How should we respond to manifestations of Hell on earth? The answer we give is a matter of prescription. One form of prescription is obligation. In the preceding sections, we discussed the moral implications of the view we take of Hell. In this section, I want to ask whether we have a duty to follow our moral principles.
In preparation for this section of the seminar, reflect upon the position of “The Hangman” WATCH
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POVERTY: “POOR AS HELL”
ROMANS 15:1 “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”
27. Tuesday, April 18
As you read deJesus’s incredible autobiography, Child of the Dark, ask yourself the following questions:
What does it mean to be poor?
What accounts for human resilience among the poor?
What are human beings entitled to by virtue of their humanity
- Carolina Maria de Jesus, Child of the Dark. Read the entire book
- Consider this piece of Americana: WATCH
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THE PLIGHT OF THE REFUGEE: “HELL ON EARTH”
30. Thursday, April 20.
The goal of this section is to meditate on the plight of the refugee, not necessarily to get into the nitty-gritty political questions surrounding the world refugee crisis. To this end, I would like you to be prepared to talk about the following issues:
What does it mean to be a refugee?
Why do we, as human beings, struggle with the issue of empathy?
If we should be empathetic, how can we be sure that we will be?
Readings, Images, and Videos: This assignment has two parts. The first is about the European refugee crisis; the second is about our personal response to the plight of refugees.
As you can see, there are a number of short videos and a couple readings. To make this discussion work well, please take notes on these sources so that you will remember them when we meet in class.
Part I:
- This UNHCR site has a number of refugee stories. Please view the stories “Mahmoud in Egypt” and “Italy: Desperate Rescues at Sea” You can find these two videos HERE
- “Where Syrian Children Sleep” VIEW
- UNHCR on Greece: “Thanassis Story” READ
Part II
- WWJD?: Jesus the Refugee – Matthew 2:1-15 READ AND PRINT
- Excerpt from Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem: REREAD (focus on the issue of empathy, espeically p. 49) Bring this document to class!
- “What, me care? Young are less empathetic” READ
- What French Right-wing politician Marine La Pen thinks: WATCH
31. Tuesday, April 25
Does it matter for our lives if we do wrong to others? What might the effect be?
Today, we will watch a marvelous film, “The Lives of Others,” which deals precisely with this theme.
We will meet at the Nanovic for both showings of the film, first during class and then at 6:00 pm for pizza and the remainder of the film.
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THE GASSED: “THE FIRES OF HELL”
32. Thursday, April 27
With some notable exceptions, such as Saddam Hussein’s attacks on Iraq’s Kurdish population, the world seemed to put the use of chemical weapons on the “battlefield” behind it after the horrific experiences of World World I. Now, the use of chemical weapons has returned to the front page after President Bashar Assad’s repeated use of never gas against the Syrian people.
Discussion: In this section, will consider four themes that are related to how we should respond to this returned form of hell. They are:
- Why are chemical weapons so horrifying?
- What is it like to be gassed?
- Are we morally obliged to respond with force when these weapons are used against populations?
- To what extent should we respond? And how should we make this decision?
In preparation for this section, please consider the background to the Syrian civil war, what it means to be gassed, and the debate over whether we should respond: