What does the original creation indicate about sexuality, sex, and marriage?

This
assignment is part of the multipart assignment. You will use instructor
feedback from this assignment to help you complete the Topic 7 assignment
“Benchmark – The Church’s Witness in Fallen Society Essay.”
You will
write an essay in which you will provide a theological and ethical
analysis of one contemporary social issue facing the church. You may choose one
of the following social issues to analyze:
·
Same-Sex Marriage
·
Abortion
·
Poverty and Economic Systems
See the
“Social Issue Selection Guidance” below for specific requirements for
your chosen issue.
In your
essay of 1,000 words, you will complete the following:
1.
Briefly introduce the topic of your paper and include a clear
thesis statement that tells exactly what you will be arguing for in regard to
the sections below.
2.
Provide a biblical/theological analysis of the contemporary social
issue by giving three arguments regarding the ethics of your topic. This
should be according to what you believe would be a position consistent with
biblical and theological principles.
3.
All directions from the “Social Issue Selection
Guidance” section need to be addressed according to your selected topic.
If
you would like to choose a topic that is not on the list, you must seek your
instructors approval first.
Your
introduction and conclusion should be no more than 100 words each.
Reference
course materials, the bible, and two scholarly resources.
Social
Issue Selection Guidance:
I. Same-Sex Marriage: Review Chapters 14-19 in An Introduction to Biblical Ethics to help you
answer the following: Is same-sex marriage ethical according to the biblical
narrative and the Christian worldview? In your discussion be sure to address
the following questions:
·
What does the biblical narrative (i.e., the creation, fall,
redemption, and restoration) indicate about the nature of sexuality (i.e.,
maleness and femaleness), sex, and marriage?
·
What does the original creation indicate about sexuality, sex, and
marriage?
·
What are the effects of the fall on sexuality, sex, and marriage?
·
How does the theme of redemption, and in particular the
incarnation and new covenant, inform the Christian view of sexuality, sex, and
marriage?
·
How does the biblical theme of restoration inform the Christian
view of sex, sexuality, and marriage?
·
In light of the above, what is the relationship between sexual
desire and sexual ethics? In other words, what are the boundary lines between
(1) sexual desire that reflects the ethic in Scripture and (2) sexual desire
that has gone awry and does not reflect the character and creative purposes of
God?
II. Abortion: Review Chapter 22 in An Introduction to Biblical Ethics to help you
answer the following: Is abortion an ethical option according to the biblical
narrative and the Christian worldview? In your discussion be sure to address
the following questions:
·
What is the biblical data regarding the value and dignity of the
unborn?
·
Are the unborn persons (i.e., beings with intrinsic dignity and
value, including the right to life)?
·
How ought “personhood” to be defined philosophically and
theologically, and how does this relate to the “Image of God”?
·
Engage with any biological and medical data relevant to addressing
the above questions.
III. Poverty and Economic Systems: Review Chapters
26-28 in An Introduction to Biblical Ethics to help you
answer the following: Which economic system reflects more closely the biblical
understanding of human nature and has the potential to reduce and
alleviate poverty? Socialism or capitalism? The task is to discuss the ethics
of economic systems in light of the biblical perspective on human nature,
economic justice, and in response to poverty. (Notice carefully that the
question is not simply whether or not poverty is a bad thing; that is already
assumed in the question.) For the sake of clarity, the discussion has been
created as a debate between socialism and capitalism; though it should be noted
that the debate is not whether “socialism is the Christian system” or
“capitalism is the Christian economic system.” Rather, the question
is which one of these systems reflects more closely the biblical understanding
of human nature. In your discussion be sure to address the following:
·
Define precisely what is meant by “economics,”
“socialism,” and “capitalism.”
·
Define precisely what is meant by “poverty,” including
any sociological and contextual definitions in the United States and abroad.
·
Address different conceptions of economic justice, primarily the
distinction between “equality of opportunity” vs. “equality of
outcome.”
·
Discuss the nature of “greed” biblically and
philosophically, and analyze each economic system in light of your findings.
·
Argue for why you think either socialism or capitalism more
closely aligns with the biblical understanding of human nature and is the best
at alleviating poverty.
Prepare
this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide,
located in the Student Success Center.
This
assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the
assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are
required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for
assistance.

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