What is your experience with sex education? Please share. This could be about how you learned or didn’t learn about sexuality and gender. Or what is/was your experience learning about human sexuality (anatomy, reproduction/the act of having sex, STIs etc.), but also your education around consent, your relation to body awareness and acceptance, relationships with self and other, as well as gender identity (masculinity, femininity, transgender, non-binary, gender queer etc.) and sexual orientation (including asexuality and besides heterosexuality) about yourself and others around you? What is something you learned via sex education that didn’t does sit well for you? What is something valuable you learned from your sex education? Remember all of these questions are prompts to getting you thinking about the myriad ways sex education has impacted our lives-even if we don’t realize it.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: The Importance of Comprehensive Sex Education
Introduction:
Sex education plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding and perception of sexuality, gender, and relationships. As individuals, our experiences with sex education greatly influence our attitudes towards our own bodies, relationships, and the diverse identities and orientations of others. In this essay, I will discuss my personal experience with sex education, highlighting both its shortcomings and valuable lessons.
Thesis Statement:
Comprehensive sex education is essential for fostering a healthy understanding of sexuality, promoting consent, body awareness and acceptance, and embracing diverse gender identities and sexual orientations.
Body:
Limited Sex Education and Its Consequences:
Growing up, my experience with sex education was limited and lacked comprehensive information. The focus was primarily on reproductive anatomy and the mechanics of intercourse, leaving out critical discussions on consent, sexual orientation, and gender identity. This omission resulted in a lack of understanding and acceptance of diverse sexualities and gender expressions.
The Importance of Consent Education:
One valuable lesson I learned from sex education was the significance of consent. Understanding the concept of consent empowers individuals to establish boundaries, recognize the importance of communication, and develop healthy relationships. Consent education is crucial in preventing sexual assault and harassment, as it promotes respect for personal autonomy and bodily integrity.
Body Awareness and Acceptance:
Sex education should also address body awareness and acceptance. It is essential for young individuals to understand that bodies come in various shapes, sizes, and forms. Promoting body positivity and fostering self-acceptance helps combat body shaming and the negative impact it can have on mental health. Comprehensive sex education should emphasize that all bodies are normal and deserving of respect.
Embracing Gender Diversity:
Sex education programs must also embrace gender diversity. Educating students about different gender identities beyond the binary of male and female helps create inclusive spaces where transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer individuals feel seen and accepted. By challenging traditional gender norms, sex education can foster a more inclusive society that respects and values diverse gender expressions.
Embracing Sexual Orientation Diversity:
In addition to gender diversity, comprehensive sex education should address the full spectrum of sexual orientations. By acknowledging the existence of sexual orientations beyond heterosexuality, such as homosexuality, bisexuality, asexuality, and more, students can develop empathy and understanding towards individuals with different attractions. This knowledge helps combat stereotypes and discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Conclusion:
Sex education plays a critical role in shaping our understanding of sexuality, relationships, and gender. My personal experience with sex education highlighted the need for comprehensive programs that go beyond basic anatomy and reproduction. By addressing topics such as consent, body awareness and acceptance, gender diversity, and sexual orientation, sex education can empower individuals to have healthier relationships, foster inclusivity, and create a more accepting society. It is essential that we advocate for comprehensive sex education to ensure that future generations are equipped with the knowledge they need to navigate their own sexuality and relationships with respect and understanding.
