Glendale Community College Evaluation of Buddhist & Christianity Paradigms Discussion

Writing assignment: Applying ParadigmsDirections: Be sure to explain clearly and completely how the paradigms referred to below apply to the situations described. Type and double space your answers and submit them as a Word or PDF file on Canvas Assignments.

Part one: (one half to one page double spaced):Choose one of these two moral dilemmas to write about:

1.You are a police officer who has received a number of messages from various reliable sources that a terrorist group is going to explode a gigantic bomb the next day in some very crowded market place, although where is not known. A high-ranking member of that terrorist group is in your custody, and when you question him about it, he sneers and laughs at you as if he knows all about it. You have complete authority over what happens next. You can torture him any way you wish for information, and none of this will be revealed to the public. What should you do?

Evaluate this situation from both the paradigm of Judaism and the paradigm of a culture whose people believe they have the bloodline of a god they worship.

2.You are an eyewitness to a crime: A man has robbed a bank, but instead of keeping the money for himself, he donates it to a poor orphanage that can now afford to feed, clothe, and care for its children. You know who committed the crime–in fact, he is a friend of yours. If you go to the authorities with the information, there’s a good chance the money will be returned to the bank, leaving a lot of kids in need. What do you do? Why?

Evaluate this situation from both the paradigm of a Buddhist and the paradigm of Christianity.

Part Two (one to two pages double spaced): You must write about this very short story, applying the paradigm of the goddess theory:

Demeter and PersephoneZeus, King of all the Gods, had three sisters: Hera, Queen of the Gods, was also his wife and the Goddess of Marriage; Hestia was the Goddess of Home and Hearth and Demeter was Goddess of the Harvest, responsible for the crops and for feeding the people.Demeter was loved by all humans for her gift of soil and gentle, mild weather to grow their crops. They worshipped her for her caring and kindness. She was very much a ‘hands on’ and ‘happy to help’ sort of Goddess. Persephone was Demeter’s only child. Like her mother, she was kind and caring, with a happy nature and the most dazzling smile. She was the sort of person who spread light and happiness wherever she went and so, naturally, she was loved by everyone but most especially by her mother.

Hades, mighty ruler of the Underworld, had spied her on one of his trips to the world above. He was dazzled by her beauty, her elegance and her charm. He decided that he must have her as his wife. Knowing that Demeter would never agree to her daughter living with him in his gloomy world of the dead, he decided to visit his brother, Zeus, to discuss the matter. Surprisingly, the great god Zeus agreed to Hades’ plan, to abduct the young woman and take her to his realm. He rode his chariot to the upper world and kidnapped her. At first, Persephone cried and cried, until she had no more tears left to weep. She refused all offers of food, for she had heard the legend that those who eat in the Underworld can never return. So she determined not to let a morsel of food pass her lips.

In revenge on Zeus, Demeter withdrew all of her fertility power from the earth, so the earth turned dry and barren, and people began to die. Finally, Zeus agreed to allow Persephone to come back to the living world. But Hades made Persephone feel sorry for him because of his loneliness in the underworld. Before Hermes could come and get her, Hades held a pomegranate in his hand and said, “Persephone, my love, I am so worried that you will fade away if you do not eat. Look at this sweet fruit, taste just a little for pities’ sake.” Looking deep into his eyes, the girl carefully reached out her hand and took the luscious fruit to her lips. Deliberately, she swallowed a few seeds, just six.

That is why Persephone can only come back to the living world six months out of the year and the rest of the time she keeps Hades company in the underworld for the other six months.

Evaluate this story from both the paradigm of the goddess theory. Explain your answer completely

(I will be providing some information regarding the paradigms)