) if the ultrasonography indicated a spinal problem, so they felt they did not want this information.

 Reflective Questions

 1. As the nurse, what priority data would you collect from this couple to help define relevant interventions to meet their needs?

 2. How can you help this couple if they experience a negative outcome in the birthing suite? What are your personal views on terminating or continuing a pregnancy with a risk of a potential anomaly? What factors may influence your views? 

3. With the influence of the recent Human Genome Project and the possibility of predicting open spinal defects earlier in pregnancy, how will maternity care change in the future?