PHIL-347 Week 7 Discussion: What Do I Value (With Responses)

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What core values would you risk your life for and freedom to defend? I have several core values, but one of the most important of those values is the freedom of religion. In many people’s lives, ... religion is the most important thing about them. According to the Pew Research Center, about 84% of the world associate themselves with a specific religion. This is because they believe that religion will impact them in this life and the next. If freedom of religion were to be taken away, it would hurt the lives of so many people. Not being allowed to practice the religion one chooses, forces them to believe they will be punished in the afterlife (depending on what they believe). Additionally, religion often provides certain ways for a person to live their life. Taking away freedom of religion would give the government the ability to govern the way a person thinks and acts. In short, the government takes away a large part of a person’s conscience and conscience is an individual's most sacred right. Could a nation going to war be appropriate in certain circumstances – or is war never an appropriate response? I do believe it would be appropriate for a nation to go to war if freedom of religion was taken away. In some religions, Islam for example, there are certain cases in which going to war is justified. Taking away freedom of practicing Islam is one of those cases (BBC, 2009). I believe war is an appropriate response to forcing a person to live their life a certain type of way. Sometimes, staying away from war prevents a suitable solution from arising. Does the argument pass the Test of Truthfulness? After evaluating my argument, I would say it does pass the test of truthfulness. References: BBC. (2009, August 13). Religions - Islam: War. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/islamethics/war.shtml Hackett, C., & McClendon, D. (2017, April 5). World's largest religion by population is still Christianity. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/05/christians- remain-worlds-largest-religious-group-but-they-are-declining-in-europe/ Greetings Thank you for your post this week. While the value I stated, freedom of religion, is not the same as yours, I do believe it is a very significant core value as well. Taking away a person’s freedom of speech basically prevents them from expressing themselves in a way that they want to express themself. As you said, free speech is linked to many other things that help to balance this nation. Free speech is very closely linked to the prosperity of this nation. After all, prosperity comes from ideas, and new ideas can thrive only in a society in which they are free from suppression (Wencong FA, 2019). Additionally, I agree that the principle of free speech is one that a war may be fought over. If a government, or an outside nation, attempts to take away our ability to freely express our ideas, opinions, and truths, then a war should be fought. References Fa, W. (2019, September 13). Remembering why free speech is important. Retrieved from https://pacificlegal.org/remembering-why-free-speech-is-important/ Greetings Thank you for your informative post. I agree with you, especially on the aspect of freedom of religion. Religion is such a large part of people’s lives as it often requires them to live a certain way. To take away the freedom of religion is almost tantamount to choosing to control the way a person thinks, acts, etc. James Madison, known as the father of the Constitution, said that the religion of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every… man to exercise it as these may dictate. This right is in its nature an inalienable right (Trainer, 2019). Therefore, in short, taking away the freedom of religion is like taking away one's conscience, which is a big part of us as humans. In the case of war, I understand where you are coming from, but I somewhat disagree. War should typically be the last resort, but if the problem is big enough, I believe war should just occur. Taking away freedom of religion is a very big problem. War does have the ability to give a definite solution. Once again, thank you for your post. Reference Trainer, M. (2019, February 4). Why religious freedom matters to Americans. Retrieved from https://share.america.gov/why-religious-freedom-matters-to-americans/ [Show More]

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