Dialogue Flashcards
What are some ways that British life is structured around the Christian calendar?
- School terms are arranged around Christmas and Easter
- Large stores cannot be open on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday
- The week has 7 days which is reflective of the creation of the world.
Who is the monarch?
The head of state of the UK and the other Commonwealth countries. Also the Defender of the Faith and the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
What does the monarch do now?
- Approves the appointment of senior clerics by recommendation of the Prime Minister who considers a list provided by the Church.
- Opens new sessions of the General Synod
- Keep the vow made at his coronation to maintain the Church.
Evidence to support that Christianity plays a significant part in the public life of Britain.
‘It is because of Christain values that Britain has been such a successful home to people of all faiths.’ - DAvid Cameron
What does the House of Lords in parliament do?
holding the government to account for its actions and its spending, and making laws.
What are the Christian rites of passage?
- Baptism
- Marriage
- Funerals
What are the Christian public holidays?
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Christmas Day
- Boxing Day
How many of the schools in England and Wales are state schools?
about one-third
What is meant when a school has a religious character?
it means the school has formal links with a faith organisation
What is the law regarding religious education?
all pupils must be taught religious education and all schools should provide a daily act of worship
What are arguments against religious groups using public money to run schools?
- If churches want faith schools they should fund themselves
- It is wrong that children should not be allowed to attend their local school because of their religious views
- Faith schools select pupils from the wealthiest families and so do not represent local communities
What are arguments for religious groups using public money to run schools?
- 10 percent of costs of faith schools are contributed so they’re actually paying for public education
- If some religious families are wealthy, this means they pay higher taxes and in turn contribute more to state education
- Parents should be able to choose schools for their children that share their own values
What is secularisation?
the idea that religious beliefs, practices and organisations are becoming less important in society
What did MAx Weber say about secularistation?
As society modernises and becomes more industrialised and scientific in its outlook, people have less need to rely on ideas that cannot be proved.
What are some arguments for secularistaion happening?
- Religious organisations are no longer respected
- People can rely on material comforts for happiness and so don’t need to believe in supernatural ideas
- Religion has become a private matter and has less influence in public life
- People are less committed to religious values and practices
What is the general trend of the proportion of people in Britain who say they belong to a religion?
Fallen, over the last 30 years
Rationalisation
People use science to explain the universe and the place of humans in it. They reject religion, which cannot be proved.
Differentiation
The church used to control or influence large parts of people’s lives and today those aspects are all run by different non-religious organisations
Decline of community
As means of communication and the exchange of information has improved, the world seems bigger. People no longer live in small communities, which used to be held together by the church
What happens as a result to the decline of religion’s power and authority today?
- Fewer people attend church services
- Fewer people are willing to work in the church
- Churches are closed or sold off
- Fewer people get married now
- Fewer people are baptised and confirmed
- Christmas and Easter have lost their significance
What evidence is there to suggest that religion is still important in todays society, but that the nature of its importance is changing?
- Most people still hold religious beliefs
- Religion is still very important in many social groups
- Some new religious movements have experienced a lot of popularity
- Religion is still going strong in other parts of the world
What is humanism?
a way of seeing and reacting to the world using science, logic and reason and rejectinng religious beliefs and ideas.
How did humanism come about?
Thinkers started to question the authority of the Church and the idea that human goodness and ethics came from human reason was promoted
What are the 3 central principles humanists base their beliefs on?
- A scientific view of the universe that rejects supernatural beliefs
- A concern for the welfare of other human beings and animals based on reason, not divine authority
- The need for each person to create meaning in their own life without a belief in life after death
What does the British Humanist Association of 1967 campaign to do?
- Disestablish the Church of England
- Remove the right of Anglican bishops to sit in the House of Lords
- Abolish faith schools
What is a marriage from a Christian perspective?
a special relationship between a man and a women that is created by God (therefore when a couple get married they make promises before God that their relationship will be faithful and permanent, regardless of circumstances)
What is a civil marriage?
a legal contract between 2 people that sets out rights and duties between them which must be secular
What is the RCC’s stance on civil partnerships?
- Non-catholics are okay to have a civil partnership
- Catholics must not have a civil partnership and will not be recognised by the Church
- Marriage is a spiritual bond and must take place in a church
What is the CofE’s stance on same-sex marriage?
- Opposed to same-sex marriage
- Marriage can only be taken place between a woman and a man
- Still recognise the validity of civil same-sex partnerships
What is the RCC’s stance on same-sex marriage?
- Wholly opposed to same-sex marriage
- Does not recognise marriage between 2 people of the same sex
What is the CofE’s stance on divorce?
- Marriage is a ‘permanent and lifelong union’
- Recognises that there may be circumstances in which divorce may be inevitable
What is the RCC’s stance on divorce?
- Does not recognise divorce
- Therefore divorcees are not allowed to remarry in a Catholic church
What is the Christian stance on forced marriage?
Consent is an important condition of marriage and so therefore oppose forced marriage
What is the Christian stance on arranged marriage?
Arranged marriages are not believed to be compatible with the teaching of the importance of consent, so therefore it is opposed
How is the age requirement to get married regulated in Roman Catholic Church?
- Allows bishops in individual countries to set ages for marriage in their own country
- Allows for males to marry at 16 and females at 14
Christianity teaches that everyone is equal regardless of their characteristics. Why?
- God created the human race
- God plays a part on the creation of each individual
- God loves each person and accepts them as they are
- God created human beings in his image
How is inequality dispalyed in the Bible?
Pauls teaching in 1 Corinthians syas that women should be silent in Church and in submission to men
What is the Church of England’s stance on women priests and bishops?
after many years of debate they are now allowed to be ordained as preists and bishops
What is the RCC’s stance on women priests and bishops?
it is against the will of God for women to have leadership roles in the Church
Quote to support equality.
‘From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole Earth’
What is euthanasia?
The deliberate act of ending someone’s life to relieve them of suffering.
Another quote to support inequality.
You shall love your neighbour as yourself
Why do most Christians believe euthanasia is wrong?
• Life is precious as it was created by God
• Euthanasia is deliberate killing which is murder which is forbidden by the Ten Commandments
• Christians have a duty to care for those who are suffering
What is the RCC’s stance on euthanasia?
Life is always preferable to death and does not depend for its value on how much pleasure or well-being it brings. Therefore euthanasia must be wrong
What is the CofE’s stance on euthanasia?
Recognises the important of personal autonomy however also recognises that this puts an unwelcome burden on someone else to carry out euthanasia or assisted suicide. To end the life of a human that would mean it no longer has meaning which goes against the sanctity of life.
What are non-religious reasons for opposing euthanasia?
• A doctors duty is to preserve life, not end it
• Medical advances mean pain control is very effective and cures of illnesses more likely
• Some patients may agree to euthanasia against their will as to not be a burden on their relatives
‘The right to die’ argument on euthanasia
If it is the case that a person’s life is theor own, it means they should have absolute control over it and so that person should be able to decide to end it if they wish.
Christian belief on a person’s ‘right to die’
A person’s life is not their own, it is created by God and only God has the right to take it away. Therefore no one has the right to end their life or have it ended by someone else.
When do Christians believe life begins?
at conception - the moment the sperm meets the egg and that the fertilised egg is a sacred life with the same rights as a baby, child or adult
What are some points to disprove Christianity’s belief on when life begins?
- Medical science tells us that 70% of fertilised eggs do not become implanted in a women’s womb and that a large proprtion of those that do are naturally lost to miscarriage.
- Some see the foetus as a developing life with rights increasing as pregnancy progresses
- Others believe that the end of pregnancy and birth of a baby marks the beginning of a new life
When must abortion take place and why?
before the 24th week of pregnancy since after this time a foetus is able to survive independently outside its mothers body
What do most Christians believe about abortion?
Abortion is always wrong as they believe the moment of conception is when life begins
RCC stance on abortion
wholly opposes it and considers it to be murder
CofE stance on abortion
Opposes it but recognises circumstances where it may be necessary
Quote to oppose abortion.
‘abortion and infanticide are the most abominable of crimes’
RCC stance on theraputic cloning and why
opposed as they believe life begins at conception so the embryo is a human being and so therefore the destruction of an embryo is wrong
Christian opinion on fertility treatment
A couples ability to concieve is a matter for God to decide and therefore opting for fertility treatment interferes with God’s plan
CofE stance on artificial insemination
Conception should occur in a sexual relationship, but if this cannot happen then artificial insemination is okay
RCC stance on artificial insemination
Conception should happen only through sexual union and therefore AI is unacceptable
Exclusivism
view that only one religion is true and that others are fake
RCC stance on exclusivism
any non-Catholic person is destined to hell so lost of missionary work has been carried out to spread Catholicism
Inclusivism
belief that non-Christians can still go to heaven and belief in Jesus and being a member of the Church is not necessary
Pluralism
belief that God reveals himself through all the world’s religions and that Christianity is just one of the many valid responses to God
Ecumenism
bringing about the unity of Christian churches
Quote to support intra-faith communication (ecumenism).
‘You are joined together with peace through the Spirit.’
Inter-faith dialogue
an attempt to understand the differences in religion and to respect them whilst staying true to one’s own faith
Whatare the aims of inter-faith dialogue?
- Strengthen social ties between faiths
- Provide opportunities to learn about each others beliefs
- Promoting multi-faith events in local communities
