1,Religious oppression

Religious Freedom is part of the US Constitution, as such it requires much thought as well. Atheists seem to be the most persecuted group in the US – here are some questions to ponder. Choose 2 to answer:

Freedom of religion is a right included in the U.S. Constitution. It allows people to practice any religion in public or private without being persecuted. How does this policy of religious freedom compare with how people are allowed to practice (or not practice) religion in your country of origin?

Should everyone in a country have the right to practice any religion they wish? Why or why not?

Do you think the government should have the ability to “manage” religious expression? Should the government should be guided by religious principles? Why or why not?

Do atheists have any special problems in your country (if your origin country is not the US)?

In 2009 a campaign started which promoted the slogan: “God probably doesn’t exist, now stop worrying and get on with your life.” What is your opinion of this?

The well-known atheist Richard Dawkins once said: “We are all atheists about 99% of the gods which have ever existed – some of us just go one god further.” What is your opinion of this statement?

Many atheists maintain they do not believe in God because there is no evidence God exists. What is your opinion?

Do you think people who don’t believe in God or gods can live good lives? Where do you think people who don’t believe in God or gods get their moral compass?

2,  The legacy of racism

Complete the required discussion prompt:

View the following TED talk on racism, politics, and solutions, and then answer the questions below:

Does Racism Affect How You vote?

Do you think racism is predictable? Explain your answer.

Which factor mentioned do you think plays a larger part in the prevalence of racist attitudes: education level or geography/neighborhood? Why?

What do you think of the solutions to the problem of racism that were proposed in this talk?

How do these solutions address or fail to address the types of racism we learned about this week?

3, Classism

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Complete the required discussion prompt:

View the following video from the GlobalPOV Project, and then answer the questions below:

Who is Dependent on Welfare? (Links to an external site.)

Discussion Prompt:

Who do you think the poor are in the United States? Explain your answer.

How do you define welfare?

4, Sexism

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Complete the required discussion prompt:

View the following TED Talk on violence against women and then answer the questions below:

Violence Against Women: It’s a Men’s Issue

Discussion Prompt:

What is your understanding of the “bystander” approach?

Explain an incident you have witnessed or participated in that demonstrates the “bystander” approach mentioned in this video.

5, Heterosexism

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Complete the required discussion prompt:

 View this TED Talk. (Links to an external site.)

In our world, we commonly think of gender as just male and female, especially when we’re categorized by things like color and clothing. It seems like we can’t even look at anything without seeing it divided into boys and girls — this is heteronormativity. But the thing is, not everyone identifies as one or the other, or expresses themselves that way. Even if someone “looks” like a guy (also evidence of heteronormativity), they may prefer to use the pronouns “she/her” — and we need to respect that by not misgendering people. Some people identify as genderfluid, which means that your identify (like male or female), can move from one side of the spectrum to the other, and some people are genderless, or identify with neither of the genders that are imposed on people. The most important thing to remember is that everyone’s gender can be unique and everyone’s gender identity, gender orientation, and gender expression is important to respect.

Further, “female” and “male” even as solely biological designations still exclude some people, who are often classified as “intersex.” Intersex means that one’s anatomy or genetics does not line up with typical expectations for either male or female people. Heteronormativity would have society believe that to be intersex is to not be normal — which is simply untrue. For intersex people, doctors and parents have often decided their gender at birth and genital reconstructive surgery is performed to turn what is seen as atypical genitalia into something that is recognizably either male or female. Intersex identity also has its own spectrum, which means that anatomy for an intersex person can be entirely different for another intersex person.

Answer the prompts below (be sure to answer all parts of question.)

1.What is the difference between heterosexism and homophobia?   

2.Can people change their sexual orientation if they want to? Or are people born with their orientation? 

3.Why do researchers generally recommend using the term “sexual orientation” rather than “sexual preference”?

4.Should discrimination based on sexual orientation be outlawed to the same extent as discrimination based on race and sex?