Overview
In writing ALL of the following micro-essays you are free to pick and choose from different religions, come up with your own personal insights, and/or defend the orthodox position of one’s particular religion on all of the following points (if you choose this latter path, make sure to explain why you prefer the position of this one religion over all others in regards to all these different issues). In each of these debates, make sure to relate how your conclusions fit (or do not fit) with some of the conclusions reached by some of the religions discussed in your readings and in class.
Each one of the micro-essays should be between a minimum of one page and one and half pages. It's not a problem if you write more.
Readings and Other Sources:
-The Age of Reason, Thomas Paine (Nuvision Publications, 2007)
-Create Your Own Religion, Daniele Bolelli (Disinfo Books, 2013)
-Primary Sources: This course will use several primary sources. Some are contained in the assigned books. Some are in the Taoist lecture series. Some are discussed in the course audio-lectures. Others will be for you to find on the net as part of preparation for the papers.
-other online literature from reliable academic sources
Prompts:
-ANIMISM VS. ANTHROPOCENTRISM: Most Western religions differ from Animistic religions in regards to the position of human beings in the great scheme of things, to the presence or absence of a soul in other beings (i.e. animals, plants, etc.), and to the relationship humans have with nature. Explain these different views, and analyze how they fit (or do not fit) with a capitalist economy and how they affect the issue of energy consumption. What do you think about this topic, why, and how do your ideas about this affect your life (specific examples)?
-RITUALS: Some religions value rituals very much while others disregard them. Provide examples of each and explain the rationale for their position. What is your own position on this? Do you have any ritual, religious or non-religious, that you engage in your own life?
-ONE TRUTH VS. MULTIPLE TRUTHS. Some religions argue that there is only one eternal truth and one path to get to it while others state that there are many paths to get to many truths. What do you think? How did these different positions affect the lifestyles of people holding them? Provide a few examples from the history of various religions that were caused in part by either mindset. Politically speaking, how would these different approaches lead people to think about whether certain things (such as drugs, euthanasia, prostitution, gambling, etc.) should be legal or illegal?