Current Events Cafe and Rummie

Being aware of the current events around the world and thinking critically about them is one of the responsibilities of being a global citizen. “To be a global citizen, one is knowledgeable of peoples, customs and cultures in regions of the world beyond one’s own; understands the interdependence that holds both promise and peril for the future of the global community; and is committed to combining one’s learning with a dedication to foster a livable, sustainable world.”Global Citizenship as defined by the Global Council, April 2018

For this assignment you are to review the current events in the world today and link them to what we are studying in this class. You can review current events in news sources such as CNN, The Los Angeles Times, BBC, or other reliable news sources. You are to relate the current event to our course, upload a link to the article or video you are writing about, and choose a “rummie”—a philosophical word that you then ruminate about.

In sum: your final post (in the Current Events and Rummie discussion thread under Week 5) should have these five points covered and marked clearly.

Use these guides to post your research and include these five points.

1. Summarize the main ideas of the current event. You can get current events from newsworthyinternet sources such as CNN, Los Angeles Times or other sources you deem reliable sourcesof news.
2. Relate the summary of the current event to our philosophy course.
3. Upload a link to the article or video of your current event.
4. Choose a “rummie” —a philosophical word related to the current event.
5. Delve into it, ruminate, relate it to contemporary themes or your own life – or contemporaryissues.

Example:

1. Christians Countering Anti-Muslim Rhetoric. This is a news item about an evangelicalChristian pastor, Rev. Josh Graves, in Memphis, TN who believes it is part of his religious beliefs to counter anti-Muslim sentiments by creating a sense of community with local Muslims who practice Islam. He partnered with other Christians to create dinners where Christians and Muslims would gather around dinner tables and get to know each other, Building relationships became a strategy to combat prejudice, and it worked.
2. This article and video from Religion and Ethics Newsweekly is related to our class because it shows the value of interfaith dialogue and exploration of multiple views about religion to create a better world. Many of the philosophers we study in this class offer an emphasis on ethics. Socrates inspired people through his actions to examine their lives and be true to themselves just as the Christians in the article found a way to heal anti-Muslim sentiments. Kant’s ethical stance of using a categorical imperative to guide ethical action can also be seen in the article. We can easily see that treating people in a community with compassion and respect would be a good ethical action that should be applied universally.
3. Christians Counter Anti-Muslim Rhetoric https://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/ 2016/08/26/christians-countering-anti-muslim-rhetoric/30127/
4. The Rummie I choose is Commitment
5. Commitment can be defined as “a promise to be loyal to someone or something.” In this caseI was impressed Rev. Josh Graves’ commitment to the teachings of Jesus and Christianity, which inspired him to practice his beliefs and create peace in his community by bringing Christians and Muslims together. The rummie “Commitment” inspires me to explore the areas in which I choose to commit myself such as women’s rights and compassion toward immigrants. This rumination also makes me think about ways in which I demonstrate my commitment toward these issues. If my commitment is not followed by actions can I really say I have a commitment to these issues?