Homework for Nov 13

1: It's time for another open-book, open-note test. It will be helpful for you to review the material from the past 3 classes. Take this take-home test.

2: Do some research on ethical terms. Look online for definitions for these eight terms. No plagiarism! I want you to put these in your own words, not cut and paste them from a website. So read a couple definitions and try to put them in real words that you'd use to explain these terms to a friend. If you need help, let me know. 

1. Ethics
2. Moral Relativism
3. Moral Absolutes
4. Situational Ethics
5. Utilitarian Ethics
6. Kant’s Categorical Imperative
7. Nonconflicting Absolutism
8. Graded Absolutism

3: Ethical dilemmas: These are designed to make you think. The goal is not to pick apart or fuss about the dilemma. Don’t dismiss the question by going on and on about how you aren’t in Nazi Germany. Don’t try to weasel your way into a crazy, impossible option ("I’d pray for God to send fire from heaven and then run away…"). Be realistic and take the dilemmas seriously. Each situation is designed to make you think. Give good reasons for your position, especially if you are saying that it is okay to do something usually viewed as wrong. Why is it “right” to do “wrong” in this situation? I will score these on the basis of how well you answer the “why” question and if your logic is consistent. 

• Football: Is it ethical for a Christian School to do a trick play, intentionally to deceive another team? 
• Wallet: A man is praying to God for money to care for his young child who is deathly sick. In a public restroom, he finds a wallet with $800 in it, which would pay for his child’s medicines. He sees the ID and knows whose wallet it is, and knows that this man has plenty of money. Is it ethical to keep the money to save his child’s life? 
• Nazis: This actually happened to Corrie Ten Boom. You are in Nazi Germany and a Jewish family has asked you to hide them, which you did. A guard comes to the door asking if you know where the Jews are. He will only accept a yes or no answer. Is it ethical to lie, or do you tell the truth knowing they will be taken to a concentration camp? 
• Lights: Is it ethical to leave lights on at home when you are away, or it is the same as lying? 
• Midwives: In Exodus 1, Pharaoh made a law ordering Hebrew midwives (ladies who help deliver babies) to kill any baby who male. Is it ethical to break the law? 
• Terrorist: You work for the President and your team has captured a terrorist who has put 10 bombs in New York City. They are all scheduled to blow over the next 5 hours in residential areas, and the bombs will likely kill thousands. The profiler and terrorism experts on the team are convinced that if you allow them to torture the terrorist’s wife and young child in front of him, he will break and tell the authorities where the bombs are. Is it ethical to torture (but not kill) two people to save thousands? 

Try not to hurt your brain with these. See you on Nov 13.

-from your distinguished professor

Homework for Oct 30

Sorry that this is late. I totally forgot to post this.

Class on Oct 30 is going to be about how a good God can allow evil and suffering in the world. It's a big worldview question that you need to think through. Here are the assignments:

1A: Listen to the Tim Keller sermon on suffering. It's free. And even better, it's really good. Listen to it and write on a sheet of paper that you did. Also, take some notes (you don't need to turn them in). It's an important skill to develop to be able to take notes on a sermon so you can remember what you learned (because what's the point in listening to a sermon and totally forgetting it in an hour?)
1B: Answer these questions about the sermon:

• What passage is Keller teaching from? 
• What analogy (word picture) does the biblical author compare trials to? Explain how trials are like that. 
• Some people solve the problem of evil by abandoning their belief in God. Why does Keller say that abandoning your belief in God creates more problems? 
• Can you think of other problems abandoning your belief in God during a trial could cause? 
• What three things do we need to look back to, ahead to, and in to? 

2: Write a Dear Doug letter. There's not one in the book for this topic, so reply to this letter. Remember, don't be cold and factual. When someone talks about suffering, be careful, kind and encouraging. You don't beat people up for doubting in God when they are suffering. So reply to this letter in a careful, personal way:

Hey! Things have been busy at school. Western Civ is killing me. It's a lot of work. Also I started working a little on campus at the aquatic center. I am busier than I've ever been, but at least I have some money! 

I’ve been hanging out some with a girl named Amy. While we were talking at the library, she told me that she used to be a Christian but isn’t any more. I asked why, and she said that she stopped being a Christian when her brother died. They were best friends, but 5 years ago they were both in a car wreck. She spent one night in the hospital and was totally fine. He died instantly. She said that now she isn’t sure God even exists, but if he does she refuses to worship a God that was so cruel to kill her brother.  I had no idea what to say. What should I say to Amy?

I was thinking that maybe God isn't able to stop all the bad things in the world. I mean, how can one God keep a million things from going wrong? I think he does the best he can, but God can't answer every prayer and stop everything that is evil from happening. I think he wants to and loves us all, but accidents happen. Right? 

Honestly, I've never suffered much. My life has been pretty boring. Have you ever gone through a hard trial? What did you learn from it? Are there any Bible verses that help you when you go through a hard time? 

Sorry this letter is so heavy, but this is what's on my mind. Hope to hear from you soon. I've got a project I need to work on for psychology. Thanks! 

Homework for Oct 16

It's politicking time.

1A: Watch either the Presidential Debate on Oct 3 or the Vice Presidential Debate on Oct 11, or watch one replayed online (the real debate, not the highlights). For info on the debates, click here. Write on a sheet of paper that you watched one of the debates (if you did) and sign it.
1B: Take notes on the debate of where the candidates stand on issues like the economy, abortion, stem cell research, role of government, individual responsibility, etc.

2: Answer these questions (write a few sentences for each):

• How similar would you say the candidates worldviews are? Why? 
• How would you describe President Obama's (or Biden's) worldview? 
• How would you describe Mitt Romney's (or Ryan's) worldview? 
• Was there any statement or position you heard that sounded like Marxism, Postmodernism, Christianity, or another worldview we've studied? If so, write it down (or paraphrase the statement) and explain what worldview you think it represents. 
• If you could have asked a question to the candidates, what would it have been.

See you on October 16 to discuss politics.