Arguments And Questions Flashcards
Dear the Just War Theory 6 marks
Accepted by Christian churches
Developed by RC and Aquinas
Last resort - every other option must have been tried/
/serious threat/proportionate weapons/
‘It is better to marry before having children’ Do you agree? Refer to Christian teachings
YES:
NO:
Freedom
Agree
- God gave free will
- consensual sex outside can bring deep joy
- Paul (sex before marriage) for particular circumstances
- illegal drugs less harmful than alcohol
Disagree
- chastity + self control
- casual sex devalues God’s gift/temple/self
- risk to self + others (drugs)
- freedom not the same as license
Little to protect environment
Agree
- only international scale effective
- little effect of ordinary Christian
- recycling only effective if everyone does it
Disagree
- example to others to recycle
- individual stewards of earth
- those in power influence international decisions
What is cloning
Artificial creation of genetically identical individual
Enables stem cell research
Not legal fertility treatment
Support medical research aimed at healing
Agree
- responsible use of skills
- good intention, compassion
- God wants suffering relieved
Disagree
- risks outweigh benefits
- expensive, not stewardship
- devalues + exploits embryo, no consent
- sacred from conception
Importance of vows
- lifelong fidelity
- mutual love + respect
- sharing self/possessions
- ready to have children as gift from God (RC)
- family support (CofE)
Contraception
Agree
- responsible - ‘safe sex’ outside marriage
- prevent genetic condition/HIV
- woman endangered
Disagree
- procreate
- sex for marriage
Women more important
Agree
- keep human race going
- bring up children
- Mary most important Saint
- women first told of resurrection
Disagree
- equals: image of God
- man named woman
- male priests (some denominations)
Alternatives to abortion?
Agree
- sanctity of life
- child loved not destroyed
- less guilt + later issues
- adoption: joy for couple, fostering
Disagree
- Christian compassion - rape/disable
- disability causes lifetime of suffering
- cost
- adopted child lacks identity
Just War theory
- lawful authority: government
- just cause: defence, afterwards hostility ceases
- last resort: sanctions
- better future + success: not waste
- innocent not targeted + no atrocities
- proportional: not excessive
Pacifism/ never fight
Agree
- ‘those who live by the sword’ - intensifies hate
- ‘blessed are the peacemakers’, ‘love your enemy’
- MLK/Jesus
- terrible suffering + environment
- money spent on enhancing life
Disagree
- refusal ignored, only force leads to change
- teachings not clear cut
- Just War
- defend country: ‘obey the authorities’
Euthanasia
Agree
- human autonomy, respect
- ‘clothe yourself with compassion and kindness’ NT
- double effect, passive not illegal
Disagree
- sacred/temple
- tantamount to murder
- hospice is better
- slippery slope: involuntary, exploitation of vulnerable
- vulnerable merit especial protection (CCC) - open to exploitation
Abortion if disabled
Agree
- bereavement for whole family if dies young
- neglected because of needs
- embryo only potential
- ‘clothe yourself with compassion and kindness’
Disagree
- selfish for ‘perfect baby’ - all God’s children
- disability discrimination - arrogant assumption
- tantamount to murder
- vulnerable merit especial protection (CCC)
IVF AS A TREATMENT FOR INFERTILITY
Designer babies/reproductive cloning not valid
Agree
- Jesus’ healing
- puts ‘be fruitful and multiply’ into practise
- enables loving family
Disagree
- unnatural - not ‘one flesh’
- mechanical adultery if donor
- spare destroyed: sanctity, exploitation
- vulnerable merit especial protection (CCC) - children in need of loving home: adoption
