Is Work A Curse Because Of The Fall? Essay

While precarious work has been present in the workforce throughout history, it is only in more recent years that precarious work has become the norm for the majority of the working population. With many workers being forced to move from full time work with good pay and benefits to, part time or contract work with low pay and little to no benefits depending on their contract and employer. I will be arguing that the precariousness of work has been emerging in the past few decades, but has only in the past decade become the major issues it is today, affecting more and different groups of workers than it did in the past as a result. In order to prove this I will begin by arguing that precarious work has been a concept and a practice in our society for a few decades, yet only in the last decade or so has precarious work become the major way for workers to live, and make money. Secondly, I will argue the causes behind why increasing amounts of workers are becoming precarious in todays society. Thirdly I will argue as to why certain groups of people and jobs are more prone to precarious work compared to others. Fourthly, I will explain how workers are affected in their home life and in their working identity as a result of their precariousness. Finally I will offer my own thoughts on the issues of precarious labour.

For Part 1 of this assignment, you will complete this worksheet by finding the Scriptures listed below. Watch the "Money, Work and Career" video located at http://lc.gcumedia.com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/cwv101_vpv01GUI.php

“… absolutely forbidden to "work" until I am well again… Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.” (Gilman, 1)

As a believer, I believe in Creationism and that the universe was created by God ex-nihilo, or from nothing. Moreover, when God created man, he gifted him with vocation. He was given wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to replenish, subdue, and rule over the other living things. (Genesis 1:28, King James Version) It is important to note that even in all that man was ordained to do, that God also blessed him with rest. It is reassuring to know that God wants us to be diligent and faithful in our work and that he desires to bless us with rest. For some that is a difficult concept, many employees work six days a week or overtime in excess of twelve hours a day for financial gain. Not every

Every Good Endeavor, by Timothy Keller, throughout chapters three and four, hit several important topics about the acts of work. Initially, Keller talks of culture and how it's a biblical principle to fill and subdue the earth we live in. Merely reproducing is not what defines culture, but the acts of work that bring civilization. The word itself, subdue, means a real assertion of will. Basically, placing work where able. God himself designed the word to need work, the fruit of work brings us riches and potential. Work also brings growth, not only for others but for ourselves. God sees work as to Him and to our neighbors. In terms, work is essentially an act of worship. God gives us all the resources we need to cultivate the earth. In example,

The certain morality of the lawful pursuit of wealth gives businessmen both a clear conscience and the ability to employ motivated workers who themselves constantly labor for the glory of God. The businessmen’s conscience is further cleared by the thought that the unequal distribution of goods is part of God’s plan – it is God’s secret choice to bestow grace as he wishes. The workers “calling”, in contrast, is to labor regardless of the wage, striving to glorify God and secure status as the elect. The ascetic lifestyle of a poor worker is also glorified, as the worker lives as the apostles once did. The attitudes of both the businessmen and the worker in the modern economic relationship naturally flow from ascetic Protestantism.

In Timothy Keller's Every Good Endeavor, we read that at times work can become fruitless and even pointless. Work is a good thing and that is how God created it, but the sinfulness of this world can disguise and twist its goodness. Sin degenerates every aspect of life, the soul, mind, and body, causing nothing to work as it was originally designed. The two greatest elements in life that sin has corrupted are love and work. Just as love under sin can be painful and life draining, so can work. Work under sin can be a painful toil as well. Fruitlessness is the production of frustration and lack of fulfillment at work. Conflicts, unfortunate circumstances, human errors and poor results in our field of work will weigh us down with the thought that

Work hard, save money, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. We have all been told that if we do the right thing, we will be rewarded in the end. The argument for the Protestant work ethic has been conveyed biblically to mean that God has given us all a divine vocation, a set of skills in which to “work in His glory” (“Work: a noble”, 1992). Martin has followed the teachings of Christ by working his entire life, saving strenuously, and wisely investing his dividends. Finally, it has come time for Martin to enjoy the yields of living the right way and his enjoyment has been stolen by various aspects of property law. Kubasek, Brennan, and Browne (2006) explain the two types of property that apply in Martin’s cases, “real property, that is,

The Scriptures encourages us in Philippians 2:2 – 4, New Living Translation (NLT), then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take interest in others, too. This would be an example of how a Christian-biblical worldview perceive work-life.

While Christians can debate on whether or not true ownership or profits are applicable to the Biblical Worldview, most disciples of Christ recognize that working or employment is an esteemed proposition. With this being said, Grudem offers the concept that employing people is not contrary, but a way to give God glory (pp. 31-34). Since the Bible explicitly speaks of how masters (employers) should treat their servants (employees), there is a strong indication that this practice can be both moral and immoral. Grudem contends with the theory of Marxism, capitalism leads to oppression, and affirms that when one gains a profit by employing another individual, this practice is not in itself exploitation (p. 32).

This article entitled The Honest Workingman and Workers’ Control: The Experience of Toronto Skilled Workers, 1860-1892 written by Gregory S. Kealey looks to better describe the practice of three Toronto unions from the 1860’s to the early 1890’s and their struggles for their rights and deserved wages in order to illustrate the strength these types of unions possess. This article recognizes that there are industries where unions win, and still must rely on skilled labour. Many times people hear the term ‘industrialization’ and think that all craft workers get blown away, however this is not exactly the case as this article demonstrates.

In this way, it seems to be unacceptable for us to regard people’s blind pursuit of work as merely a way of earning for their families. Thus, in order to explore the true reasons why people do work and how they value work, both authors give out their own explanation. Arlie Russell Hochschild, a professor emerita of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, observes in her reading of “From the Frying Pan into the Fire” that no longer people value works as purely family obligations that encourage people to work for supporting their families, people right now tend to value doing work as ways to have satisfied lives. And Kenji Yoshino, a professor of constitutional law at NYU School of Law, describes in his writing of “Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights” that covering is “work,” meaning that in order to be accepted by others who may come from different environment, people tend to cover some of their distinctiveness by using their emotional and physical

During this paper, I explained to you the book of Colossians using the exegesis method. Paul talked about how God is all we need and how we should watch out for certain things. Colossians gives us a picture for God’s standard for work. I encourage you to read the book of Colossians to yourself and use this exegesis method to help you get a better understanding of God’s word.

"But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do-- busywork mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time-- but He's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether He's coming or going. I've decided there's nothing better to do than to go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it-- eat drink, an make the most of your job. It's God's gift." (Ecclesiastes 3:9-13)

When finding a possible career we are told, “do what you are passionate about.” When an individual finds a career and does well with it they are told, “this is your calling.” Now that isn’t the case because workers will most likely explore other careers before settling. In Max Weber’s (1904) “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” a calling and religious beliefs shaped capitalism. The term, “calling” is a term by Martin Luther a protestant reformer. Luther described the term, “calling” as “the idea that each individual has a life task and has its roots in a religious quest for salvation (176). Weber (1904) discusses how the protestant ethic of work was influenced by religion. Protestants believed that hard work leads to a spot