Homework for Apr 25

IMPORTANT: I have to be out of town on Apr 30, so we are going to use the make-up day on Apr 25. Class will be 12:30-2:00pm on Thursday April 25. It will be a shorter than usual class, and it's fine for those of you in Biology to bring your lunch to class. We are primarily going to watch some videos on the reliability of the Bible.

Homework:

1A: Listen to the Tim Keller sermon called "Literalism: Isn't the Bible Historically Unreliable and Regressive?" You listened to one other sermon from this series, and as always, Keller is excellent in talking about why you can trust the Bible. When you listen to it, write that you did on a sheet of paper and sign it.

1B: Take notes on the sermon. Once again, this is a skill you need to work on developing. So tell me the 3 reasons it doesn't make sense that the Bible is just legend and the 3 things he says to do when you think a passage is offensive.

1C: Also share one point from the sermon that you thought was most helpful. Explain why. One paragraph should suffice.

2A: Go to this dangerous website: Skeptics Annotated Bible. I want you to read some of the problems that this skeptic has with the book of Genesis (he lists 134 absurdities he finds in just that book). Note: make sure you talk to your folks about anything that is confusing to you. I think this may challenge you a little, but it's good to be challenged a little, it's good to talk to your parents about this stuff, and it's good to learn that there are good answers to hard questions.

2B: Write down 3 problems/absurdities he finds and how you would respond. Remember, articulate and winsome! In 2-3 sentences for each, explain how you would answer a person who asked this question. Be helpful. Don't attack. And don't say, "Well, I just have faith." There are logical answers to most, if not all of these questions.

2C: Find one thing that he says that you don't have an answer for. Ask your folks, consult a commentary or two, and try to figure out a good answer to that question. Write a paragraph on the absurdity he found and how you would now answer it.

That's it. See you next Thursday.

Homework for Apr 16

Your assignments:

1A: Listen to the interview with Peter Singer who is one of the world's leading ethicists and is a professor at Princeton University. You can find the interview here on Philosophy Bites. It's the first interview, called "Life and Death Decision Making."

1B: Write a one-page response to the podcast. Name some things you agree with and things you disagree with. Explain why. As always, make sure you are winsome, helpful, and humble. And don't just share the gospel with him. Interact with his ideas and state your case well.

However, if you came to class, skip this. We listened to it and discussed it in class. Pays to come to class.


2: "Dear Caller" Instead of Doug, pretend you are serving at a Crisis Pregnancy Center and you grab the phone. There is no one else around, so you must respond to this caller. What do you say?

Amy is a 17-year old high school student. She is pregnant, and her parents want her to get an abortion because they are leaders in their church and it would be "best for the family and the church if no one knew." She wants to keep the baby, but doubts her boyfriend will marry her. If she keeps the baby, her parents will likely kick her out. She knows it would be too hard to be 17, a single mom, and make ends meet. An abortion seems the simplest answer to this complex question, but she doesn't want to have an abortion. 

What do you say to Amy?


3A: Read "Principles of a Christian Environmental Ethic" by John Bergstrom on pages 259-268 in your Student Manual. Write on a sheet of paper that you read it, and sign it.

3B: Answer 5 of the 10 questions on page 269. You pick the 5.

Next class is on Radical Environmentalism. Enjoy!

Notes from Apr 2

For you slackers, skippers, and soccer players, here are the notes from the most amazing two hours you've ever missed. I'm joking by the way. Don't get offended.


Euthanasia Definitions

• Eu = good + thanatos = death
• Can be called mercy killing or Physician Assisted Suicide
• Voluntary = patient requesting death
• Involuntary = patient not able to request it
• Passive = withholding treatment
• Active = killing with substance or force
• Living Will = paperwork stating your preferences for life support and death

Euthanasia Examples

• Plato and Socrates (pro-euthanasia) and Hippocrates (anti-euthanasia) debated the topic. 
• Action T4- Nazi’s ordering of handicapped children and adults to be killed (over 75,000 adults and children, many forcibly taken from their homes). They referred to their actions as euthanasia. 
• Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act legalized physician assisted death in 1994. Washington did the same in 2008. 
• Dr. Jack Kevorkian (Dr. Death) assisted 130 people in death between 1990 and 1998 with his machine which let patients give themselves lethal injections. He famously said, “Dying is not a crime.” 
• Terri Schiavo became arguably the most famous case of euthanasia due to court battle that lasted from 1998-2005. She had her feeding tube removed and died while making headlines across the world. 

Abortion Facts

• Usually refers to the voluntary termination of a pregnancy, but some people use the term to refer to miscarriages.
• There are about 40 million abortions worldwide each year.
• There is evidence of abortions in many ancient civilizations (China, Egypt, Greece, etc)
• Roe v. Wade in 1973 legalized abortion in the US

Abortion Laws

• You can see the various laws from around the world on Wikipedia. 
• Notice how in Muslim and Catholic countries, abortion is illegal with exceptions. You can see worldviews playing out. 

Abortion Debate
People argue over:

• Choice: “Women have a right to choose what happens to their own bodies” and “The unborn child has a choice too.” 
• Necessity: “Abortion must be legal for special cases of life and death, etc.” and “If abortion was illegal, women would have back-alley abortions” 
• Personhood: The debate has shifted from a fetus being a “life” to it not being a “person." Roe v. Wade argued that a fetus is not a person, because if it is, it would be protected under the 14th Amendment 

Logical Fallacies

• Begging the question: “A woman has the right to control her own body” ignores the fact that there are two bodies.
• Argument from silence: “The Bible doesn’t speak about abortion, so it is okay”
• Ad Hominem: “You are a man/teenager/never been through it, so your opinion doesn’t count”
• Red Herring: “If it were illegal, then women would have back alley abortions.” 
• Several: “If you don’t like abortions, don’t have one.” 

Philosophical Thoughts (from Scott Klusendorf, "The Case Against Abortion" from Understanding the Times)

• A fetus is said not to be a person because: 
• Size: however, a 4 foot person is not less of a person than a 6 foot person
• Development: however, a kindergartner is not less of a person than a high-schooler 
• Environment: however, a newborn in an incubator is not less of a person
• Independence: however, an adult who uses insulin is not less human

Debating Abortion (adapted from Scott Klusendorf, "The Case Against Abortion" from Understanding the Times)

• What Would Jesus Do? Show compassion, patience, and love as you talk about abortion. It is a very sensitive topic. Don't make people hate Jesus by the way you talk to them. Be humble, winsome, and careful. Don't argue, patronize, or insult anyone. 
• Personhood : Clarify functioning as a person vs. being one. Even Roe V. Wade stated that a fetus is a person, but biblically (Ps 139 among others) states that it is. Stand firm that a fetus is a person. That is most often the underlying difference of opinion. 
• Trot out the toddler: When people talk about a mother having the right to choose, about some children being unwanted, etc, ask if their logic could be applied to killing a toddler. 
• Clarify moral vs. preference claims: Often people make pro-lifers sound like their case against abortion is personal, arrogantly not understanding the situation some people are in, etc. However, Christianity is against abortion because of morality not personal preference. Christians fundamentally believe it is God's role to decide life and death and that the Bible forbids killing.
• Relativism: When someone says not to force your view on them, ask why not, and whatever they say is them forcing their view on you.