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This paper questions the use of the crucified Jesus as the identifying symbol of the believer. It argues that the upholding of the "glorious" scars of Jesus is inherently anti-Semitic & exclusionary. The paper also notes that wars have been fought under the symbol of the cross, while the blood of martyrs has long been viewed as somehow spiritual. Both the Nationalists & Unionists of Ireland have taken unto themselves the identity of the victim, with each side embracing Christian symbolism, proof in point that victimization has somehow gained empowering qualities in modern society. 20 References. K. A. Larsen

AbstractIn the United States, religious congregations, as an important subset of the nonprofit sector, attract the most civic participation. Unlike other tax‐exempt organizations, churches do not file the annual tax informational Form 990 to the Internal Revenue Service, following the traditional notion of separation of church and state. Due to such an exemption, the church financial market exhibits a more severe information asymmetry problem than the corporate or nonprofit financial markets. The pecking order theory in corporate finance postulates that information asymmetry increases external financing costs, resulting in organizations demonstrating a pecking order of preference: internal funding first, then debt, and lastly, equity. This article presents the first known attempt in examining the pecking order theory in the context of church organizations, which is a large but opaque subset of nonprofit organizations. By examining the revenue and capital structures of over 30,000 United Methodist churches from 2005 to 2018, we find evidence that supports a pecking order in church mortgage loan borrowing. This study increases our understanding of church finance and congregational capital structure. It highlights the value of transparency in the church capital market and fills a significant gap in both the nonprofit finance research and the religious sector literature.

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by impaired bone microarchitecture and reduced bone mineral density (BMD) resulting in bone fragility and increased risk of fracture. In western societies, one in three women and one in five men will sustain an osteoporotic fracture in their remaining lifetime from the age of 50 years. Fragility fractures, especially of the spine and hip, commonly give rise to increased morbidity and mortality. In the five largest European countries and Sweden, fragility fractures were the cause of 2.6 million disability-adjusted life years in 2016 and the fracture-related costs increased from €29.6 billion in 2010 to €37.5 billion in 2017. In the European Union and the USA, only a small proportion of women eligible for pharmacological treatment are being prescribed osteoporosis medication. Secondary fracture prevention, using Fracture Liaison Services, can be used to increase the rates of fracture risk assessment, BMD testing and use of osteoporosis medication in order to reduce fracture numbers. Additionally, established primary prevention strategies, based on case-finding methods utilizing fracture prediction tools, such as FRAX, to identify women without fracture but with elevated risk, are recommended in order to further reduce fracture numbers.

SUMMARY: This report describes epidemiology, burden, and treatment of osteoporosis in each of the 27 countries of the European Union plus Switzerland and the UK (EU 27+2). INTRODUCTION: The aim of this report was to characterize the burden of osteoporosis in each of the countries of the European Union plus Switzerland and the UK in 2019 and beyond. METHODS: The data on fracture incidence and costs of fractures in the EU27+2 was taken from a concurrent publication in this journal (SCOPE 2021: a new scorecard for osteoporosis in Europe) and country-specific information extracted. The information extracted covered four domains: burden of osteoporosis and fractures; policy framework; service provision; and service uptake. RESULTS: The clinical and economic burden of osteoporotic fractures in 2019 is given for each of the 27 countries of the EU plus Switzerland and the UK. Each domain was ranked and the country performance set against the scorecard for all nations studied. Data were also compared with the first SCOPE undertaken in 2010. Fifteen of the 16 score card metrics on healthcare provision were used in the two surveys. Scores had improved or markedly improved in 15 countries, remained constant in 8 countries and worsened in 3 countries. The average treatment gap increased from 55% in 2010 to 71% in 2019. Overall, 10.6 million women who were eligible for treatment were untreated in 2010. In 2019, this number had risen to 14.0 million. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the high cost of osteoporosis, a substantial treatment gap and projected increase of the economic burden driven by aging populations, the use of pharmacological prevention of osteoporosis has decreased in recent years, suggesting that a change in healthcare policy concerning the disease is warranted.

This report describes epidemiology, burden, and treatment of osteoporosis in each of the 27 countries of the European Union plus Switzerland and the UK (EU 27+2). Introduction: the aim of this report was to characterize the burden of osteoporosis in each of the countries of the European Union plus Switzerland and the UK in 2019 and beyond. Methods: the data on fracture incidence and costs of fractures in the EU27+2 was taken from a concurrent publication in this journal (SCOPE 2021: a new scorecard for osteoporosis in Europe) and country-specific information extracted. The information extracted covered four domains: burden of osteoporosis and fractures; policy framework; service provision; and service uptake. Results: the clinical and economic burden of osteoporotic fractures in 2019 is given for each of the 27 countries of the EU plus Switzerland and the UK. Each domain was ranked and the country performance set against the scorecard for all nations studied. Data were also compared with the first SCOPE undertaken in 2010. Fifteen of the 16 score card metrics on healthcare provision were used in the two surveys. Scores had improved or markedly improved in 15 countries, remained constant in 8 countries and worsened in 3 countries. The average treatment gap increased from 55% in 2010 to 71% in 2019. Overall, 10.6 million women who were eligible for treatment were untreated in 2010. In 2019, this number had risen to 14.0 million. Conclusions: in spite of the high cost of osteoporosis, a substantial treatment gap and projected increase of the economic burden driven by aging populations, the use of pharmacological prevention of osteoporosis has decreased in recent years, suggesting that a change in healthcare policy concerning the disease is warranted.

SUMMARY: This scorecard summarises key indicators of the burden of osteoporosis and its management in the 27 member states of the European Union, as well as the UK and Switzerland. The resulting scorecard elements, assembled on a single sheet, provide a unique overview of osteoporosis in Europe. INTRODUCTION: The scorecard for osteoporosis in Europe (SCOPE) is a project of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) that seeks to raise awareness of osteoporosis care in Europe. The aim of this project was to develop a scorecard and background documents to draw attention to gaps and inequalities in the provision of primary and secondary prevention of fractures due to osteoporosis. METHODS: The SCOPE panel reviewed the information available on osteoporosis and the resulting fractures for each of the 27 countries of the European Union plus the UK and Switzerland (termed EU27+2). The information obtained covered four domains: background information (e.g. the burden of osteoporosis and fractures), policy framework, service provision and service uptake, e.g. the proportion of men and women at high risk that do not receive treatment (the treatment gap). RESULTS: There was a marked difference in fracture risk among the EU27+2 countries. Of concern was the marked heterogeneity in the policy framework, service provision and service uptake for osteoporotic fracture that bore little relation to the fracture burden. For example, despite the wide availability of treatments to prevent fractures, in the majority of the EU27+2, only a minority of patients at high risk receive treatment even after their first fracture. The elements of each domain in each country were scored and coded using a traffic light system (red, orange, green) and used to synthesise a scorecard. The resulting scorecard elements, assembled on a single sheet, provide a unique overview of osteoporosis in Europe. CONCLUSIONS: The scorecard enables healthcare professionals and policy makers to assess their country's general approach to the disease and provide ...

This report provides an overview and a comparison of the burden and management of fragility fractures in the largest five countries of the European Union plus Sweden (EU6). In 2017, new fragility fractures in the EU6 are estimated at 2.7 million with an associated annual cost of €37.5 billion and a loss of 1.0 million quality-adjusted life-years. Introduction: osteoporosis is characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, which increases the risk of fragility fractures, which in turn, represent the main consequence of the disease. This report provides an overview and a comparison of the burden and management of fragility fractures in the largest five EU countries and Sweden (designated the EU6). Methods: a series of metrics describing the burden and management of fragility fractures were defined by a scientific steering committee. A working group performed the data collection and analysis. Data were collected from current literature, available retrospective data and public sources. Different methods were applied (e.g. standard statistics and health economic modelling), where appropriate, to perform the analysis for each metric. Results: total fragility fractures in the EU6 are estimated to increase from 2.7 million in 2017 to 3.3 million in 2030; a 23% increase. The resulting annual fracture-related costs (€37.5 billion in 2017) are expected to increase by 27%. An estimated 1.0 million quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were lost in 2017 due to fragility fractures. The current disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) per 1,000 individuals age 50 years or more were estimated at 21 years, which is higher than the estimates for stroke or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The treatment gap (percentage of eligible individuals not receiving treatment with osteoporosis drugs) in the EU6 is estimated to be 73% for women and 63% for men; an increase of 17% since 2010. If all patients who fracture in the EU6 were enrolled into fracture liaison services at least 19,000 fractures every year might be avoided. Conclusions: fracture related burden is expected to increase over the coming decades. Given the substantial treatment gap and proven cost-effectiveness of fracture prevention schemes such as fracture liaison services, urgent action is needed to ensure that all individuals at high risk of fragility fracture are appropriately assessed and treated.