Edgecombe Community College REL 110 Section OL1 World Religions Rev. Stephen A. Herring, Instructor Midterm Assignment For our midterm this semester we are going to compose a well- developed essay examining the role of human rights and human responsibilities in one of the eastern religions. The “Eastern Religions” are those of Asia, or the orient, also known as the eastern world. These are covered in your book in chapters 6, 7, and 8. They are: · Hinduism · Buddhism · Daoism · Confucianism · Shinto For this project you want to develop two basic concepts. These are human rights and human responsibilities. Rights are privileges which belong to every human being simply by virtue of their being a person. Human rights have to do with our deeper understanding of what it means to be human. The way we understand the definition of “a person” shapes the ways we treat one another. The problem is that in various ways we treat people differently depending on which sort of people we are talking about. Across human cultures, we afford more rights to one sort of people and fewer rights to other sorts of people. This makes the whole discussion about human rights very complex and intertwined with our cultural perspective. Responsibilities are obligations that also come with our being human. In each culture, people are expected to comply with certain expectations. One way to understand any religion is by looking at these rights and responsibilities. Viewed in this way, any religion tells its followers two basic things: “This is who you are.” And “This is what you are expected to do.” As a preacher, I don’t know how many sermons I have given where one of these two themes have been touched upon. “This is who we are, and this is what we are expected to do.” On the surface this seems very simple, but it rapidly gets all wrapped up in the privileges and expectations that come with each culture. To look into this, we can look at the rights of women in the culture surrounding any given religion. We might also look at the rights of minorities, or people who are at the fringes of the culture. People at the fringes of cultural acceptance are known as “marginalized populations.” Here we are looking at the lives of people who are not accepted by the predominant culture. We can also look at attitudes toward “outsiders”, or people who belong to other cultures or other religions. So, your assignment is as follows; Please compose a well-developed essay examining human rights and human responsibilities in one of the eastern religions covered in chapters 6, 7, or 8. Your essay should be at least 3 pages long but not more than 5 pages long. (double spaced) Remember to include a clear works cited page. DO NOT try to copy your response off the internet. Please email me if you have any questions. Y6 Hongkun Yi Professor Morris English 2367 2/27/2020 Organ Donation The debate on organ donation has different dimensions because of the so ...

1. Edgecombe Community College
REL 110 Section OL1
World Religions
Rev. Stephen A. Herring, Instructor
Midterm Assignment
For our midterm this semester we are going to compose a well-
developed essay examining the role of human rights and human
responsibilities in one of the eastern religions. The “Eastern
Religions” are those of Asia, or the orient, also known as the
eastern world.
These are covered in your book in chapters 6, 7, and 8. They
are:
· Hinduism
· Buddhism
· Daoism
· Confucianism
· Shinto
For this project you want to develop two basic concepts. These
are human rights and human responsibilities. Rights are
privileges which belong to every human being simply by virtue
of their being a person. Human rights have to do with our
deeper understanding of what it means to be human. The way
we understand the definition of “a person” shapes the ways we
treat one another. The problem is that in various ways we treat
people differently depending on which sort of people we are
talking about. Across human cultures, we afford more rights to
one sort of people and fewer rights to other sorts of people.
This makes the whole discussion about human rights very
complex and intertwined with our cultural perspective.
Responsibilities are obligations that also come with our being
human. In each culture, people are expected to comply with
certain expectations. One way to understand any religion is by
looking at these rights and responsibilities. Viewed in this way,
any religion tells its followers two basic things: “This is who

2. you are.” And “This is what you are expected to do.” As a
preacher, I don’t know how many sermons I have given where
one of these two themes have been touched upon. “This is who
we are, and this is what we are expected to do.”
On the surface this seems very simple, but it rapidly gets all
wrapped up in the privileges and expectations that come with
each culture. To look into this, we can look at the rights of
women in the culture surrounding any given religion. We might
also look at the rights of minorities, or people who are at the
fringes of the culture. People at the fringes of cultural
acceptance are known as “marginalized populations.” Here we
are looking at the lives of people who are not accepted by the
predominant culture. We can also look at attitudes toward
“outsiders”, or people who belong to other cultures or other
religions.
So, your assignment is as follows;
Please compose a well-developed essay examining human rights
and human responsibilities in one of the eastern religions
covered in chapters 6, 7, or 8. Your essay should be at least 3
pages long but not more than 5 pages long. (double spaced)
Remember to include a clear works cited page. DO NOT try to
copy your response off the internet. Please email me if you
have any questions.
Y6
Hongkun Yi
Professor Morris
English 2367
2/27/2020
Organ Donation
The debate on organ donation has different dimensions because
of the social, moral, and economic issues involved. Scholars
have weighed into the issue by providing a different perspective
in regard to the benefits and effects of organ donation not only
to the donor but also to the receiver. My position in the debate
is that organ donation is integrals in saving the lives of patients

3. and preventing early deaths of patients. The problem could be
well addressed by improving public education on the benefits
and importance of organ donation, establishing proper
procurement procedures, and also ensuring donation after
circulatory and cardiac deaths. The importance of organ
donation cuts across different scholars such that some look at
the knowledge and ethical practices, other focus on challenges
and opportunities and while others look at the processes all in
the desire to help improve the number of donations.
Some articles have argued for ethical considerations in carrying
out organ donation. In the article Knowledge and Ethical Issues
in Organ Transplantation and Organ Donation: Perspectives
from Iranian Health Personnel medical scientists Mahmoud
Abbasi et al. posit that knowledge and ethical consideration in
organ donation are critical and should be underscored using
education program to healthcare personnel. The article is in
concurrence with my thinking that the education program will
help demystify the myths and false beliefs that people form
about organ donation. The article develops a new perspective in
regard to people who need education and knowledge about
organ donation. Previously, the prevailing narrative was that it
is the general public that has an ethical and moral question
about the system of organ donation. However, Abbasi et al.,
note that a well-informed health workforce would play an
instrumental role in inculcating the culture of an organ donor to
demystify the unfounded belief about the system.
In the article Deceased organ donation for transplantation:
Challenges and opportunities associate professor of surgery
Raffaele Girlanda points that there are challenges and
opportunities involved in the effecting deceased organ donation.
The article recognizes the need to put in place strategies
necessary to tap into the increase in deceased organ donation.
However, it is essential to understand the process involved in
the deceased organ donation to ensure that potential donors are
identified in time to help reduce the number of people on the
waitlist. One of the strongest elements in the text is its ability

4. to recognize potential donors in the deceased organ donation.
Girlanda notes that "Patients with devastating irreversible brain
injury, if medically suitable, are potential deceased donors and
strategies are needed to convert them into actual donors" (452)
successfully. The central themes expounded in the study are
deceased organ donation and the focus way in which the
industry can capitalize on the opportunities it presents and also
address the challenges it manifests.
One of the challenges faced in organ donation is the breakdown
of the process. In the study Breakdown in the Organ Donation
Process and Its Effect on Organ Availability medical
researchers, Manik Razdan et al., point out that the breakdowns
in the organ donation process contribute to the inability to
increase the number of organ donors. The main theme in the
article is the organ donation process and how it helps either
improve or limit access to organ transplants. Razdan et al.
assert that "process breakdowns have a strong adverse effect on
the likelihood of organ donation but do not affect the organ
yield once an eligible decedent becomes an organ donor” (23).
The article points to the integral role played by healthcare
officers and the need for a better education program to help
underscore the importance of carrying out organ donation. The
article highlights that one of the ways of preventing the
breakdown of the organ donation process involves all the
stakeholders. Among the key players who need to understand
the process include medical staff, patients, and their family
members and pastoral caregivers. The systemic breakdown of
the organ donation process contributes to the significant
reduction in the number of people willing to donate their
organs.
The three articles rely on primary research data as a source of
evidence to support various claims about organ donation. The
choice and nature of evidence used help articles to develop
credibility and persuade the audience through logical means.
The article by Abbasi et al. uses a cross-sectional study on 450
health personnel. The choice of health personnel as a

5. respondent in the study is integral in underscoring the
discussion on the role of health care providers in the organ
donation process. The evidence collected from respondents
helped the study to conclude that training to improve the
knowledge and ethical understanding among healthcare workers
is integral in the success of organ donation project. In the study
by Girlanda, the evidence used to support the claims made about
the deceased organ donation perfectly helps to underscore the
importance and relevance of the topic. For instance, in
demonstrating the gap between organs needed and organs
available, Girlanda relies on a report by the Health Resources
and Services Administration to back the claims made. The study
thus appears credible and trustable in regards to claiming about
challenges and opportunities available deceased organ donation.
The journal article by Razdan et al. also assumes the trajectory
as Girlanda as far as the issue of evidence is concerned. Reports
by government agencies provide perfect fodder for Razdan at al.
to underscore the breakdown of the organ donation process.
There is concurrence in an argument developed by Razdan et al.
and that of Abbasi et al. in regards to the role of education in
promoting organ donation. Both articles concur that lack of
proper knowledge has hampered the ability to increase organ
donation. Both articles also highlight the importance of setting
up the education program to various stakeholders to bolster the
understanding of organ donation and demystify the beliefs that
inhibit its acceptability. In addition, the two articles also form a
common ground, but with slight variation, regards to the
individuals that are supposed to the educational program.
Abbasi et al. believe that it will be prudent for healthcare
personnel to have the knowledge and skills to help them deal
with issues involved in organ donation. In the case of Razdan et
al., the educational program needs to expansive that not only
healthcare providers need that knowledge but also the general
public and every person associated with a potential organ donor.
The two articles hinge their argument on the current system
provides multiple challenges relating to a lack of proper

6. understanding and knowledge about the working of organ
donation.
The strongest argument comes from the article Girlanda as it
underscores the issues involved in deceased organ donation in
terms of the processes, challenges, and opportunities. The issue
of deceased organ donation has been a subject of debate that
many people have raised concerned about, including the fear
that doctors would do less for terminally ill persons whenever
they realize that they are donors. However, Girlanda insists
that such a system could be corrected by putting in place a
system and measures to prevent abuse. Girlanda writes that
“Brain death is determined after irreversible cessation of brain
stem activity documented by bedside neurologic tests” (457).
The article also identifies the need to involve the family
members of potential donors and keep them knowledgeable
about the benefits of organ donors and help in the making of
informed decisions.
In conclusion, different scholars pursue the issue of organ
donation from a varied angle. Interestingly, all articles explored
in this study agree on the importance and organ donation and
provide mechanisms to better the understanding of the issue at
hand. The three articles converge on the argument that the lack
of proper understanding and knowledge about organ donation
limits access to the number of people who are potential donors.
The breakdown in processes of organ donation also plays a
significant role in the increase in the number of people seeking
organ transplants because the system is not effective enough to
attract all potential donors.
Works Cited
Abbasi, Mahmoud et al. “Knowledge and Ethical Issues in
Organ Transplantation and Organ Donation: Perspectives from
Iranian Health Personnel.” Annals of transplantation vol. 23
292-299. 4 May. 2018.
Girlanda, Raffaele. “Deceased organ donation for
transplantation: Challenges and opportunities.” World journal of

7. transplantation vol. 6,3 (2016): 451-9.
Razdan, Manik, et al. “Breakdown in the Organ Donation
Process and Its Effect on Organ Availability.” Journal of
Transplantation, vol. 2015, 2015, pp. 1–8.
Collaborative Writing Project
Peer Review Worksheet
Collaborative Writing Project
Peer Review WorksheetPeer Review Worksheet
Name of author ________________ Name of
reviewer__________________
1. Introduction: How does the first paragraph introduce both the
paper’s topic and the writer’s approach or general conclusion?
Is the first sentence attention-getting and relevant to the topic?
2. What can you identify as a thesis statement? Suggest, if
possible, a way to improve the introduction or thesis statement.
3. Structure: Can you identify the organization of the paper
from the main idea of each paragraph? What are the main
concepts explored in the paper? Does each paragraph make a
relevant point that is distinct from what has already been
covered? What are the main conclusions?
4. Clarity/Style: Did you find distracting grammar, punctuation,
spelling, or word usage problems? Circle them and identify any
patterns or themes you detect. Is the tone of the essay formal? If
you find awkward sentences, try to explain why they don’t make
sense to you.
5. Resources: Does the author clearly identify his/her sources?
Is proper in-text and reference format used?
6. What is/are the paper’s greatest strength(s)? Explain.

8. - 1 -
- 2 -
- 2 -