How should I think about ultimate reality (Hinduism)? Is there a Supreme Being (Judaism)? Should I even think of god, letting myself be my supreme authority (Buddhism)?

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Assignment 1: Comparative Religious Approaches

The origins of Judaism and Hinduism are almost 4,000 years old. Buddhism arose from the teachings of a single Hindu teacher more than two thousand years ago. All three have changed and developed over the centuries. All three are very much alive today.

Concentrating on their current forms, compare the approaches of the three religions to the basic religious questions:

  • How should I think about ultimate reality (Hinduism)? Is there a Supreme Being (Judaism)? Should I even think of god, letting myself be my supreme authority (Buddhism)?
  • What is the relationship of human beings to this reality (God)?
  • What exactly is the concept of faith to each of these three religions? Is it the same as belief, or not? Consider all three religions and compare.
  • How do these concepts of the Ultimate Reality, Supreme Being or self help address the following questions: What is wrong with the world, and how can I help to fix it? What am I supposed to do with my life?

Consider the three religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism. In an essay of approximately 700 to 800 words in length, answer the questions listed above. Be sure to use appropriate APA format for citations and to include at least one reference for each religion.

Maximum Points
Compares, contrasts, and applies concepts of Ultimate Reality, Supreme Being, and the authority of self to personal philosophical position on religion.24
Uses critical thinking to describe and explain the relationship of humans and God.16
Considers and measures the relationship between faith and belief from the three perspectives.16
Considers and analyzes the application of concept of Ultimate Reality, Supreme Being (monotheism) and Self-actualization in addressing world problems.20
Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.20
Justified ideas and responses by using appropriate examples and references from texts, Web sites, and other references, including correct APA format.4
Total:100

Comparative Religious Approaches

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Assignment 1: Comparative Religious Approaches

The origins of Judaism and Hinduism are almost 4,000 years old. Buddhism arose from the teachings of a single Hindu teacher more than two thousand years ago. All three have changed and developed over the centuries. All three are very much alive today. Concentrating on their current forms, compare the approaches of the three religions to the basic religious questions: ⦁ How should I think about ultimate reality (Hinduism)? Is there a Supreme Being (Judaism)? Should I even think of god, letting myself be my supreme authority (Buddhism)? ⦁ What is the relationship of human beings to this reality (God)? ⦁ What exactly is the concept of faith to each of these three religions? Is it the same as belief, or not? Consider all three religions and compare. ⦁ How do these concepts of the Ultimate Reality, Supreme Being or self help address the following questions: What is wrong with the world, and how can I help to fix it? What am I supposed to do with my life? Consider the three religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism. In an essay of approximately 700 to 800 words in length, answer the questions listed above. Be sure to use appropriate APA format for citations and to include at least one reference for each religion.

Maximum Points Compares, contrasts, and applies concepts of Ultimate Reality, Supreme Being, and the authority of self to personal philosophical position on religion. 24 Uses critical thinking to describe and explain the relationship of humans and God. 16 Considers and measures the relationship between faith and belief from the three perspectives. 16 Considers and analyzes the application of concept of Ultimate Reality, Supreme Being (monotheism) and Self-actualization in addressing world problems. 20 Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. 20 Justified ideas and responses by using appropriate examples and references from texts, Web sites, and other references, including correct APA format. 4 Total: 100

MUST BE IN 2 SEPERATE SAVED DOCUMENTS

Assignment 2: The Problems of Evil and Suffering All human beings encounter pain and suffering in life. This can present some difficult questions to organized religions. On some level, all religions answer fundamental questions of human existence, including, “why are we here?” Pain and suffering complicate these basic questions of human existence, whether the religion is monotheistic, polytheistic, or atheistic. Some people endure much more pain and suffering than others. Why is this so? What is the origin of suffering? Is evil external or internal? Does it have any meaning? How should we respond to it? Even more difficult is the problem of moral evil: some people deliberately cause other people to suffer. Why? If there is meaning in the universe, and especially if the universe is ruled by a beneficent deity, how can this be? Write an essay of 1,000 words that examines the basic positions of each of the five religious traditions considering these human questions In your essay, address the following questions: ⦁ How does each religion respond to the problems of evil and suffering? ⦁ How are those responses similar? ⦁ In what ways do the responses differ? ⦁ What factors account for these differences? ⦁ Which way of addressing evil is the most similar to your own? What role does reason play in your personal understanding of evil? How does that overlap or contradict with the major religions’ uses of reason in explaining evil? Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M5_A1.doc. For example, if your name is John Smith, your document will be named SmithJ_M5_A1.doc.

Maximum Points Introduce how each of the five religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism) responds to or address the problems of evil and suffering. 68 Compare the five religions and identify commonalities or similarities between them in addressing both the problem of evil and the problem of suffering. 40 Compare the five religions and identify differences between the five religions and how they address the problem of evil and the problem of suffering. 40 Discuss the factors that account for these differences in how the five religions address the problem of evil and the problem of suffering. 40 Describe which way of addressing evil is the most similar to the student’s personal belief system. What role does reason play in your personal understanding of evil? How does that overlap or contradict with the major religions’ uses of reason in explaining evil? 48 Style (8 points): Tone, audience, and word choice Organization (16 points): Introduction, transitions, and conclusion Usage and Mechanics (16 points): Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure APA Elements (24 points): In-text citations and references, paraphrasing, and appropriate use of quotations and other elements of style 64 Total: 300

Compare your selected religion with at least one other religion you are familiar with through this class

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Resources: the Final Project Overview, the 7-Question Final Project Plan, and the Final Project Interview documents. Select a religion that is not your own and interview a person of that faith. If possible, visit a place of worship and interview a person of that institution. As an alternative, the interview may be conducted by telephone, written communication (e.g., email exchange) or, web/video conference. Write a 2,000- to 2,500-word informative paper about the religion. Compare your selected religion with at least one other religion you are familiar with through this class. Include the following elements: Introduction of the religion Date, time and method of interview. Name of the person interviewed. Name, location and review of the site if applicable. Resources: the Final Project Overvie

, the 7-Question Final Project Plan, and the Final Project Interview documents. Select a religion that is not your own and interview a person of that faith. If possible, visit a place of worship and interview a person of that institution. As an alternative, the interview may be conducted by telephone, written communication (e.g., email exchange) or, web/video conference. Write a 2,000- to 2,500-word informative paper about the religion. Compare your selected religion with at least one other religion you are familiar with through this class. Include the following elements: Introduction of the religion Date, time and method of interview. Name of the person interviewed. Name, location and review of the site if applicable. Interview summary Comparing and contrasting with another religion Conclusion References Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Post your paper as an attachment. Interview summary Comparing and contrasting with another religion Conclusion References Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Post your paper as an attachment.. Compare your selected religion with at least one other religion you are familiar with through this class. Include the following elements: Introduction of the religion Date, time and method of interview. Name of the person interviewed. Name, location and review of the site if applicable.

Examine an environmental issue and apply one of the ethical theories to understand how human interactions with the natural environment raise ethical concerns.

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Your goal for this assignment is to apply an ethical theory to a real-world situation. You will examine an environmental issue and apply one of the ethical theories to understand how human interactions with the natural environment raise ethical concerns. You will do this by preparing and posting a PowerPoint slideshow.

  • Choose one of the following topics/issues and read about it at the indicated place:
  • Environmental justice/environmental racism (Article: Environmental Justice for All).
  • Environmental harm/pollution of air and water (Chapter 8 in the textbook)
  • Waste reduction (Chapter 8 in the textbook)

Select one philosophical theory (utilitarianism, deontology, or virtue ethics). Consider the following questions pertaining to the theory you have selected: What does the theory tell us about how things operate in the real world?  What is the focus of the theory?  That is, what aspects of everyday life (or what questions) does the theory address?  The focus (or questions) helps you think about the topical boundaries of the theory.  This course is about ethics and social responsibility, so you should concentrate on the ethical and moral aspects of the theory and of the topic you are analyzing.  It may help to think in terms of different realms or institutions. Does the theory help to explain people’s behavior from a political, economic, religious, or ethical perspective? Try to sort through everything that does not represent an ethical question, and address only the ethical issues.  How does the theory simplify complex issues to make them more understandable?  Another way to think about this is to consider the elements or concepts that make up the theory.  Identify the concepts and how they are related to each other.  Develop one thesis question that applies your philosophical theory to your environmental issue. You will address this question in developing an argument that links the theory to the issue (through your notes and pictures), so make sure you word your question carefully to accomplish this task. Indicate this thesis question on your second slide (the one after the title slide).

  • Develop an argument that addresses your question. Build your argument by writing nine sentences. Each sentence should make one important point about the ethical aspects of the environmental issue you are analyzing and will be placed on one slide each. Make sure your presentation focuses on ethical arguments and avoids personal opinion, arguments based on politics, economics, religion, or topics other than ethics.
  • Create a PowerPoint slideshow to present your argument. Begin by inserting your argument into the slideshow using the “Notes” feature at the bottom of each slide. Click on the box that says “Click to add notes” and type one sentence at the bottom of each slide. Your sentences and slides should link together to form your argument.
  • Find photos to illustrate each sentence, and post the photo on the slide above the note. You can use your own personal photos or you can search the Internet for photos that are appropriate. Make sure the photos are not copyright protected; you should only use photos that are in the public domain. Cite the sources from which you retrieved your photos underneath the photo on each slide.