Justice-Vengeance-Forgiveness


 * __World Religions Podcast Script__**

Hello, my name is Gage Karr, and my ethics topic is about justice, vengeance, and forgiveness within the major world religions. In the beginning, I thought that this topic would be very in depth with consequences and ways to attain forgiveness and whatnot, but apparently I was wrong because many of the major world religions do not have set-in-stone consequences or ways to attain forgiveness, or at least it is not enforced much today. There are some exceptions, but I’m not going to get ahead of myself here. From the start, and to be completely honest, I had no idea what I was talking about when it came to any religion of any sort because I was not educated on world religions. I always thought of myself as a smart individual, but when I think about it, I have a lot to learn, and my research on the world religions proves this. I learned so much, that, from the start, I didn’t even know what Taoism and Confucianism were. I just thought Confucius was some wise old guy who had a bunch of wise sayings because he was, well, wise, and I haven’t even heard of Taoism before this class. After I learned the basics of the world religions and what they believed, I then dug deeper about my ethical issue and what the views were of the various religions. I’ll try to compare and contrast, but there are almost more similarities than differences here, which I find interesting. But anyway, lets start with the Western religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Judaism and Christianity seem to share the most similarities in terms of justice and forgiveness, because both of these major religions see their religious practices as more personal and spiritual rather than social. When I say this I mean that if the rules and teachings are not followed within these two religions, there are no set consequences for not following the “rules” within the Bible or the Torah, or at least the punishments listed within these holy scriptures are not enforced in modern society. However, I found Islam can be more social with punishment. Everyone, or at least most people, has heard of stoning, right? Sometimes when the “rules” aren’t abided by, Muslims are set to death by stoning, but in the modern day and age this is not strongly enforced. On terms of forgiveness, all three Western religions see asking for forgiveness as personal and spiritual. To be put simply, it’s up to the individual to ask for forgiveness for a sin or for doing wrong. I could go much more in depth with the Western religions on this ethical issue, but I have only so much time, so lets move on to the Eastern religions, if you care to listen. These Eastern religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Chinese Philosophies Taoism and Confucianism. Now the Eastern religions are highly spiritual but also have a bit of social ties within them. An example of the social ties with religion is the Hindu Caste System, where ones Caste dictates their, and I’ll quote this, “level” of spirituality. I say level in the sense that the higher a caste one is in, the more spiritually devout that Hindu was in their past lives. But before I get off track here, lets talk about the ethical issue at hand. In Hinduism, there is karma, including good karma and bad karma, which directly affects their path to Moksha, or to their ultimate reality. There is no way to attain forgiveness in Hinduism other than to keep gaining good karma. Now, Buddhism is similar in a sense that the religion has social ties. This depends however if one is a monk or not, but if one is, then the punishment for not following the rules is exile from the monastery, which is a very serious social and religious manner. But if one is not a monk, then it is up to the individual on how close they follow the Buddhist way. Moving to the Chinese Philosophies, and once I learned Confucius was not just a wise old guy, I can now tell you that Confucianism is tied into the Chinese culture with basic morals and values that Confucius named. There aren’t any significant punishments spiritually, but there is a social standard in the family that is expected to be met. It’s more or less treat your elders with respect and the older protect the younger sort of deal. I’d like to point out that Confucianism is more social than Taoism, while Taoism is more spiritual. Taoism has no set of punishment or ways to attain forgiveness, but the only setback is that a Taoist will be farther from the Tao, or the universal spirit, if they do not follow the Taoist way. What are my thoughts on all of this? What is my insight? Well, I would just like to say that I believe, anyway, that the Western religions are not as hard pressed about their punishments as the Eastern religions for the most part, and that in some cases the Eastern religions are more severe about social punishment and that there is no way at all to attain forgiveness. The Western religions seems simple in that respect, in the sense that one just needs to ask their God for forgiveness. I’m now at least a bit educated on the basics of the world religions, which I’m proud of. And I’m also glad I figured out that Confucius was more than just a wise old guy.

**__Bibliography__** [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Prompt #9 12/06/10 Gage K.


 * BIG PICTURE: MAIN RULES AND CONSEQUENCES. Describe the main teachings of The Chinese Philosophies: Confucianism and Taoism pertinent to your issue. What are the consequences (legal, social, spiritual) when the teachings are not followed? In other words, I'm asking you to investigate whether your ethical issue is considered a public matter, with public, legal, and social consequences, or is it considered a spiritual or personal matter, with more private consequences affecting personal relationships and spiritual matters.**

Taoism and Confucianism do not have a set of rules that one needs to follow. However, they are both more or less guidelines that help others through life by stressing ethics and morals one should follow through life. The major difference between Taoism and Confucianism is that Confucianism is much more social while Taoism is more of an individual philosophy.

Confucianism is more or less a philosophy which is "woven" into modern culture, particularly in China. Confucianism encompasses many basic moral values within the Chinese culture. One of the most important of these values is the family honor system. This honor system is one where the young respect the older and the older protect the younger. If one fails to do this, there are social consequences, such as family disappointment, shame, or disgrace within the family. This has evolved throughout the centuries, and sometimes, when one disgraces their family in such a way, they commit harikiri, or suicide. There are no written consequences or ways to attain forgiveness within Confucianism, but consequences are a social aspect rather than a legal or spiritual aspect while forgiveness is to be taken seriously, which is not to ever disgrace or shame the family ever again.

Taoism is much more of an individual and spiritual philosophy rather than a social philosophy. The teachings of the Tao guide how one should live through life ( rules ) and how one can become one with the Tao, or the energy that flows throughout the entire universe. If one does not follow the ways of the Tao, however, then one is farther away from being one with the Tao. Taoism is more of a spiritual matter in terms of following rules and consequences rather than a social matter. In order for one to right a wrong within Taoism, there is no way to attain forgiveness other than not to stray from the path of the Tao again.

Sources:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/taoism-vs-confucianism.html http://www.shotokai.cl/otras_artes/china.html

Prompt #8 11/22/10 Gage K.


 * BIG PICTURE: MAIN RULES AND CONSEQUENCES. Describe the main teachings of Buddhism pertinent to your issue. What are the consequences (legal, social, spiritual) when the teachings are not followed? In other words, I'm asking you to investigate whether your ethical issue is considered a public matter, with public, legal, and social consequences, or is it considered a spiritual or personal matter, with more private consequences affecting personal relationships and spiritual matters.**

In Buddhism, there is no set-in-stone consequences if one does not follow the 5 precepts to Buddhism. The 5 precepts of Buddhism are: To abstain from taking life, to abstain to take what is not given, to abstain from sexual misconduct, to not say what isn't true, and to abstain from intoxicants. Simply put, these 5 precepts mean don't kill, don't steal, don't cheat or hurt anyone through sexual means, don't lie, and don't use anything that alters or confuses the mind and body. If these 5 precepts are not followed, there are no consequences from other Buddhists in the community. It is, however, a more personal matter. If one were to break these precepts, then one could suffer bad relationships, one could have no one believe them, or one could damage themselves through intoxication. In Buddhism, it is more a personal matter and personal consequences that one suffers if one does not follow the 5 precepts in Buddhism.

In terms of forgiveness, there is no specific person one needs to go to in order to attain forgiveness or salvation. This is once again a personal and/or spiritual matter. A great example of this personal matter in forgiveness is described in the following quote:

"He abused me, he struck me, he overcame me, he robbed me”—in those who harbor such thoughts hatred will never cease."

"He abused me, he struck me, he overcame me, he robbed me”—in those who do not harbor such thoughts hatred will cease. "

-- Dhammapada 1.3–4; trans. Radhakrishnan

This quote simply means that one will always have hatred towards another if they choose not to forgive them. This could also apply to many other thoughts and emotions in life. To conclude, in Buddhism, there are no consequences for not following the 5 precepts, and there is no way to attain forgiveness or salvation other than through oneself. Everything is a personal/spiritual matter in Buddhism.

Sources: http://www.hsuyun.org/chan/en/features/outreach/607-forgiveness.html http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Buddhism_-_consequences_of_breaking_rules

Prompt #7 11/15/10 Gage K.


 * BIG PICTURE: MAIN RULES AND CONSEQUENCES. Describe the main teachings of Hinduism pertinent to your issue. What are the consequences (legal, social, spiritual) when the teachings are not followed? In other words, I'm asking you to investigate whether your ethical issue is considered a public matter, with public, legal, and social consequences, or is it considered a spiritual or personal matter, with more private consequences affecting personal relationships and spiritual matters.**

The belief of karma originated from Hinduism, and it is a firm Hindu belief. However, many non-Hindus in modern culture adopt karma as a superstition. Karma, in Hinduism, is the belief that if one does good deeds, one will reap good rewards in the next life, while someone who commits evil deeds in this life will suffer in the next. This is well described in the following text taken from comparativereligion.com, which quotes:

//"If the virtuous man who has not done any evil act in this birth suffers, this is due to some wrong act that he may have committed in his previous birth. He will have his compensation in his next birth. If the wicked man who daily does many evil actions apparently enjoys in this birth, this is due to some good Karma he must have done in his previous birth. He will have compensation in his next birth. He will suffer in the next birth. The law of compensation is inexorable and relentless. (Swami Shivananda, Practice of Karma Yoga, Divine Life Society, 1985, p. 102)"//

Hindus not only believe karma will affect them in the next life, but that it will affect them in this life as well. So, karma, Hindus believe, has an impact on future events in this life and the next.

To be put simply, there is no way to attain forgiveness in Hinduism. That is, if one commits an evil deed, one will suffer bad karma, whether it be experienced in this life or in a reincarnated life. This also applies to good karma in both lives if one commits good deeds. This coincides with the belief that all of the good and bad karma in every past life and the current life accumulate over time. One cannot be rid of good or bad karma, in any fashion, but one can accumulate good karma if one keeps committing good deeds.

Sources:

http://www.comparativereligion.com/reincarnation2.html#reincarnation2 http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_karma.asp

Prompt #5 10/18/10 Gage K.


 * FINE PRINT: DIVERSITY AND NUANCE. Are there different rules for different people/sects within Christianity regarding your ethical issue? What about differences in the way consequences are applied? This week, concentrate on the similarities and differences between Catholics and Protestants on your topic.**

All Christians believe that sin can be forgiven after baptism. However, the rules/differences within Christianity vary on terms of forgiveness. In particular, Catholics believe that the only way to receive forgiveness of sin after baptism is to go to a priest and ask for forgiveness. Catholicism believes one needs to go to confession in order to be completely forgiven by God of sin. Protestants, on the other hand, believe that one can be forgiven if one himself asks for forgiveness from God, anywhere at anytime, not just in church. Protestants argue that it is stated in the bible that humans can ask God ourselves for forgiveness, and that he promises to forgive and cleanse us (1 John 1:9 ).

Once one has sinned, Catholics believe that sin causes "spiritual penalties". It is thought by Catholics that sin can be forgiven, and the guilt of that sin may have disappeared, but not all penalties are taken away. Catholicism believes that one can do good deeds in order to remove or reduce penance. Catholics try with all their might to remove as much of this penance as possible, for they believe that all unforgiven sin and penance must be paid in purgatory once they die. Protestants, however, look more closely to the bible. Purgatory is not mentioned by Jesus in the bible, thus Protestants see that asking for forgiveness and doing good deeds will allow one passage into Heaven.

Sources:

http://www.truth.info/church/catholic.vs.protestant.htm http://www.catholic.com/library/Forgiveness_of_Sins.asp

Prompt #3 9/27/10 Gage K.


 * FINE PRINT: DIVERSITY AND NUANCE. Are there different rules for different people/sects within Judaism regarding your ethical issue? What about differences in the way consequences are applied?**

Technically speaking, there are no other rules in Judaism other than the ones described in the Torah. However, it is up to the person to follow these rules, and different Jews follow more/other commandments than other Jews. For example, a very observant Jew may choose to follow kosher, or Jewish dietary restrictions, whilst a non-observant Jew may choose not to follow kosher. There are no consequences in Judaism for not following kosher, but other Jews may look poorly upon other Jews for not being as observant as they may be.

There are Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jews, all in various levels of observance to Judaism (in that order, from most observant to least observant). These various sects of Judaism have no specific or ideal way to punish another Jew for not being observant or not following a rule. There may be, however, differences in how Jews view other Jews upon breaking Jewish Law. For example, an Orthodox Jew may look very poorly upon another Orthodox Jew for breaking a commandment stated within the Torah, while a Reform Jew may not be as caring.

Sources:

http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/religion/judaism/beliefs.html

Prompt #2 9/20/10 Gage K.


 * BIG PICTURE: MAIN RULES AND CONSEQUENCES. Describe the main teachings of Judaism pertinent to your issue. What are the consequences (legal, social, spiritual) when the teachings are not followed? In other words, I'm asking you to investigate whether your ethical issue is considered a public matter, with public, legal, and social consequences, or is it considered a spiritual or personal matter, with more private consequences affecting personal relationships and spiritual matters.**

In Judaism, there are no definite consequences for breaking a rule or teaching. When the rules and guidelines are not followed, the consequences are dependent on how religious that particular family/area is. A great example would be a Reform Jew versus an Orthodox Jew, where a Reform Jew may not be phased by the breaking of a rule while an Orthodox Jew could be close to spiritually broken if a rule were not followed. There are some cases where no punishment is needed, but may still be considered a personal or spiritual matter.

The "consequences" seen in Judaism are not severe as to the point of death, but Jewish people see consequences as personal and spiritual. In Judaism, it is up to the individual to be close to God and follow His teachings, and if one chooses not to, then the individual chooses not to have a close relationship with God. Reform Jews are more passive and nonchalant about the Commandments, and don't think too much of it, whereas Orthodox Jews follow the Commandments down to the letter and try to have the closest relationship to God possible. It is, however, unclear how the Orthodox view the Reform, and vice versa in terms of right and wrong.

In terms of affecting relationships, if an entire family is Jewish, the family may be directly affected by another family members actions. For example, if every member chooses to follow all of the Commandments, but one does not, that may then affect the individuals relationship with their family. It may be even greater of an impact if one were to go to church and not follow all of the rules. It depends, however, how strict that particular church is.

There are no legal consequences if one is Jewish and doesn't directly follow the rules and teachings of Judaism.

Sources:

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/239,214/What-is-the-Jewish-view-on-reward-and-punishment.html http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=1271

Prompt #1 9/13/10 Gage K.


 * Define and describe your topic as an ethical issue and identify the controversies and dilemmas within the issue. Seek to do general background reading to understand the main issues inherent in your topic.Identify at least two opposing positions often taken on your ethical issue, and explain the main arguments (2-3) supporters of each side use to state their case.**

Various religions have different ways to handle justice, vengeance, or forgiveness from people of their faith. For example, when people within the Christian religion sin, they seek forgiveness by going to confession or by getting baptized, which is believed to wash away sin. However, people within the Islam religion believe that by praying often and also by confession can they be forgiven of their sin.

That however is on the simpler side. In many Islamic countries, there is much debate on whether or not Muslims should be executed for adultery, which is against the Muslim belief. Many Islam countries, such as Bulgaria and Macedonia, have completely abolished execution for all of their crimes. Some Muslim countries, however, still punish adultery by means of stoning, but stoning is a rare form of execution. Although, in countries such as America, adultery is not a crime but it is more of a moral dilemma. So, as a result, people are not executed in countries where adultery is not a crime.

So, to conclude, the Islam religion technically calls for execution when someone is committed of adultery. However, some countries do not permit the execution of adulterers, which then voids the execution standard of the Islam religion. So depending on where someone is located during the time of a crime or extreme sin, the justice factor can be greatly affected. But, in other religions, justice is dealt with in various forms, whether it be extreme, such as execution, or minimal, such as simply "letting it go".

Sources:

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/christianity_islam.htm http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl_adul2.htm