1. Social Justice Final Exam – Essay Questions

2. Chapter 1
List at least two consequences of being made in the image and likeness of God? How do these consequences inspire us to act justly? How does Jesus inspire us to act justly?
There are three parts to this question:
List two consequences of being made in the image and likeness of God.
How do these consequences inspire to act justly?
How does Jesus inspire us to act justly?

3. List at least two consequences of being made in the image and likeness of God?
As humans, we have free will (ability to make decision) and intellect (ability to think)
Rights and responsibilities
We have a spiritual nature…

4. How do these consequences inspire to act justly?
Explain the concept of rights and responsibilities
Explain what it means to treat others respectfully because they are made in the image and likeness of God.

5. How does Jesus inspire us to act justly?
Jesus teaches us to love others as we love oursleves
Give two teachings of Jesus that involve treating other justly:
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus
The parable of the good samaritan…

6. Chapter 1
2. List and briefly discuss 3 human rights and their correspondent responsibilities?

7. List 3 human rights (look on page 20 – 21)
For each of the above right, write the corresponding responsibility
Page 21 provides some good examples: the right to a decent standard of living demands the right to a responsible lifestyle…

8. Chapter 2
1. List and briefly explain the meaning of three of the most essential teachings of Jesus. Discuss why you chose these.
There are two parts to this question:
Part 1: list and briefly explain the meaning of three of the most essential teachings of Jesus
Part 2: discuss why you chose these

9. Part 1: list and briefly explain the meaning of three of the most essential teachings of Jesus
teaching 1: love your enemy
Briefly describe what Jesus say
What does it mean
Teaching 2: love your neighbor as yourself
Teaching 3: the parable of the lost sheep

10. Part 2: discuss why you chose these

11. Chapter 2
2. Give at least three distinctions between social justice and charity. Why can a Catholic not ignore the social teaching of the Church?
There are two parts to this question:
Part 1: distinction between social justice and charity
Part 2: Why can a Catholic Not ignore….

12. Part 1: distinction between social justice and charity
Intro paragraph: definition of charity and social justice
Distinction 1: Charity is private, individual acts while social justice is a public and group action
Distinction 2:
Distinction 3:

13. Chapter 3
1. Explain how human life is like a spider web. What does it mean to say that “we have a social nature?” Why do we have a social nature? How does social justice represent this view?
There are four parts to this question:
Part 1: Spiderweb
Part 2 We are social by nature
Part 3: why social nature
Part 4: how does social justice represent this view?

14. Part 1: Spider web
The interconnectedness between human is like the spiderweb
Touching any strand of spider web cause the whole thing to tremble
Example: ripple effect of an act of kindness

15. Part 2: We are social by nature
It is our nature to live in community
Friendship, love and relating is a big part of who we are

16. Part 3: why are we social by nature
We are made in the image of God
We are in community because God is three divine persons in a community of love: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We are like God so we are made to live in community too!

17. Part 4: how does social justice represent this view?
We have rights, coming from our dignity of having been made in the image and likeness of God
We also have responsibilities: to exercise these rights appropriately, to protect these rights and to provide access to these rights for all those in need, especially the poorer ones.

18. Chapter 3
2. What is natural law? What do we mean when we say that Natural law is universal, permanent and unchangeable?
There are two parts to this question:
Part 1: definition of natural law
Part 2 : what do we mean by:
Universal
Permanent
unchangeable

19. Part 1: definition of Natural Law
Natural law is expressed as “the light of understanding infused in us By God, whereby we understand what must be done and what must be avoided.”

20. Part 2 : what do we mean by…
Natural is
Universal: applied to each person and every society for all time
Permanent and unchangeable because though societies and culture may change, the natural law itself always remain valid.

21. Chapter 4
Why is abortion the most compelling justice issue of our day? Why is abortion unjust? What is the Catholic response to the argument that by making abortion illegal, you are denying a woman her right to choose?’
3 parts:
Part 1: abortion as the most compelling issue
Part 2: why I abortion unjust?
Part 3: Catholic Repsonse

22. Part 1 abortion as the most compelling issue:
Human life is a gift from God which everyone must protect, nurture and sustain from the first moment of conception
The right to life is the foundation on which all other inalienable rights rest.

23. Part 2 Part 2: why I abortion unjust? It violate the right to life
It may allow other injustice issue go unchecked
It promote culture of death

24. Part 2 Part 3: Catholic Response
Right to choose is outweighed by right to life

25. List three pitfalls of legalizing Euthanasia
List three pitfalls of legalizing Euthanasia? What are three purposes of punishment? Explain why Capital Punishment (the death penalty) fail to achieve these purposes?
Part 1: two pitfalls
Part 2 three purposes of punishment and how does the death penalty fail…

26. Chapter 5
what is positive, negative and neutral prejudice? How can positive and neutral prejudice be harmful? What is the ultimate source of prejudice?
List five stages of prejudice. Give example of each. Discuss three specific things you can do to combat prejudice.

27. Chapter 6
Does institutional racism exist today? Discuss a concrete example to support your answers. As a member of society what does the church teach us to end racism?
What does it mean to be inclusive? Discuss three practices that can help us to be inclusive of others. Identify St. Katherine Drexel. How did she promote racial justice?