Moral Absolutes Essay Example for Free

Moral Absolutes Essay Why are Christian ethics and theology inseparable? What did Francis Schaeffer mean when he said that not all things are the same to God? Christian ethics is inseparable from theology because it is grounded in the character of God. Francis Schaeffer said that not all things are the same to God and means that God exists and has a character, but not all things are the same to him. Some things conform to His character, and some are opposed to his character. 2. What did Schaeffer conclude about a society without moral absolutes? Do we see this in society? Schaeffer concludes that if a society has no moral absolutes then there is no final appeal to judge between individuals and groups whose moral judgments conflict. There will be no standards and only conflicting opinions. 3. On what authority do Christians base their belief in moral absolutes? How specific is this authority? Christians base their beliefs in moral absolutes through the Bible. Of course, you cannot solve all moral decisions by referring to the Bible but there sufficient guidelines provided to give us a sense of what is morally right. These guidelines are the Decalogue also known as the Ten Commandments and tat is how specific the authority is. 4. Ethically speaking, what are Christians called to do? Christians are called to love the Lord with all their heart, all their soul, and with all their strength and with their entire mind and love your neighbor as yourself. 5. What did Dietrich Bonhoeffer mean by the question, â€Å"Where are the responsible people? He meant Christians, who are willing to treat God’s moral order with the same respect they show His physical order; who love God with their whole body, soul, spirit, mind and strength; who treat others as they desire to be treated. Ethics 3. 2 6. Why do Muslims view Muhammad as morally exemplary even though the Hadith does not paint a flattering portrait of his life? Muslims are conditioned to look at the whole picture through the eyes of faith. Certain things that the Prophet did do not conform to ordinary ideas of morality and may be considered sensual and cruel, but believers look at the whole thing differently. To them morality derives from the Prophet’s actions; the moral is whatever he did. Morality does not determine the Prophet’s actions, but his actions determines morality. 7. How do Christianity and Islam differ in relation to their beliefs about ethical absolutes? Christianity and Islam differ because Christianity is based on the Bible and Islam is based on the Qur’an and the Bible grounds morality in God’s essential character; the Qur’an teaches that God cannot be ultimately known. 8. In what two ways is the term jihad used? First: the battle against temptation and sin for the sake of self-control and the development of virtue; Second: the battle against any and all who oppose Islam. 9. What motivates Muslims to behave ethically? They are motivated by several fronts like: to develop personal virtue and spirituality, to better the state of others, to strengthen relationships, and to anticipate the coming judgment. 10. Which motivation is strongest? The anticipation of final judgment. Ethics 3. 3 11. What is the ultimate ethical question for a Secular Humanist? What questions did Morris B. Storer outline in his book Humanist Ethics? The ultimate ethical question for a Secular Humanist is Can morality be achieved without the foundation of absolute religious beliefs? Who makes the rules, God or men? Morris B. Storer outlined: Is personal advantage the measure of right and wrong or the advantage of all affected? Is there truth in ethics? Are right and wrong expressions of heart or head? Do people have free wills? Do you measure morality by results or by principles? Do people have duties as well as rights? 12. Why are there such diverse views and conflicts regarding humanistic ethics? There are diverse views and conflicts because there is a lack of consensus about the foundation of ethics and that is problematic for the whole concept of Humanistic ethics. 13. Who proposed the â€Å"no-truth thesis† and what does it state? Kai Nelson and it states that no question of the truth or falsity of moral values can sensibly arise. 14. How do most humanists attempt to dodge the â€Å"no-truth thesis†? How does Corliss Lamont address this issue? They attempt to doge it by claiming that they use reason to determine right and wrong in the context of ethical relativism. Lamont addresses the issue with optimism stating that as long as we pursue activities that are healthy, socially useful and in accordance with reason, pleasure and happiness will accompany us and the supreme good will the eventual result. 15. What did Arthur E. Gravatt, Joseph Fletcher, Herbert W. Schneider, and Paul Kurtz have to say about Ethics? Dr. Arthur E. Gravatt: Moral behavior may differ from situation to situation. Behavior might be moral for one person and not another or moral at one time and not another. Joseph Fletcher: Rights and wrongs are determined by objective facts or circumstances, that is, by the situations in which moral agents have to decide for the most beneficial course open to choice. Herbert W. Schneider: Morality is â€Å"an experimental art† and is the â€Å"basic art of living well together. † Moral right and wrong must therefore be conceived in terms of moral standards generated in a particular society. Paul Kurtz: Moral principles should be treated as hypotheses, tested by their practical worth and judged by what they cause to happen. Ethics 3. 4 16. How did Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels view the issue of morality? Marx and Engels denied that moral ideals, moral considerations, are central in human life and social evolution. Rather, it is biological and social evolution that determines their definition of morality. What is right and wrong is determined by what is best for evolution. 17. What is the Marxist-Leninist morality of the future? How will it be determined? Their morality of the future is when the proletariat finally destroys the bourgeoisie. The new classless society will determine the new morality, just as this evolution toward a classless society is dictating today’s morality. 18. What is the Marxist-Leninist view of â€Å"old morality?They view old morality as products of the bourgeoisie invented and used by the propertied class to oppress the propertyless proletariat. 19. What is the Marxist code of ethics according to the book Scientific Communism? â€Å"Devotion to the cause of the working class, collectivism, mutual aid, comradely solidarity, hatred toward the bourgeois ie and toward traitors to the common cause, internationalism, and stoicism in struggle are traits which not only define the content of proletarian ethics, but also characterize the moral image of the typical representatives of the working class. 20. What means have Marxists historically believed would bring about a society without class distinction? What have been the results of such an ethical system? They believe that revolution is the most efficient means for creating a society without class distinctions. This system is responsible for 83 million deaths between 1917 and 1964. But from a Marxist-Leninist point of view, it is worth the price if people die to abolish social classes and private property.

Essay --

Qualities of A Successful Nurse In this modern day and age, registered nursing has rapidly sky-rocketed up the ideal career charts, and is becoming a very prominent career. Far too often it becomes easy to just focus on the potential salary you will make. However, it is important to remember that to be a successful nurse you need to have physical endurance, great communication skills, and be adaptive to change. First, nursing is no where close to being the average everyday desk job. A nurse is basically a doctors "Right Hand Man", because they are responsible for following all of the doctor's orders and instructions. Being physically fit is an important quality to have in a successful nurse. There is a possibility that a nurse will have a patient larger than them, and they may have to lift the patient without any help. Also, there is a chance that a patient will fall or is falling around you, and the nurse is responsible for catching them. It is vital to always be prompt in nursing, because everyday is different, and it is good to always be prepared. The typical shift for a nurse is anywhere from ten to twelve hours a day. It is always beneficial to wear proper fitting clothes and most definitely comfortable shoes, because a nurse is on their feet for long periods of time. Although a nurse receives a set schedule, it is important to realize you may have to work longer than originally plann ed. Some of the most obvious reasons for changes in the schedule is a short staff, being scheduled to stay on-call, or if you are assisting in surgery. Most importantly, having great communication skills is key in order to be a great nurse. Strong communication skills are a basic foundation for any career, but for a nurse it is one of the mo... ...finitely not the average job with a set in stone eight to twelve hour shift. Nurses have to understand that even though they may be scheduled for a ten hour shift, there is almost always a possibility that they will have to work longer. To conclude, to be a successful nurse there are a lot of special qualities needed to provide complete care to a patient. This essay discussed three common qualities that can be seen in modern day nurses. Physical endurance is a good quality for nurses to have, because their job involves a lot of standing and physical activity. Great communication skills are especially important, because it enables you to provide the best complete care of a patient, and their family. Being adaptive to change is the last quality discussed in this essay. It is a good quality to have, because it provides the flexibility needed to be a successful nurse.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay

Three behaviors by expectant mothers that can negatively affect normal development of a fetus throughout life are consuming alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and using any kind of drugs. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders (FASD’s) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Some of the categories of FASD’s are: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS,) Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND,) and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD.) ARND is characterized by learning disabilities and behavioral issues. They might have difficulties with numbers, memory, attention, judgment, and also poor impulse control. ARBD is characterized by physical problems, mostly effecting the heart, kidneys, bones, and sometimes hearing troubles. The most severe of all FASD’s is fetal alcohol syndrome. The effects can include physical problems and problems with behavior and learning including abnor mal facial features, a small disproportioned head, shorter than average height, central nervous system problems, low body weight, hyperactivity, speech delays, poor memory, vision problems, hearing problems, learning disabilities, and even fetal death (Centers for Disease Control, 2011). Not every child whose mother consumed alcohol is born with FAS, but 1 in 800 are. Fetal alcohol syndrome is completely preventable as long as a woman abstains from drinking during the duration of pregnancy, as there is no known safe amount of alcohol (Myers, 2008). Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can result in premature birth, birth defects, low birth weight, miscarriage, and has been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Cigarettes also can cause the placenta (which provides the fetus’ oxygen and nutrients) to separate from the womb too early, which is extremely dangerous for both the fetus and the mother. (Centers for Disease Control, 2013). The use of illicit drugs during pregnancy can impede normal development in many different ways, but because of the usual lifestyle choices of people who use illicit drugs, including drinking, smoking, promiscuity that increases risk of STD’s, and poor nutrition, it’s hard to know the full extent of danger each specific drug causes (March of Dimes, 2008). Use of methamphetamine, ecstasy, or amphetamine during pregnancy can result in low birth weight, premature birth, heart defects and cleft lip. The babies also appear to go through withdrawal like symptoms, including jitteriness, drowsiness, and breathing problems. These babies will be at a much greater risk for learning disabilities. (March of Dimes, 2008). Babies of mothers who used heroin during pregnancy are at risk for poor fetal growth, premature rupture of membranes, premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight, and breathing problems. (March of dimes, 2008). The babies of heroin users also go through withdrawal symptoms within 3 day after birth, which include fever, sneezing, irritability, trembling, diarrhea, vomiting, crying, and seizures. They are also at an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The children of heroin users are also at an increased risk of contracting HIV and hepatitis C, due to the likelihood of mothers using dirty needles to inject the drug (Centers for Disease Control, 2011). Mothers who use cocaine during pregnancy subject their fetuses to low birth weight, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, urinary tract problems, strokes causing irreversible brain damage, and sometimes death (March of Dimes, 2008). The only way to avoid these serious and harmful effects is to abstain from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco throughout the entire pregnancy. It is recommended that women who have opiate addictions do not just try to stop suddenly if they find they are pregnant, and instead should start a methadone program (March of Dimes, 2008.) There are also many other resources for women who are dealing with any kind of addiction that could be harmful to their pregnancies. References Center for Disease Control. (2011, Sept 22). Facts about fasds. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/facts.html March of Dimes. (2008, January). March of dimes. Retrieved from http://www.marchofdimes.com/pregnancy/alcohol_illicitdrug.html Meyers, David G. (2008). Exploring Psychology. New York, NY: Worth Publishers

The Vietnam War During The Cold War - 928 Words

Intro The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, occurred from November 1, 1955 to April 30, 1975. The war was during the cold war era. This brutal 19 year war was fought mainly between North Vietnam, supported by the soviet union, and South Vietnam, supported by The United States of America. The U.S. government s goal of the war was to prevent South Vietnam to be labeled as a communist country. However, North Vietnam had their reasons for the war as well. Vietnam believed they should reunify South Vietnam under communist rule. Pre-Event Vietnam was originally a part of the French Empire. The French colonization of Vietnam made Vietnam want to become an independent country. Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese Communist leader, created a provisional government on August 1, 1945 which was an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule. Independence in Vietnam was then declared September 2, 1945. China then became a communist country in 1949 after the Chinese communist rebels, led by Mao Zedong, won the civil war. Starting in 1950 the United States began to support South Korea in the Korean War against the Chinese communist rebels.Vietnam was no longer a French colony in 1954 when they signed a treaty at the Geneva Conference, which stated that the North Communists would be separated from the SouthShow MoreRelatedVietnam During The Cold War1129 Words   |  5 Pa gesVietnam resembles the shape of a seahorse that stretches southeast into the Pacific Ocean; Vietnam is known as to as the â€Å"balcony of the Pacific.† By way of its water transportation links that were developed prior to rail and road networks, Vietnamese migration pressed southward (Nam Tien) along the coast. 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