Question 1-confucanism

Xunzi believed that traditional ritual forms helped to maintain society, and that without them
there would anarchy and social chaos. He also believed that human nature was bad and that
people were born with a desire to cause chaos, something that religion and religious codes
could avert through teaching morality to the otherwise selfish individuals who make up society.
He also compares a person who rejects tradition as a blind man trying to differentiate colors.
Mencius thought that human nature was inclined towards goodness and that each human has
innate moral tendencies (sprouts), that can be cultivated in virtue and benevolence.
Both emphasized the necessity of role models for humans to become virtuous and morally
mature, and though they both disagree on some points, both highlight the necessity of having
role models and examples to follow, and thought that religion and tradition provided this.
Confucians believed that humans grow by looking, and that role models were the glue that
held society together. Religion and the rules of the religion can also be a teacher that guides
you through how to act morally. Saints and the like are also role models in this sense as one
can ask what would they do.

Question 2- Foster care system

Two main reasons are the worsening economy (leading to no social safety net for parents) and
the rise of single parent families with younger parents in some demographics.
Single parents tend to be young, female, and hooked on a substance or in a degrading position
in life. As the political climate hardens against these crimes more are sent to prison, which
leads to more of their children ending up in the foster system. The lack of a safety net to
prevent this from occurring in the first place is part of the problem.
Because of the lack of funding for the system, it itself creates a number of individuals who will
repeat the cycle down the road, because of the lack of care and support they have received.
The system itself is not a high priority for many politicians, and Americans are reluctant
because of a fear of the children themselves.
There is no clear moral mandate (as in the Jewish tradition) to care for orphans in society as a
whole (part of the reason for why the system was created) and this oversight in our moral code
is why many children find themselves in these untenable situations.

Question 3- Islamic law vs. Islamic ethics (note: the question is asking you to judge Islamic legal
rules according to Islamic theological and mystical teachings. It is NOT asking you to judge the moral
adequacy of Islamic law according to current, modern ethical standards.)

The way you should practice Islam comes from the Koran, hadith, and what the prophet said.
Islamic law comes from rulings of the sharia courts.
Islamic ethics is concerned with evaluation and assessment of actions, and if they are being
used to realize or serve God. Not only is it concerned with what does God want me to do, but
also which means do I have to find this out?. In a sense this means that there is not so much
of an emphasis on do or dont do this, but rather on if you do something, was it to serve god or
not.
Islamic law is designed to enforce the ethics of Islam, and it could be argued that they are a
check on the ambiguous portions of Islamic theology but harmful actions that individuals will
take as part of their search for their purpose in life. A good example of this is the subject of
domestic violence, with it being ambiguous in the Koran is if it is or is not okay to do, but the
Islamic law courts punishing those who did it in cases that it could be proved.
Islamic ethics does not include the cultural practices of the different groups that make up the
Islamic world (Ie. Pakistanis and Iranians). The Islamic law and legal sciences are decisive for
the determination of right actions.
In Islamic law, the Koran contains many items which point the way to moral knowledge. Islamic
law also takes what is said and provides analogical reasoning to solve issues that may have
arisen and are not explicitly covered in the Koran. (wine is forbidden in the Koran, but are other
types of alcohol? The answer is yes.)
 The theological aspect of Islam is intertwined with Islamic law, but not everything that the
Islamic theologians come up with is followed in the law courts, as judges will try to make their
rulings based on reasoning from the portions of the Koran which deal with morals.
Islamic theology is interested in how can people know if an action is good or bad,
while Islamic law tries to derive rulings on which category does the action fall into
(Wajib or fard (obligatory), Haram (forbidden), Mubah (permissible or neutral),
Mandub (recommended/encouraged), Makruh (discouraged/disliked).
Question 4- How do we know what God wants us to do?
This statement would be a hard one for both Jews and Christians to follow and not contest. It is
the belief of both these religions that humans are flawed creatures (the idea of original sin, and
everyone being born with it, because of the events that occurred in the Garden of Eden).
In addition, both faiths highlight the fact that Gods will is not completely known, from the big
picture all the way down to the individual, and try and perceive his will, we must follow his
teachings as laid down in the holy books and the teachings of the apostles and prophets.
However, even if we do this, we are still not completely sure if we are following his will.
Humans are morally flawed, and as such will never be able to completely live perfect lives. This
is why rituals to receive divine forgiveness for sins exist, however we are encouraged as
individuals to try our hardest to live up to the expectations expected of us, but it should be no
surprise that we stumble along the way.
There is also an idea, that despite what you do, God will make it work out for the best way
possible (not necessarily for you), but that if we live the best lives possible, that it will be much
easier to do gods will.

Question 5-two ways you become good through Confucianism

Role models are perhaps the biggest way that you can become good and virtuous in
Confucianism, as if you have a good example that you have learned from (or been taught by
themselves or their example), and then apply the actions that the role model has taken in your
life, you will become good and virtuous.
Relationships with others are a second way that you can become good and virtuous in
Confucianism, and Xunzi says that As for people, even if they had a fine nature and inborne
substance and their hearts were keenly discriminating and wise, they would still need to seek
worthy teachers to serve, and choose worthy friends to befriendIf you obtain a worthy friend
to befriend, then what you see will be conduct that is loyal, trustworthy, respectful, and
deferential. Then you will make daily progress
The above statement seems to say that not only should you have good role models to follow,
but that you should also try to put yourself in an environment where you are surrounded by
good people, and by daily interaction with these people will yourself become good.

Question 6-Why lying-reasoning vs. Islam and Judaism

Bonhoeffer seems to say that lying is okay, if the individual lying deeply believes person does
not deserve the truth. This seems to be something that would happen only in a case, where
the truth would lead to persecution or punishment for a reason that does not deserve such a
response in the Christian tradition. Augustine on the other hand says that one must always tell
the truth, or you have compromised yourself in Gods eyes.
The Koran says that those who lie will not suffer because of it, but they will be rewarded for
telling the truth. Telling the truth is good in the Islamic tradition, but can be superseded by
other obligations (lying to wife to please her, lying to an enemy (to include all non-Muslims),
and lying to settle a dispute). The idea is that despite how many lies you tell, you will not be
taken to task in gods eyes and will still be a good Muslim.
 Telling the truth is a central tenant of the Jewish faith, however, Judaism recognizes that events
may occur in life that force people to behave dishonestly. As with Islam there are three

situations in which a Jew may lie:

Despite this, tail bearing and acting dishonestly are frowned upon by Jews, and it could be
said that unless it is one of the above three reasons, you have done goofed and need to fix
yourself and beg Gods forgiveness, as he does count lying as a sin and part of the scale with
which you will be judged on death.
Finally, in the case of when human life is threatened you may break all commandments but
three: Denying faith, Suicide, and sexual misconduct. Lying is therefore something that should
be used only in desperate times.