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
what is forced marriage
when one or both partners do not consent to the marriage
why does christians believe all people are equal?
- god created the human race
- god plays a par in the creation of each individual
- god created humans beings in his image
example of inequality in the bible
'’the woman is the glory of man’’
‘women should remain silent in the church’
what does the Roman Catholic and church of England teach about the role of women in church
Roman Catholic: against will of god for women to have leadership roles in the church
church of England: allows women to be ordained as priests and bishops
How does the Marriage Act 2013 promote equality?
The Marriage Act of 2013 promotes equality because it makes same-sex civil marriages lawful in England and Wales.
what is euthanasia
deliberate act of ending someone’s life to relieve them from suffering
what is assisted suicide
when a terminally ill patient asks someone to help them take their own life
what is voluntary euthanaisa
when a person asks that their life should be ended because their illness is causing them a lot of pain
what is involuntary euthanasia
when a person is unable to request that their life be ended so doctor or relative makes the decision
what is passive euthanasia
withholding treatment that if administered would keep a person alive
what is active euthanasia
deliberately ending a persons life for example with lethal drugs
give 2 reasons why christians believe euthanasia is wrong
- life is precious and sacred as it was created by god (Roman Catholics)
- euthanasia is deliberate killing, it is murder and goes against the 10 commandments
give 2 reasons why non-religious people are opposing euthanasia
- a doctor’s duty to preserve life, not end it
- some patients ,especially elderly ones, may agree to euthanasia against their will so not to be a burden to relatives
why do some people say euthanasia is not murder?
- murder is committed through anger and hatred
- euthannasia is carries out of love and compassion
why is the church of England considering to accept euthanasia?
- recognises importance of personal autonomy
- however ending a life of human implies that their life has no meaning, and this goes against the christian principle of the sanctity of llife
what is the right to die
- persons life is their own and they should have a right to have control over it.
- christians believe that god created their life and is not their own so nobody has the right to end their life or have it ended by someone else
what does the Scottish philosopher say about the right to die
- god created humans with mental powers to be used for their ‘ease and happiness’
- if these mental powers lead to a person to take their own life for their ease and happiness then suicide is allowable
what is abortion?
the termination or ending of a pregnancy through a medical process
when do many christians believe that life begins?
at the moment of conception
give two reasons why RCC opposes abortion
The Catholic Church is opposed to abortion because it believes that only God has the right to take life. It also believes that it is an act of murder as life begins at conception. This goes against the sixth Commandment.
why is the church of England accepting abortion
- there may be circumstances for examine if the pregnancy puts the mothers’ life in danger
- child has disability
- as a result of rape
what do the ‘pro-choice’ believe
- absolute right for a women to decided if they should continue to continue with pregnancy
- it is the mother’s body and life that will be affected by pregnancy
what is therapeutic cloning
-making copies of cells that can be grown and used to cure someone of a serious medical condition
why does the Catholic Church disagree with therapeutic cloning
- life starts at conception so the embryo is a human being.
- The deliberate destruction of embryos after stem cells have been removed is wrong
why does the church of England more cautious towards therapeutic cloning
- while an embryo has the potential to be a human being, it is not one yet
why do some christians disagree with fertility treatment for couples unable to conceive
- ability to have children is a matter for god to decide
- opt for fertility treatment is to interfere with god’s plans
what is artificial insemination?
-collecting sperm and inserting it into a women uterus through non-sexual means
what is IVF
-the bringing together of sperm and egg outside a woman’s body in laboratory conditions
what does the church of England teach about the use of both fertility treatments?
AI: conception should occur in a loving sexual relationship. if this is not possible then AI can be used
IVF: accepts use of embryos for medical experimentation’s long as it is carried out within 14 days of fertilisation
what does RCC teach about the use of fertility treatments?
-conception should only happen through sexual union
what is exclusivism?
view only one religion is true and the rest are false
what do exclusivists believe
-those who follow other faiths (not christianity) are destined for hell
who were missionaries (exclusivists)
-individuals who were sent into Africa,asia with a view to convert indigenous people to christianity.
what do inclusivists believe?
-non christians can go to heaven; expressed faith in Jesus and being a member in the church are not necessary
why do inclusivists believe what they believe
- people who loved before Jesus could not have been saved. yet in the old testament they suggest they were
- god is good and just. it would not be just to condemn people who have not herd of Jesus
what is pluralism?
-rejects idea that god have revealed himself only through Jesus Christ and that salvation can be obtained only through him
why do pluralists disagree with both exclusivists and inclusivists
-maintain that God reveals himself through all the world’s religious traditions. The christian faith is just one of many valid responses to God
what does ecumenism refer to?
to an attempt to bring about unity of the christian churches
what does unity seek to do
- bring about unity of the christian churches.
- seeks to bring cooperation in worship and working together to serve humanity
what 3 areas does the World Council of Churches work in?
- establishing a global fellowships of churches seeking a deeper understanding of each other developing a wider dialogue and building
- building peace and serving human need
- educating and training to ensure the future of ecumenism
list three reasons why some christians do not agree with ecumenism?
- christian exclusivists find it hard to accept other denominations
- some churches are happy to remain distinct from other christian groups
- some churches are concerned that will make them less distinct from other christian groups
State which view may be best supported by the teaching found in John 14:6.
The Christian exclusivist view is best supported by John 14:6 because it says there is only one way to achieve salvation.
what is the difference between agnosticism and atheism
atheists- are people who believe that there is no god
agnostics: are those who say it is impossible to know whether god exists
what are secularists
-say that everyone has the right to freedom of belief, whether it is religious or not
what are humanists
believe in equal treatment of everyone, whether religious or not.
-they think that the universe can be explained only by science
list values and ideals that are shared between christianity, atheism, agnosticism,humanism and secularism
- compassion
- support for those in need
- the promotion of peace over war
- protection of the environments
describe what is meant by interfaith dialogue?
-an attempt to understand the differences and respect them while remaining true to one’s own faith
what are the aims of interfaith dialogue?
- enabling members of different faith communities to form friendships and strengthen social ties
- providing opportunities to learn about other’s beliefs, values and practices
- promoting multi-faith events in local communities
- engaging in practical projects to help other people
one of Vatican II (RCC promoted interfaith dialogue) was the outcomes of setting up of the PCID .
what are the aims of the PCID
- promote mutual understandings, respect between catholics and other religions
- encourage study of religions
- promote the formation of persons dedicated to dialogue (it does this through welcoming visitors from other faiths)
what is a theocracy
country that is ruled by religious leaders
for example Iran is run by a muslim cleric
Give two examples of countries closely associated with specific religions
Judaism and Israel, Iran and Islam are examples.
what is proselytisation
requirement of their religion to tell others about their faith and convert them so that they become christians
why is proselytisation controversial
- There is a fine line between sharing one’s faith with others and imposing it on them.
- the person who is being proselytised invasion of privacy and does not respect the views they already hold.
give an example of a legal case in proselytisation
when a nursery worker told her co-worker, who was a lesbian, that she was a sinner
state 3 christian values that may no longer seem important in secular society
- christians believe it is too for married couples to divorce
- christianity teaches that marriage is the relationship within which a couple should have children
- sex before marriage is now socially acceptable but sex is an act of love and should only occur in marriage.
state 2 examples of a privilege given to religious values that humanists disagree with
- education: secularists and humanists oppose involvement of religious groups in publicly funded education
- religious exemption: against public services that are run by religious groups selecting employees and clients on the grounds of faith as employment law in Britain allows R.O to discriminate if they do not share the same faith
