dialogue within and between religious and non-religious beliefs and attitudes Flashcards
what does establishment mean?
Establishment means that the church has strong links with the state
In the UK who is the head of state and the defender of the faith?
The queen
state 3 roles of the supreme governor of the church of England
- approves the appointment of senior clerics (archbishops, bishops and deans of cathedrals
- opens new sessions of the generold synod (church governing body)
- keeps the coronation vow to maintain the church
what part of the house of lords is made up of bishops?
26 lords spiritual
what is the role of the bishop in the house of lords
- holding the government to account for its actions and its spending, and making laws
give three examples of Christian services that may be used to mark key events.
- Baptism marks the birth of a baby and welcomes into the church.
- marriage celebrates the coming of two people to start a new family.
- funerals are when people’s lives are remembered and loved ones can say goodbye to the deceased
list 4 Christian events that are marked by public holidays
- good Friday remembers the death of Jesus
- Christmas day celebrates the birth of Jesus
- Easter Monday emphasises the importance of Easter Sunday which celebrates the Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus. (by allowing workers an extra day off)
what was the church of England responsible for till the 1830s
-responsible for most educational establishments until the state became involved in the education of children
what should all religious schools do by law?
- must be taught religious education
- daily acts of worships
- reflect the fact that the traditions of England are, in the main, Christian.
what are the arguments that organisations reason why faith schools should not be funded by public money
- if the churches want faith schools they should fund it 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 their local communities
what are the arguments that religious groups reason why faith schools should be funded by public money
- since they contribute 10% of the costs of some faith schools, they are actually paying for public education
- parents should be able to choose schools for their children that share their own values
- if some religious families are wealthy, this means they pay higher taxes and so contribute more than most people to state education in general
outline the humanist attitude towards church schools
Humanists believe that church schools should fund themselves
what is secularisation?
the idea that religious beliefs, practises and organisations are becoming less important in society
state 3 pieces of evidence which suggest secularisation is occurring
- religion has become a ‘leisure pursuit’ rather than a deep commitment
- religious teachings and organisations are no longer respected
- people are increasingly less committed to religious values and practices such as prayer
what does the British social attitudes survey show
shows the proportion of people in Britain who say they belong to a religion has fallen over the last 30 years
list 3 processes that occur in the modernisation of society that have a direct influence on the decline of religion
- rationalisation
- differentiation
- decline of community
what is rationalism?
- people use science to explain the universe.
- they reject religion, which cannot be proved
what is differentiation?
the church used to control or influence large parts of people’s lives like hospitals and government however now they are run by non-religious organisations
what is ‘decline of community’?
As a means of communication and the exchange of info have improved, the world seems bigger. People no longer live in small communities, which used to be held together by the church
list 3 pieces of evidence to show religion has decreasing power and authority in our society
- fewer people attend church
- churches are closed or sold off
- fewer people get married now than in the past
describe why some people do not agree that secularisation is occurring
- religion is very important in the lives of many social groups for example Muslims
- some new religious movements have experienced considerable popularity
- even if religion is becoming less important in western Europe it is still 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 rejecting religious beliefs and ideas
what is an example of humanism occurring in the 18th century?
- the Christian church dominated European thinking.
- thinkers started to question the authority of the church and challenge its teachings
- .believed human goodness and ethics came from human reasoning rather than external power
what are the three central principles all humanists share?
1) a scientific view of the universe that rejects supernatural beliefs, including religious beliefs
2) A concern for the welfare of other humans and animals based on reason, not divine authority
3) 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 campaign to do?
- disestablish the Church of England
- remove the right of anglican bishops to sit in the house of lords
- abolish faith schools
state 2 potential clashes between religious and secular values in education
- the teaching of religious education in state schools that promote religion
- worship in state schools
what are the aims of religious education in the church of England schools?
- understanding how religious faith can sustain pupils in difficult circumstances and in the face of opposition
- recognising that faith is based on commitment to a particular way of understanding God and the world
what are the aims of religious education in Catholic schools?
- enabling pupils to relate their Catholic faith to daily life
- making pupils aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life
what does the national secular society believe should happen in education?
- believes that non-religious and humanist world views should be taught alongside religions
- no religion or world view should have greater importance than any other
what is a civil marriage?
legal contract between 2 people that sets out rights and duties between them
what does the RCC believe about civil ceremony?
- accepts the marriage of non-catholics through a civil ceremony
- does not recognise that catholics get marries in this way
- believe marriage is a spiritual bond and must take place in a church
which church is against same-sex marriages. and why?
- church of England , RCC
- teaches marriage can only take place between a man and a woman
- nevertheless, anglicans recognises validity of same-sex
why does the church of England recognise divorce as acceptable?
- even though they see it as a ‘lifelong union’
- circumstances that couples cannot stay together
- the divorce may be inevitable
why does the Catholic Church not recognise divorce as acceptable
- marriage is a relationship made by God and human beings cannot break it
- therefore divorcees are not allowed to remarry in a Catholic Church
what are annulments?
-is a procedure that cancels a marriage: it effectively wipes it out as if it had never existed
what are the three strict conditions that must be met for an annulment to take place
- the marriage was not conducted by a catholic priest
- there was an impediment
- there was a defect in the couples consent to marry for example under the influence of drugs
