Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Religion

Judith Jarvis Thomson's Defense of Abortion

Judith Jarvis Thomson, in her seminal essay "A Defense of Abortion," begins by granting, for the sake of argument, the premise that a human embryo is a person.

She then challenges the notion that one can effectively argue from this premise to the conclusion that all abortion is morally impermissible.

Thomson asserts that the Basic Argument (a term used by the author of this summary, not Thomson herself) fails to justify the idea that all abortion is morally impermissible.

Thomson's Philosophical Project

The Basic Argument Against Abortion

• The fetus is a person, and every person has a right to life.
• Therefore, the fetus has a right to life.
• The mother has a right to decide what happens in and to her body.
• But

Unit 8 Test: Samuel and Kings Review

Test covers material from:

• 1 Samuel 1-2 (Samuel), 7-10, 12-14 (Saul), 17 (David/Goliath)
• 2 Samuel 11 (David/Bathsheba)
• Textbook pages 103-105
• 1 Kings 3 (Solomon)

Samuel

• Samuel's mother is Hannah (she is barren).
• Samuel's father is Elkanah.
• Hannah promises her son will be a Nazirite (vow taken by Samson).
• They travel to the temple at Shiloh for prayer.
• The high priest at Shiloh is Eli.
• Eli has 2 sons (Phineas and Hophni – they are evil sons):
  • 1) Steal temple sacrifices
  • 2) Sleep with the prostitutes outside the meeting tent
• Elkanah's second wife is Peninnah; she jeers at Hannah for having no children.
• Hannah's prayer of praise reminds us of Mary's hymn of praise in the NT.
• Once Samuel is weaned, he is brought to Eli to live

First, the definition of a human person as the church sees it is that they see men and women as the living image of God himself, the image of his plan, they have received a part of God's dignity. The church invites all people to recognize in everyone a brother or sister 'for whom Christ died'. 'Human society is therefore the object of the social teaching of church since this is neither outside or nor over and above socially united men, but exists exclusively in them and for them.' The human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communication with other persons. He is called by grace to offer his creator... Continue reading "The Church's View on Human Dignity and Freedom" »

The Crusades

The Crusades were a series of religious conflicts between Muslims and Christians between the 11th and 13th centuries for control of the Holy Land, especially the city of Jerusalem, which was sacred to both religions. The official cause of the Crusades was the conquest of the Holy Land by the Turks, who practiced a stricter interpretation of Islam, which forbade the pilgrimage of Christians to the Holy Land. However, the real cause lay in the economic and demographic expansion that Christendom experienced after the 10th century. To avoid conflicts between Christians and accommodate the growing population, religious leaders decided to direct that expansion against the Muslims.

The First Crusade and the Rise of the Crusader States

The... Continue reading "The Crusades: A History of Religious Conflict and Cultural Exchange" »

Andrew the Apostle: Life and Biblical Significance

The name "Andrew" (Greek: manly, brave, from ἀνδρεία, Andreia, "manhood, valour"), like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews, Christians, and other Hellenized people of Judea. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him.

Early Life and Background

Andrew the Apostle was born between AD 5 and AD 10^[5] in Bethsaida, in Galilee.^[6] The New Testament states that Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter,^[7] and likewise a son of John, or Jonah. He was born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. "The first striking characteristic of Andrew is his name: it is not Hebrew, as might have been expected, but Greek, indicative of a certain cultural openness in his... Continue reading "Andrew the Apostle: Life, Significance, and Biblical Accounts" »

1. Killed an Egyptian and cut a person’s life short, so his life is cut short. Moses strikes the rock more than once to make sure he’s doing it right because he messed up so many times and wants to make sure.

Moses sends 12 spies to find out their weaknesses.

Moses' successor: Joshua

2. Rahab; width

She provides shelter and food. She hides two spies in her house because Canaanite soldiers come for them.

Tells her to put a red ribbon outside her house to not get killed.

Her fate: safety of her and her children.

Not sure why she takes them in, but it's guessed it is because she was abused by Canaanites.

3. Surrounds the Canaanites. Starve them out. Walls originally supposed to protect, now a trap.

Ark of Covenant - circling the city with it. God is... Continue reading "Key Events: Moses, Joshua, Rahab, and the War of Ai" »

Humanism

Humanism was the philosophical and cultural movement that spread through Europe in the 15th and early 16th centuries.

Astronomy

In 1543, the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus published On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, presenting his heliocentric theory. According to Copernicus, the sun was the center of the universe, not the Earth. All the planets revolve around the Sun. However, the church continued to insist that the Earth was the center of the universe.

Medicine

In 1543, the doctor Andreas Vesalius published On the Structure of the Human Body. Based on direct observation, this book was a big step forward in the knowledge of human anatomy. It became the manual for students of medicine at that time. Ten years later, the doctor... Continue reading "The Renaissance: A Cultural and Scientific Revolution" »

The Worm: Symbolism of Repression and Fallenness in William Blake's Poetry

Metaphorical Meanings of 'Worm'

• Death and decay
• Snake or serpent (alluding to the Fall of humankind)
• Christian teaching of the devil's unseen presence
• Phallic associations, representing the impact of the Fall on sexual ecstasy

'Flies in the Night' and 'Howling Storm'

* Night symbolizes the time when fears and fantasies are most active. * 'Howling storm' suggests ungovernable turmoil and passion.

'Has Found Out'

* May echo Psalms 90:8, referring to the exposure of 'secret sins.'

'Crimson'

* Denotes passion, blood, shame, and sin in the Old Testament. * Suggests that ideas of shame, sin, and secrecy have reached the innermost part of the person, infecting their capacity for joy.

Effects