Religion

Note: Your final essay is worth more than your previous journal entries. It is worth 10% of your course grade and is to be longer in length. But like a journal entry, this is an essay and will be graded on the same criteria as the essay/journal entries. *Does your essay have a thesis statement and does the body of your essay answer the questions asked with understanding and engagement of the biblical text? A strong essay will also have a conclusion that nicely wraps up your essay and adds some of your own insights. For your final essay, please address the following topic: Differing views of salvation. Choose THREE BOOKS (see the categories below) and in FIVE DOUBLE SPACED PAGES (at least 4, not more than 6) address the issue of salvation in the New Testament. Your FIRST BOOK needs to be one of the gospels. Your SECOND BOOK needs to be one of Paul’s letters that we’ve read. Your THIRD COMPARISON needs to be either the reconstruction of the historical Jesus or the Gnostic Jesus or Jesus as he appears in the Book of Revelation. In constructing your essay, please pay attention to the portrait of Jesus in the various books and how this picture of Jesus relates to the good news which he brings: what does salvation look like? And then think in terms of problem / solution. What stands in the way of salvation: the main obstacle or face of evil in the book you are addressing? How is this obstacle overcome: what is the chief virtue of the book in question? Some example considerations might include: Is it Jesus’ life, or his death, or his resurrection that is pivotal to salvation. Or is an emphasis placed on justification, sanctification, or resurrection: all three of which are ultimately involved in salvation? Does the book stress the “evil we suffer” and present a view of salvation as a *deliverance* from a problem that is external to ourselves. Is the problem “out there,” be it demons or illness and death or Roman and Jewish tyrants or social injustice, etc. Or does the book stress the “evil we do” and present a view of salvation as a needed personal *transformation*. The problem that keeps us from properly relating to God and to each other is not in the world, but is a problem with us, be it sin or hypocrisy or guilt, etc. Or some books balance these two approaches towards salvation. These are just questions to get your thinking started. How you approach the books you choose is up to you, but again, tell me who Jesus is, what he wants (the good news), what stands in the way (the face of evil), and how that obstacle is overcome (by Jesus and by us). Your essay should reveal the unique characteristics of the books you choose, not just a generic or general sense of the good news as “Jesus brings salvation,” but the particular and detailed good news for each book. (Remember, I want you to show me that you understand the material and not just give simplistic answers! Simplistic or very general answers = lower grade, while precise, articulate, and detailed answers = higher grade.) Also, while short quotes are useful, long quotes/passages are not as useful and do not count toward the overall page count.  And when you use short quotations and paraphrases, please be sure to explain to me what they mean: why the passage is significant. And of course, anything, however small, that is not original to you MUST BE CITED. And I would strongly encourage you to not copy and paste anything from the Internet (in general this information is too generic and frequently wrong), but if you do use anything that is not original to you, it MUST BE CITED. Passages from the Bible, the textbook, or DB or Instructor’s Comments can be cited in parenthetical citations at the end of a sentence (DB, Week 10, Walker, 7/12/2014, 5 pm). Or cite like this (John 2

Go online and search for information about companies that have been harmed or bankrupted by a disaster. Choose one such company and create a brief case study about it. Successful narratives will focus on the manner in which the organization was impacted, including financial losses, losses of sales, or the need for layoffs. Your assignment should be 3-4 paragraphs in length.

Jehovah’s  witnesses and sanguine transfusion. An ethical dilemma. need two have two pages .  APA stile plus references

1) Answer the questions below. List your source(s) for all your answers: ( in-text and in a reference list using the proper methodology)A) Does Radical Islamism support democracy? Explain your answer using 3 distinctive examples to support your answer. Refer to the 6 key features of democracy to support your answer.B) Does Radical Islamism represent most believers in Islam? Explain your answer using concepts presented in the class and the textbook.C) How does Radical Islamism perceive Freedom?

Discussion 1: Patients’ Perception About Religion and SpiritualityReligion and spirituality are complex constructs that have the capacity to influence patients’ illnesses, courses of treatment, and experiences. Medical social workers may feel unsure of how to address patients’ religious beliefs. Despite knowledge about the benefits of medications and treatment in illness management, social workers may hear patient comments such as, “I don’t need medicine. God is going to heal me.” In situations of conflicting ideas, it is important for medical social workers to consider the standards and tenets that govern the profession. Medical social workers must listen, not judge, and promote a patient’s self-determination. In addition, they must accept that they may not be able to address a patient’s religious or spiritual needs and call upon colleagues such as pastors, priests, imams, and rabbis who are more qualified in these areas

In February 2015, a woman in Quebec had her car seized by the automobile insurance board, and when she went to court to reclaim her vehicle, the judge refused to hear her case. The woman in question was Muslim, and was wearing her hijab. The judge stated he would not hear her case unless she removed her hijab. During the hearing, the judge asserted, “The same rules need to be applied to everyone. I will therefore not hear you if you are wearing a scarf on your head, just as I would not allow a person to appear before me wearing a hat or sunglasses on his or her head, or any other garment not suitable for a court proceeding.” Bringing in examples from course materials and case law, as well as your own research, please answer the following questions: 1. Is freedom of religion reflected in this case? 2. Does the judicial system have the authority to refuse hearing a case because of the religion of the individual concerned? Does a judge have the power to enforce institutional rules that directly conflict with an individual’s fundamental freedoms? 3. Do the courts have the authority to limit when an individual can express their beliefs or religion (think here about judicial activism vs. deference)? 4. What are the policy implication s arising from this case? Does this impact Canada’s status as a multicultural country? Sources: https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/sikhs-and-hard-hats-let-freedom-reign/ https://www.thecourt.ca/face-coverings-and-the-canadian-citizenship-oath-the-federal-court-of-appeal-decides-ishaq-v-canada/ https://www.oktlaw.com/indigenous-religious-freedom-case-heads-supreme-court/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/supreme-court-rules-quebec-infringed-on-loyola-high-school-s-religious-freedom-1.3000724

The Case of Jim Bakker and PTL Jim Bakker created PTL, a Christian-oriented syndication network, in 1977. Prior to that time, Bakker had spent seven years working for the Christian Broadcast Network (CBN) owned by Pat Robertson. Bakker was not well educated in theology; he had dropped out of North Central Bible College after only three semesters. However, he was a natural on television, where he preached seed-faith and prosperity theology. These theological philosophies had originated with Oral Roberts in the 1940s and by the 1980s were widely embraced by many evangelists. The seed-faith philosophy taught that if the believers served and gave to God, they would be rewarded by God with an abundance of material needs. Prosperity theology, also known as “health and wealth theology,” asserted that God wanted the whole man, including his finances, to be healed. Those practicing prosperity theology recommended that believers pray for a specific outcome or object. Indeed, Bakker recommended that if his supporters prayed for a camper, they should specify the color; otherwise, they were asking God to do their shopping. Bakker, then, did not preach hard work, saving, and responsible planning. Instead, he subscribed to the belief that the Spirit willed financial miracles as well as the actions of Its followers. Bakker sermonized only on the love of God and ignored the topic of sin. This religious philosophy apparently appealed to a wide cross-section of middle-class Americans, as Bakker’s congregation grew rapidly. Only 20 percent of Bakker’s sup-porters came from his own Assemblies of God Pentecostal faith; the remainder came from other Pentecostal denominations, other Protestant denominations, and the Roman Catholic Church. Their contributions and support made PTL one of the three wealthiest and most popular media ministries in the nation. Consequently, by 1984, PTL served 1,300 cable systems of 12 million homes and had accumulated $66 million in revenues and $86 million in assets. PTL also had 900 people on the payroll and enormous operat-ing expenses and debt. Bakker often prayed, with his television audience, for the financing of specific projects, an evangelical university, a PTL show in Italy or Brazil, or the “Christian Disneyland” labeled Heritage USA. When the money for these projects poured in from viewers, however, Bakker would use the funds for something else because that was the way he had been moved by the Spirit. Because of this style of financial management, PTL debts mounted. Thus it was in 1983 that Bakker conceived the idea of selling lifetime partnerships for donations of $1,000 or more. The lifetime partnerships entitled the contributors to three free nights of lodging and recreation at Heritage USA for the remainder of their lives—a package previously valued at $3,000. The funds from the lifetime partnerships were to be designated for completion of construction at Heritage USA. Unfortunately, Bakker sold lifetime partnerships to more donors than he could accommodate at Heritage USA. Further, as the number of lifetime partnerships sold escalated, contributions to the general PTL fund diminished. In order for PTL to continue, funds from the lifetime part-nerships had to be diverted for everyday operating expenses. Consequently, construction on the lodging facilities at Heritage USA were never completed. Bakker’s followers were aware of where their contributions were being channeled. The Charlotte Observer regularly reported the financial actions of PTL and the Heritage USA construction cost overruns as well as Bakker’s purchases, which included three vacation homes, gold-plated bathroom fixtures, an air-conditioned doghouse, and vast amounts of clothing and jewels. Indeed, Bakker would display the headlines on television to demonstrate the hostility of the press. His followers never wavered. They supported and even endorsed Bakker’s materialistic lifestyle and promise of financial miracles. After all, Bakker was only acting out what he preached—a religion with standards of excess and tenets of tolerance and freedom from accountability. As a televangelist, he was free to preach what he pleased, and people were free to listen or not. No one coerced monetary contributions from Bakker’s supporters—they willingly sent in funds and did not hold Bakker accountable for the disbursement of those funds. Further, the government was aware of Bakkers’ actions. Bakker and his PTL operation were extensively investigated on separate occasions by the Federal Communication Commis-sion, the Justice Department, and the Internal Revenue Service beginning in 1979. Even though the agencies had substantial evidence ofmisconduct involving millions of dollars, no efforts were made to stop Bakker, and none of the agencies moved toward indictment. Bakker was allowed, indeed, encouraged in his behavior because he personified the cul-ture of the eighties. No government agency or public outcry arose to stop him until after Bakker, fearing reprisal concerning his affair with church secretary Jessica Hahn, resigned from PTL. Bakker’s actions could hardly be called covert because they had taken place in plain sight, exemplifying the religious philosophy he and his followers had daily espoused. In 1987, almost a decade after noting apparent misconduct in the operations of PTL, the federal government charged Jim Bakker with 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy, alleging that Bakker had bilked his supporters. Bakker was sentenced to 45 years in a federal prison and order to pay a $500,000 fine. In 1992, Bakker’s sentence was reduced to eight years and the $500,000 fine was voided. In that same year, Bakker’s wife, Tammy Fae Bakker (known for her mascara-streaking crying sessions while on camera), divorced Jim. In 1993, Bakker was transferred to a minimum security prison where he was paroled in 1994. Discussion Questions 1. What service properties inherent in religious groups contribute to consumer vulnerability? 2. Which types of moral philosophies could be argued to be the basis for Bakker’s actions? 3. What are the ethical issues involved?

Take a look at the prayers (laments) of Jeremiah and answer the following questions.Jeremiah 11:18-23 = The people tell Jeremiah not to prophesy and his life is threatened. He pours his heart out to God concerning his feelings.How does Jeremiah feel?What is God’s response?Jeremiah 15:10-21What is Jeremiah’s first complaint?What does he ask God to do for him?Why does Jeremiah claim that he deserves God’s favor?What is his final question before God answers?What is God’s response?Jeremiah 18:18-23What are the people planning on doing to Jeremiah?What does Jeremiah ask God to do?Why does Jeremiah claim that he deserves this from God?Does God get angry at Jeremiah’s bold prayer?Jeremiah 20:7-13What is Jeremiah’s complaint?What decision did her first make to deal with this problem?Why did he not follow through with it?What does Jeremiah finally affirm about God?Jeremiah 20:14-18What does Jeremiah curse?What does he wish for in this prayer?Does God condemn him for expressing these feelings?

Each student will chose a scripture reference (Job 14:9) that can either be a single verse with a focus on an animal, a body part, or a natural element (mud, salt, etc.), or a phenomenon that may have scientific implications, such as various apocalyptic occurrences in Revelation, to study from a scientific perspective over the course of the semester. Each assignment serves as the foundation for the next assignment. • Assignment 1: Planning a Research Paper (PRP) For this assignment, students will write one to two paragraphs introducing a verse or story from the Bible that will be analyzed using a scientific perspective. The paragraph should include initial thoughts or interpretations about the verse from a theological standpoint and present a hypothesis as to whether science evidence about the key word, phrase, or concept will support or refute the theological message being delivered. • Assignment 2: Annotated Bibliography (AB) For this assignment, students will critically analyze three to five sources that will be used to conduct research on the chosen Bible verse. Each reference must be written according to the APA 6th Edition Formatting and Style Guidelines. Following each bibliographic entry, one to two paragraphs must be written explaining what type of information will be retrieved from the reference and why the chosen source is credible. • Assignment 3: Rough Draft of the Paper (RD) For this assignment, students will write a rough draft of the paper focusing on the chosen verse. The body of the rough draft must be between seven (7) to ten (10) pages. This does NOT include the cover page or references. Final Paper (FLdoc) For this assignment, students will submit a final copy of their paper (research project assignment 3) focusing on the chosen verse. The body of the final draft must be between seven (7) to ten (10) pages. This does NOT include the cover page or references. This paper should serve as an extended version of what will be the final oral presentation in this course.

Found in Chapter 5 of the McMinn (2011) text is a discussion on the “relational nature of sin and healing” (p. 194). Expound upon the concepts presented: the 3 acts, relational theology of sin and healing, and finally, the mission of God.  God’s court room may solve many answer when a sin is committed. Jesus Christ God’s son was sent to involve himself while suffering and has endured the death penalty for us. This forensic evidence has shown its holy face when ever the implications of sin shows up in Gods court room. This established relationship created by nature rules many lives. It is our cross we carry to the day we are called to God judgment day. This natural relationship can coin the terms in a “Three-act play”. Act one is ” A relational God creates relational Human Creatures ” The imago Dei. Act two is the Sin Impedes Relationship Act thee God goes to extreme measures to redeem what is broken.’