Compare or contrast American food laws with those of 1 other country. How are they similar and/or different from one another?
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
A Culinary Comparison: American Food Laws vs. European Union Regulations
The United States and the European Union (EU) represent two of the world’s largest economies and have significantly influenced global food standards. While both regions have established comprehensive food laws to protect public health and ensure food safety, there are notable differences in their regulatory frameworks.
One key similarity between American and EU food laws is their focus on consumer protection. Both regions have implemented stringent regulations to prevent foodborne illnesses, ensure accurate labeling, and protect against food adulteration. For instance, both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) play crucial roles in monitoring food safety, conducting risk assessments, and setting standards for food production and processing.
However, there are also significant differences between American and EU food laws. One notable area of divergence is the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While the FDA has approved numerous GMO crops for cultivation and consumption in the United States, the EU has adopted a more cautious approach. Many EU countries have implemented strict regulations on the labeling and cultivation of GMOs, reflecting concerns about potential environmental and health risks.
Another area of difference is the regulation of food additives. The FDA has a long history of approving various food additives, such as artificial colors and flavors, while the EU has adopted a more restrictive approach. The EU has established a system known as the “positive list,” which requires food additives to be specifically approved for use before they can be marketed within the EU. This approach is designed to minimize the risk of exposure to harmful substances.
In conclusion, while the United States and the European Union share a common goal of protecting public health and ensuring food safety, their regulatory frameworks exhibit notable differences. Both regions have implemented stringent regulations to prevent foodborne illnesses and ensure accurate labeling, but their approaches to GMOs and food additives vary significantly. These differences reflect the unique cultural, political, and economic contexts of each region.
