Religion Essay Wrting

Suggested Writing Method: Now is the time to put the deconstruction assignment to good use.When you set up your essay, be clear and logical with each level and you will be on your way to a strong essay. Make sure you have selected the best evidence from your sources and documented it accurately. Create a draft, then walk away and forget about. Return in a couple of days to edit and revise, check your documentation, and add whatever you need to make it your essay and your best work. Read it out loud. Be critical. Plan ahead.Deconstruction levels1. The general topic and the specific focus2. The specific problem or issue you find interesting3. Your solution to the problem or issue you set up (thesis)4. The main arguments supporting the solution—always advance your thesis2 ESSAY TOPICS (Consult your TA if you wish to propose your own) i. Most of the world religions insist that peace is a core value, yet nearly all of the religious groups are or have been at war with each other and often side with political factions waging war. How are we to understand the professed virtues of religion in light of violence and persecution? ii. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are described as Abrahamic traditions and theiradherents are described as the “people of the book.” Why then do these traditionsoften find themselves in conflict? iii. If sin is forsaking God for the temptations of the flesh/ego (Christianity) and ignorance is forsaking Brahman for the illusion of the self/ego (Hinduism), then what, if any, is the essential difference between sin and ignorance and between liberation and salvation? iv. Freud said that religion was a human longing for a powerful father figure. Carl Jung saidthat “God” is a feature of all human psyches. Is religion a human instinct? What does your response tell us of the nature of religion Consider, if you prefer, the role psychology has played in the growth and response of at least two world religions (one from the east and one from the west).v. In light of the current interest in whether governments should legislate and enforce what its citizens must wear in public (in terms of a mask), should a government legislate and enforce what religious believers can and cannot wear in public (in terms of clothing, symbols, and paraphernalia)? What is the value of even wearing religious “things”?vi. In the Bible, after exiting the ark, Noah planted a vineyard and drank wine. Jesus, at a wedding, turned water into wine. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a much-respected Buddhist leader, was a scotch drinker who died at age 48 of cirrhosis of the liver. Some religious traditions either discourage or forbid its consumption, but is alcohol inherently good or evil? Compare attitudes to alcohol in at least two world religions (one from the east and one from the west). What scholarly arguments can you make for why religions are so divided? vii. Is celibacy a more spiritual lifestyle than marriage? Considering the advantages and disadvantages of religious celibacy, how much is human sexuality an essential component of the nature of religion? Why do some traditions see it as a negative and others as a positive? viii. The young Buddhist disciple asked her master, “O Master, is it proper for a monk to use email?” To which the Master responded, “Sure . . . as long as there are no attachments.” What role has humour played in the growth and response of at least two world religions (one from the east and one from the west). Consider, for example, if parody and satire are fruitful or counterproductive in religion. Are “humorous” films, literature, comics, and cartoons instructive or destructive? ix. What role has universal human rights played in the growth and response of at least two world religions (one from the east and one from the west). Are religions inherently racist or do they consistently project a tolerance of the “other”? What is it about the nature of religion that it may often be a tool for exclusivity and not inclusivity? x. Discuss the relationship between religion, state, and ethnocultural identities of at least two world religions (one from the east and one from the west). xi. What could you argue in a meaningful, academic way when you compare and contrast one monotheistic, one polytheistic, and one non-theistic religious traditions studied in this course? Is it simply the nature of religion to posit the idea that belief in something greater than human is the absolute minimum element required? xii. What does the representation of religion in fiction or fantasy (TV, film, literature, comics or otherwise) tells us about the nature of religion? In your response you must be sure touse proper MLA citation, and you must use at least one academic theorist from the media form you choose as one of your scholarly sources (e.g., film theorist, television theorist, literary critic, or graphic novel/comics critic)