DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Ignatius Insight, has posted the following article on his website:

Cardinal Ratzinger Considers Whether Truth, Faith, and Tolerance Are Compatible

Jesus Christ is the only savior, says Christianity. “Can this absolute claim still be maintained today?” That’s the question addressed by the Vatican’s Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in his new book, Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

When, in 2000, the Catholic Church reiterated its teaching about Jesus in its declaration Dominus Iesus, “a cry of outrage arose from modern society,” notes Ratzinger, “but also from great non-Christian cultures such as that of India: this was said to be a document of intolerance and of religious arrogance that should have no place in the world of today.” Ratzinger argues that the Church’s teaching is not intolerant but true.

How can Christianity insist it is true in the face of other religions and philosophies making competing claims? Do truth and tolerance inevitably conflict with each other? Does respect for others mean all religions are equally true? Does the diversity of religions prove there’s no such thing as religious truth? Or do all religions ultimately teach the same thing? Are all religions capable of saving their adherents?

Truth and Tolerance is Ratzinger’s careful answers to these important questions.

Ratzinger confronts head-on the claim that Christianity has imposed European culture on other peoples. “Christianity … originated, not in Europe, but in the Near East, in the geographical point at which the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe come into contact,” he writes.

Yes, Christianity has a European element. But above all it has a perennial message that comes from God, not from any human culture, argues Ratzinger. While Christians have sometimes pushed their cultures on other peoples, as have non-Christians, Christianity itself is alien to no authentically human culture. Its very nature as a free response to God’s gift of himself in Jesus Christ, means that Christianity must propose itself to culture, not impose itself.

The issues of truth and diversity in religion are also tackled by Ratzinger. Some people relegate religion to the realm of feelings and taste. As people’s feelings and tastes vary, so, too, do their religious ideas and practices. Ratzinger responds by presenting what he calls “the inevitability of the question of truth.”

Other people argue that all religions essentially affirm the same things. Truth and Tolerance points to fundamental, non-negotiable differences among religions, as well as certain common elements.

Ratzinger distinguishes two main forms of religion. On the one hand, there is a kind of mysticism in which one seeks to merge into or become identical with everything, in an all-embracing, impersonal unity. Many Eastern religions and the New Age movement are religions of that sort. On the other hand, there is “a personal understanding of God,” in which one is united in love with a personal God and yet remains distinct from him. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are examples of the latter kind of religion.

A first-rate theologian, as well as a church leader, Ratzinger also assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the three main contemporary approaches to a “theology of religions”: exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism.

Exclusivism holds that only those who explicitly accept Christ and the Christian message can be saved. Inclusivism is the view that non-Christian religions implicitly contain Christian truth and therefore that their adherents are “anonymous Christians.” Pluralism holds that there are many valid ways to God among the various religions.

At the heart of the discussion about the diversity of religions, contends Ratzinger, is the identity of Jesus Christ. Is the he the sole savior, prefigured by other religious leaders perhaps but nonetheless unique? Is he one among many religious figures who bring salvation? Is he the one true God in human flesh, rather an avatar or one among many different manifestations of the divine?

Christianity has always held that the revelation of God in Jesus Christ is definitive, argues Ratzinger. The divinity of Jesus is “the real dividing line in the history of religions,” which makes sense of “two other fundamental concepts of the Christian faith, which have become unmentionable nowadays: conversion and mission.”

Relativism, which Ratzinger calls “the central problem for faith in our time,” lurks behind most modern mistakes about faith and morality. The net result is a deep skepticism about whether anything is true or can be known to be true.

Christianity can help modern thought overcome its relativism and skepticism by presenting the One who is the truth, Jesus Christ, the one who sets people free by their coming to know, understand and love the truth. Ratzinger explains how tolerance, reason and freedom are not only compatible with truth, but ultimately depend upon it.

With respect to the difficult subject of things interreligious, Ratzinger strongly supports interreligious dialogue, so long as it isn’t understood as assuming all points of view are and must be, in the end, equally valid. About interreligious prayer—understood as prayer together by Christians and non-Christians, with widely different religious views—he is more skeptical. He distinguishes multireligious prayer, where different religious groups come together but pray separate from one another, and interreligious prayer.

Ratzinger doubts whether reasonable conditions for interreligious prayer can generally be met. Still, he lays out careful criteria for such prayer, which include agreement about the nature of God, and the nature and subject of prayer, as well circumstances that don’t lend themselves to misunderstanding such common prayer as relativism or a denial of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith.

To add to the thoughts of the article above, consider the following: The Law of non-contradiction is the law that something cannot be both true and not true at the same time when dealing with the same context. For example, the rocking chair in my living room, cannot be made of wood and not made of wood at the same time. In the study of religion, this law could be stated as:

If the truth claims of religion X are true, then the truth claims of religion Y are false.

If the truth claims of religion Y are true, then the truth claims of religion X are false.

Apply this law to a discussion of chapter 5, and the relationship of Sikhism, Hinduism, and Islam.

Do you agree or disagree with the law of noncontradiction. Explain your answer.

Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you include the following:

• An explanation of cultural competence
• The value of cultural competence in the criminal justice field
• The elements that should be included in a cultural competence assessment of a criminal justice agency
• How a criminal justice agency might implement a cultural competence assessment
• The advantages of intercultural communication skills in criminal justice
• A summary of one of the articles or videos discussed in your collaborative group this week. What are your personal thoughts on the issue covered by the article or video?

Format your paper in accordance with APA guidelines.

Submit your assignment to the Assignment Files tab.

Assignment 3 Submit Here

Assignment 3: Developing an Investigation Plan

Due Week 7 and worth 120 points

Read the case below and complete this assignment.

A child was playing in a local park with his brother. A car pulled up as they were leaving the playground. A man inside the car motioned for the two (2) boys to come over. The man asked the two (2) boys where the nearest convenience store was located. He then stated that he was not familiar with the area and asked the boys to show him the way and he would take them home afterwards. He also stated that he would buy them whatever they wanted if they agreed to show him. The youngest brother got into the car with the man and they drove away. The older sibling ran home and told his mother what had happened. The younger brother was not heard from that night and a report was made to the police. The next day a body was found in a dumpster behind a local garage. It was the younger brother, who had been strangled to death and was nude.

Imagine that you are the lead investigator in this case and develop a two to three (2-3) page investigation plan in which you:

1. Outline the main steps that you would take immediately as it relates to the investigation of this case. Support your response.
2. Propose your methods for evidence collection. Next, predict the main evidence that you would expect to find regarding the investigation of the death of the boy and the arrest of the suspect. Support your response.
3. Propose the main investigative techniques that you would use to investigate the murder in this case. Provide a rationale for your response.
4. Use at least two (2) quality academic resources as references, such as journal articles, newspapers, magazines, and publications from law enforcement associations. Note: Wikipedia, blogs, and similar websites do not qualify as quality academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Discuss the theoretical undertones of policing strategies (i.e., community policing, patrol patterns).
• Develop a clear understanding of proper investigative techniques associated with violent and property crimes.
• Discuss the proper methods for evidence collection.
• Use technology and information resources to research advanced issues in law enforcement.
• Write clearly and concisely about advanced issues in law enforcement using proper grammar and mechanics.
• Discuss ideological and practical positions and debate controversial issues in policing.
  

Click here to view the assignment rubric.

In this Discussion, you will consider different socioeconomic, spiritual, lifestyle, and other cultural factors that should be taken into considerations when building a health history for patients with diverse backgrounds.

Case 1

Subjective Data

CC: “I came for my annual physical exam, but do not want to be a burden to my daughter.”

History of Present Illness (HPI): At-risk 86-year-old Asian male – who is physically and financially dependent on his daughter, a single mother who has little time or money for her father’s health needs.

PMH: hypertension (HTN), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), b12 deficiency and chronic prostatitis

PSH: S/P cholecystectomy

Drug Hx:

Current Meds: Lisinopril 10mg daily, Prilosec 20mg daily, B12 injections monthly, and cipro 100mg daily.

Review of Systems (ROS)

General: + weight loss of 25 lbs over the past year; no recent fatigue, fever or chills.

Head, eyes, ears, nose & throat (HEENT): no changes in vision or hearing, no difficulty chewing or swallowing.

Neck: no pain or injury

Respiratory:

CV:

GI:

GU: no urinary hesitancy or change in urine stream

Integument: multiple bruises on his upper arms and back.

MS/Neuro: + falls x 2 within the last 6 months; no syncopal episodes or dizziness

Psych:

Objective Data

PE: B/P 188/96; Pulse 89; RR 16; Temp 99.0; Ht 5,6; wt 110; BMI 17.8

HEENT: Atraumatic, normocephalic, PERRLA, EOMI, arcus senilus bilaterally, conjunctiva and sclera clear, nares patent, ornasopharynx clear, edentulous.

Lungs: CTA AP&L

Cor: S1S2 without rub or gallop

Abd: benign, normoactive bowel sounds x 4

Ext: no cyanosis, clubbing or edema

Integument: multiple bruises in different stages of healing – on his upper arms and back.

Neuro: No obvious deformities, CN grossly intact II-XII

Case 2

Subjective Data

CC: “I am here for my annual physical exam and have been having vaginal discharge.”

History of Present Illness (HPI): 32-year-old pregnant lesbian – her pregnancy has been without complication thus far. She has been receiving prenatal care from an obstetrician. She received sperm from a local sperm bank.

Drug Hx:

Current Medications: prenatal vitamins and takes Tylenol over the counter for aches and pains on occasion

Family Hx: She a strong family history of diabetes. Gravida 1; Para 0; Abortions 0.

Review of Systems (ROS)

General: no fatigue, fever or chills.

Head, eyes, ears, nose & throat (HEENT):

Neck: no pain or injury

Respiratory:

CV:

GI:

GU:

Integument: multiple piercings, and tattoos. Old scars related to “cutting”.

Neuro: no syncopal episodes or dizziness, no change in memory or thinking patterns; no twitches or abnormal movements

Objective Data

PE: B/P 128/76; Pulse 83; RR 16; Temp 99.0; Ht 5,6; wt 128; BMI 20.98

HEENT: Atraumatic, normocephalic, PERRLA, EOMI, conjunctiva and sclera clear; nares patent, ornasopharynx clear, good dentition. Piercing in her right nostril and lower lip.

Lungs: CTA AP&L

Cor: S1S2 without rub or gallop

Abd: benign, normoactive bowel sounds x 4

GU: external genitalia intact, no lesions or masses. White copious discharge with an amine odor; no cervical motion tenderness; adenxa intact.

Ext: no cyanosis, clubbing or edema

Integument: intact without lesions masses or rashes.

Neuro: No obvious deficits and CN grossly intact II-XII

Case 3

Subjective Data

CC: “Annual physical exam”

History of Present Illness (HPI): 23-year-old Native American male comes in to see you because he has been having anxiety and wants something to help him. He has been smoking “pot” and says he drinks to help him too. He tells you he is afraid that he will not get into Heaven if he continues in this lifestyle.

Drug Hx:

Current medication – denied

Allergies: no allergies to food or medications.

Family history: is very positive for diabetes, hypertension, and alcoholism.

Review of Systems (ROS)

General: no recent weight gains of losses, fatigue, fever or chills.
Head, eyes, ears, nose & throat (HEENT):

Neck:

Respiratory:

CV: no chest discomfort or palpitations

GI:

GU:

Integument: history of eczema – not active

MS/Neuro: no syncopal episodes or dizziness, no change in memory or thinking patterns; no twitches or abnormal movements

Psych:

Objective Data

PE: B/P 158/90; Pulse 88; RR 18; Temp 99.2; Ht 5,7; wt 208; BMI 32.6

General: 23 year old male appears well developed and well nourished. He is anxious – pacing in the room and fidgeting, but in no acute distress.

HEENT: Atraumatic, normocephalic, PERRLA, EOMI, sclera with mild icterus, nares patent, ornasopharynx clear, poor dentition – multiple carries.

Lungs: CTA AP&L

Cor: S1S2, +II/VI holosystolic murmur; without rub or gallop

Abd: benign, normoactive bowel sounds x 4; Hepatomegaly 2cm below the costal margin.

Ext: no cyanosis, clubbing or edema

Integument: intact without lesions masses or rashes.

Neuro: No obvious deficits and CN grossly intact II-XII

To prepare:

• Reflect on your experiences as a nurse and on the information provided in this week’s Learning Resources on diversity issues in health assessments.
• Select one of the three case studies. Reflect on the provided patient information.
• Reflect on the specific socioeconomic, spiritual, lifestyle, and other cultural factors related to the health of the patient you selected.
• Consider how you would build a health history for the patient. What questions would you ask, and how would you frame them to be sensitive to the patient’s background, lifestyle, and culture? Develop five targeted questions you would ask the patient to build his or her health history and to assess his or her health risks.
• Think about the challenges associated with communicating with patients from a variety of specific populations. What strategies can you as a nurse employ to be sensitive to different cultural factors while gathering the pertinent information?