World Religions: FINAL COMPARATIVE ESSAY

Our final project for this course is a comparative essay. This is 20% of your final grade. Since many of my students have never written a comparative essay, here is a step-by-step description on how to format this assignment, and also do's and don'ts for this assignment. First choose a Comparative Topic from this list of Comparative Topics: Selected Topic: Individual Responsibility Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Christianity. Philippians 2.12 Man should discover his own reality and not thwart himself. For he has his self as his only friend, or as his only enemy. A person has the self as friend when he has conquered himself, But if he rejects his own reality, the self will war against him. Hinduism. Bhagavad Gita 6.5-6 Or has he not been told of what is in the scrolls of Moses, and of Abraham, he who paid his debt in full? That no soul laden bears the load of another, and that a man shall have to his account only as he has labored, and that his laboring shall surely be seen, Then he shall be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense, and that the final end is unto your Lord. Islam. Qur'an 53.36-42 The word of the Lord came to me again, "What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine, the soul that sins shall die...." Yet you say, "Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?" When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.... Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Judaism. Ezekiel 18 "Please, Man of Shakya," said Dhotaka, "free me from confusion!" "It is not in my practice to free anyone from confusion," said the Buddha. "When you have understood the most valuable teachings, then you yourself will cross the ocean." Buddhism. Sutta Nipata 1063-64 Then write about the similarities and differences among the quotes supporting your observations with clear references to what you learned from the textbook (Re-Ligio) or other course materials. Keep it short. 500 to 750 words are enough if they are meaningful and factual. DO NOT write a list. This means that the essay must compare the quotes, not list them separately one by one. DO NOT just rephrase the quotes. DO NOT make generic or vague statements. Support all your observation with references to what you learned from class materials.