Introduction Wilson states in Chapter Two that death is one of the reasons that people study religion. What happens to us when we die? Do we go to Heaven or Hell? Purgatory?Are we reincarnated? If there is an afterlife of some sort, is it affected by the choices we make in this life? Our beliefs about death and what happens next might have great impact on how we would spend our lives…especially if we knew we only had one more day to spend. In his novel, The Idiot, Fyodor Dostoyevsky describes a man who has only five minutes left to live before being shot by a firing squad.* He spends almost all of his time trying to decide how he would like to spend it. What would you do in a similar situation? Post your response to the following scenario.
The Prompt Respond to the following situation:
Okay, here’s the scenario: You have been convicted of a crime and are sentenced to die in 24 hours. This is the last day of your life. You have been implanted with a micro-chip that will cause you to self-destruct at the appointed time, but you are free to go anywhere and do anything you choose during this last day. As long as we’re pretending, we might as well go big: you can go anywhere you want in a matter of seconds, so you are not limited to local travel. How will you spend this last day? Last hour? Last five minutes?
Specifications Post your opening response to the question early in the assignment period so that others have time to respond to you. For a top score, you must respond constructively to at least two other students. More extensive participation will be noted. Important note: For all course forums: there is a 30-minute editing window after you make your initial post. During this time, you can edit your work, but you will not be able to see or reply to other participants’ posts until the 30-minute window has passed. Do not post a “fake” post in order to see other students’ posts; your initial post must be a sincere attempt to address the prompt.
For more information about how to participate effectively in a discussion forum, please view the directions in the “Completing Course Modules” link in the Course Information block.
* At the end of his “last” five minutes, the man in Dostoyevsky’s story is given a reprieve and is not executed.