Benchmark ethical dilemmas. In this assignment, you will analyze the implications of an ethical issue according to your worldview. Write a 1,000-1,500 word essay in which you analyze ethical thinking

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In this assignment, you will analyze the implications of an ethical issue according to your worldview.

Write a 1,000-1,500 word essay in which you analyze ethical thinking and use values-based decision making to address a case study from the perspective of the Christian worldview as compared to your own worldview assumptions. Choose one case study from the five options listed on the “Ethical Dilemmas” document.

After an appropriate introductory paragraph with a thesis statement in which you name the scenario you are choosing, address each of the following six sections with at least one paragraph each. Use the underlined titles for each of your headings.

1. Ethical Dilemma: Briefly describe the ethical dilemma in your own words, including (a) what in the scenario makes it difficult to make an ethical decision and (b) at least two options for resolving the scenario, providing a brief overview of what sort of ethical decisions each option might make.
2. Core Beliefs: What beliefs about God and humanity from the Christian worldview are relevant to the scenario? How might these core worldview commitments of Christians influence one's decision making with regard to this scenario?
3. Resolution: Describe the Christian worldview's proposal for resolving the ethical dilemma. How should the person in the scenario act according to the Christian worldview? What is the best course of action for a Christian? (Note: The resolution should be consistent with Christian worldview commitments.)
4. Evaluation: What might be the unintended consequences and perceived benefits of the resolution proposed by the Christian worldview?
5. Comparison: How does the Christian worldview's resolution compare to another option?
6. Conclusion: Synthesize the main points, pulling the ideas of the paper together.
7. References

Use and cite two course resources (textbook, lectures, and the Bible), and at least two scholarly sources from the GCU online library that address the issue from opposing sides. Refer to the directions on “Navigating the GCU Library for CWV Benchmark Research” and the “Example Ethical Dilemma Essay” documents.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU 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 Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

Ethical Dilemmas

Choose only one of the ethical dilemmas below to address in your essay. The questions at the end of each dilemma are intended for you to reflect on. For your paper you must organize your writing using the sections and underlined titles listed on the assignment page. Do not copy the case study into your essay. 

1. Pornography

TJ secretly enjoys pornography. He gets a great deal of gratification out of viewing Internet pornography and masturbating, though he always acts behind closed doors and believes that hisactions have no effect on others. He justifies his behavior by saying, ‘Who am I harming?’

Then he discovers a statistic on the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking website (http://www.unglobalcompact.org/docs/issues_doc/labour/Forced_labour/HUMAN_TRAFFICKING_-_THE_FACTS_-_final.pdf)  stating that 43% of human trafficking victims are used for forced commercial sexual exploitation, of whom 98% are women and girls, and that the pornography business is a multibillion dollar industry (Global Initiative, n.d.).

His freedom to view pornography is now at odds with harm to himself (addiction) and others (abuse through forced trafficking and media exploitation). (More information can be found at http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/may/may_17pornographycost.html, which is a report by William May called “The Social Costs of Pornography” provided by the Witherspoon Institute out of Princeton [May, 2010].)

How should PJ respond? Should he maintain his lifestyle because of his freedom of choice or should he change his behavior because of the harm done? What is his responsibility for the harm that the pornography industry can cause, even if he himself is not directly harming someone else? 

2. Euthanasia 

Joni was 17 when she was swimming with friends in the Chesapeake Bay. She dove into the water, misjudging the depth, and fractured her vertebrae. This left her a quadriplegic, paralyzed from her shoulders down. As might be expected, she went into severe depression, even having serious thoughts of ending her life. Her quality of life was severely diminished. Her future looked horribly bleak. What could she ever hope to accomplish as a human being in such a weakened state? Why should she be forced to endure a life of suffering and hardship, and be a burden to her family? Should her wishes to be euthanized be granted? What do you think?Should someone in her condition be permitted to have her life legally terminated?

3. Religious Tolerance

In September 2014, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship was “derecognized” by the 23 public California State University schools because the Christian organization requires its leaders to hold Christian beliefs. Tina is a volunteer leader of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at a particular public university. The new university policy requires that recognized campus groups have a nondiscrimination policy that says an organization cannot require its leaders to hold any particular beliefs (Stetzer, 2014). Being a recognized group is important to Tina, since it affects such circumstances as free access to meeting rooms, advertisements at University sponsored events, and official engagement with faculty and students. Tina believes that student leaders must hold to essential Christian beliefs for the sake of the group’s purpose, though InterVarsity has always welcomed anyone from any faith background to be a part of the group. Yet the University system requires all recognized campus groups to sign a state-mandated nondiscrimination policy stating that both membership and leadership positions are open for anyone, whether they support the beliefs of the group or not (Winston, 2014). How should Tina respond to the university leadership, if at all? What changes should Tina make to her chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, if any?

Example Ethical Dilemma Essay

Below is a real estate case study and an abbreviated essay to use as an example of the flow of thought for your paper. For the actual assignment, you will need to research your topic, expand more on each paragraph, and cite additional resources as instructed. 

Remember to include your name, course, date, and instructor at the top of your paper, and reviewthe directions on “How to Use the Opposing Viewpoints Database in the GCU Library.” 

Case Study:

Suppose at the real estate office where you work, a woman from out of town calls and asks you to list her deceased father's home. She tells you she is concerned only in selling it quickly and will be happy to get $70,000 for it. You do a quick assessment of the house and determine that it is worth at least $100,000, and realize that it would be a perfect place for your son who just started looking for a small house he could afford. 

Abbreviated Real Estate Ethical Dilemma Essay

People face ethical dilemmas all through their lives, some minor with few consequences, and others major with large, sometimes unexpected, negative consequences. How we navigate our way through these dilemmas is influenced by our worldview, and has an impact on shaping our worldview. I will examine the real estate ethical dilemma according to my Christian worldview, and compare it to other options of resolving the dilemma. 

Ethical Dilemma

This case involves my response to a woman who has contacted me as her real estate agent to sell her father's house. She is anxious to sell it for $70,000. After I looked at the house, I realized that it would be just right for my son who needs a small house, but I determined that it is actually worth at least $100,000. 

The dilemma is that I could easily save my son $30,000 and get him a nice house, but to do so would be taking advantage of the woman who owns it. To resolve the dilemma I could do one of the following:

• I could go ahead and have my son purchase the house for the asking price of $70,000, telling the woman that this is the value. 

• I could explain to the woman that the house is really worth $100,000, but that my son is willing to purchase it right now for the asking price. 

Core Beliefs

One of my core beliefs is the eighth commandment that says, "You shall not steal." Since the house is worth $30,000 more than the woman thinks it is worth, if I sell it for her at the lower price, I may be stealing from her. 

Another core belief is the ninth commandment that forbids lying. In order to sell the house to the woman at the lower value, I would have to convince her, or at least deceive her into thinking that what she wants from the house ($70,000) is a reasonable value. 

Another core belief is the Golden Rule of Jesus from Matthew 7:12, which says, "Do to others what you would have them do to you" (NIV). In this case, if I were the homeowner, I would certainly want to sell it for what it is worth.

Resolution

The Christian thing to do here would be for me to explain to the woman that her house is worth more than $70,000, and inform her of the fair market value of the house. I could then offerthat my son may be interested in purchasing it if she is willing to sell it at the lower price right away. 

Evaluation