Environmental And Medical Issues

Question 1

Conservation definition

Answer 1

Protecting and preserving natural resources and the environment.

Question 2

Creation definition

Answer 2

The act of creating the universe or the universe which has been created.

Question 3

Embryo definition

Answer 3

A fertilised egg in the first eight weeks after conception.

Question 4

Environment definition

Answer 4

The surroundings in which plants and animals live and on which they depend to live.

Question 5

Global warming definition

Answer 5

The increase in the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere (though to be caused by the greenhouse effect).

Question 6

Infertility definition

Answer 6

Not being able to have children.

Question 7

In-vitro fertilisation definition

Answer 7

The method of fertilising a human egg in a test tube.

Question 8

Natural resources definition

Answer 8

Naturally occurring materials, such as oil and fertile land, which can be used by humans.

Question 9

Organ donation definition

Answer 9

Giving organs to be used in transplant surgery.

Question 10

Stewardship definition

Answer 10

Looking after something so it can be passed on to the next generation.

Question 11

Surrogacy definition

Answer 11

An arrangement whereby a woman bears a child on behalf of another woman OR where an egg is donated an fertilised by the husband though IVF and then implanted into the wife’s uterus.

Question 12

Artificial insemination definition

Answer 12

Injecting semen into the uterus by artificial means.

Question 13

Christians should support transplant surgery

Answer 13

• Teachings in the Bible:
- John the Baptist - “the man with two tunics should share with him who has one”, if we are able to share what we don’t need with the ones who need it - we should.
- St. Paul to the Galatians - “if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me”.
• Jesus’ teaching and The Golden Rule - for some the golden rule is enough support for organ donations. Sheep and goats - those who help others will be rewarded. Agape, Jesus healed.
• Resurrection of the Spirit, not the body - once we die, our spirit is resurrected but not our body, therefore it is not needed and can be used for organ donation.
• Church teachings - importance of sacrifice and helping others; gift of life is precious, we should make an effort to save it; Pope John Paul II - “ a particularly praiseworthy example of such gestures is the donation of organs in a morally accepted manner”.

Question 14

Christians should not support transplant surgery

Answer 14

• Playing God/God has a plan - Jodie and Mary - conjoined twins were God’s will, “humans should not intervene”. God is able to heal miraculously - “God can heal our daughter”.
• The sanctity of life teachings - violates the Sanctity of Life and people should not ‘play God’. All life is holy and belongs to God - if God wants you to die then you should. IMAGO DEI.
• Full bodily resurrection - God will resurrect people at the end of the world, if we take some of these people’s organs away then a full bodily resurrection is not possible.
• Donation can be unethical.
- World Heath Organisation estimates that 10000 black market operations involving human organs take place every year. Patients give money to gangs who harvest organs from vulnerable, desperate people.
- Procuring organs from death row inmates.

Question 15

Muslims should support transplant surgery

Answer 15

• Qur’an says that Muslims should save the lives of others. Allah says - “Whoever saves the life of one person it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind” - one organ can save multiple lives.
• Live donations are less controversial because people can survive with one kidney - resurrection would be unaffected and still possible.
• The Muslim Law Council (1996) issued a fatwa allowing Muslims to carry donor cards and have transplants. Basis of the rules of Shari’ah law supports organ transplantation because it saves life’s and alleviates pain. Next of kin is allowed to give permission to donate organs to save other people’s lives.
• It is an effective and proven method of curing life-threatening diseases and improving people’s lives - “there is no disease that Allah has sent down except that He has also sent down its treatment” (Hadith).

Question 16

Muslims should not support transplant surgery

Answer 16

• Sanctity of Life Teachings/Playing God - The Qur’an says that God has created the body of a person and so to take parts from one body and put them into another is to act S God which is the greatest sin of Islam. (Shirk)
• Qur’an teaches that the body should be buries soon after death and not be interfered with - nothing should be removed from the body after death (shari’ah also opposes post-mortems).
• Full bodily Resurrection - on the Last Day, the body will be resurrected and therefore the organs will be needed.
• Donation can be unethical.
- World Heath Organisation estimates that 10000 black market operations involving human organs take place every year. Patients give money to gangs who harvest organs from vulnerable, desperate people.
- Procuring organs from death row inmates.

Question 17

Christians should support fertility treatments

Answer 17

• The joy of having children/family. Christian marriage - Christians are taught that family life is important, “Marriage is the foundation of family life” (Marriage Service).
• God told Adam and Eve to ‘be fruitful’ (Genesis 1:28)
• Infertility is an illness. Jesus healed; so should we - this is continuing Jesus’ work on earth as a healer. The golden rule.
• God has given us the gift of knowledge - If God didn’t want the couple to have children, the IVY wouldn’t work. This is a way of helping God’s plans.

Question 18

Christians shouldn’t support fertility treatments

Answer 18

• God has a Plan. There are alternative options open to Christian couples who want children - adoption, accepting that it’s God’s choice, direct parental skills to a school. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5).
• Roman Catholics - Fertility treatments involve masturbation. Spilling of potential life - “he spilled his semen on the ground” (Genesis 38 - seed of Onan).
• Roman Catholic Church and others. Some fertility treatments involve other parties. Adultery. Children should be born as part of the intimate relationship between the husband and wife. His doesn’t include the actions of a laboratory. A physical and emotional bonding takes place with the ‘mother’ (surrogacy) which may be hard to break.
• Roman Catholic Church and others - IVF involves the destruction of unused embryos. Several embryos are disposed of or stored. If life begins at conception, this is disobeying the Ten Commandments - do not murder.

Question 19

Muslims should support fertility treatments

Answer 19

• Infertility is a disease so it is permissible to find a cure - “There is no disease that Allah has sent down except that He has also sent down its treatments.” (Hadith, The Book of Medicine: Al-Bukhari)
• Childbirth and childrearing are important family commitments. The role and status of a Muslim woman in society and the family involves her ability to have children. Having children helps to keep the couple and family together - all Muslims are expected to have children.
• IVF and AIH are permitted - they use the sperm and egg of the married couple. God has given people the ability to create people in this way. Embryos that are destroyed during IVF are 14 days old - not classes as human.
• Allah has given us the gift of knowledge - if Allah didn’t want the couple to have children the IVF wouldn’t work.

Question 20

Muslims shouldn’t support fertility treatments

Answer 20

• The Qur’an states that it is the will of Allah if a couple has a child or not. (Suresh 42: 49-50) - “He makes them (both) males and female, and He renders whom he wills barren. Indeed, He is knowing and competent.”
• Using donor eggs or sperm is adultery. Zina (adultery) - using eggs or sperm from another person.
• All Muslims believe that surrogacy is wrong - it is seen as violating the marriage contract; it is considered that the woman who gives birth to a baby is the mother.
• Allah has a Plan. There are alternative options open to Muslim couples who want children - if Allah wants a couple to have children he will decide.

Question 21

Why is the environment important to Christians?

Answer 21

• Creation/the Environment is a gift from God and He is in control of it. “Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it” (Genesis 2:15). “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1)
• God’s anger and judgement: “I brought them into a fertile land to eat its fruit and its produce. They came and made my land unclean. They made my property disgusting.” (Jeremiah 2:7). On the day of judgement, sir Christians believe they will be judged on the way they’ve treated God’s created world, as well as how they’ve treated their fellow humans.
• Stewardship: “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.” (Proverbs 13:22). Do not exploit the planet by harming or wasting resources - work in harmony.
• Church teachings support environmentalism - “For the Church of the 21st century, good ecology is not an optional extra but a matter of justice. It is therefore central to what is means to be a Christian”. (Dr Rowan Williams)

Question 22

Why is the environment important to Muslims?

Answer 22

• Creation is a gift from God to be respected and admired - tawhid (oneness of God) means that Muslims accept Allah is the creator and sustainer of creation. They believe that all creation is in unity with each other - “The sun and moon follow courses exactly computed and the herbs and the trees both alike bow in adoration”.
• They believe that on the day of judgment Allah will judge all Muslims on how they have cared for the world and been good stewards. In order to go to paradise, Muslims must act as khalifah.
• The prophet Muhammad taught that Muslims must act as stewards on the Earth by saying “The world is green and beautiful and Allah has appointed you his steward over it. The whole earth has been created a place of worship pure and clean.”
• Muslim Declaration on Nature - “We are God’s steward and agents on earth. We are not masters of this earth: it doesn’t belong to us to do what we wish. It belongs to God and he has entrusted us with its safekeeping”.
• The Ummah (Muslim Brotherhood). Muslims have a responsibility to take care of the environment for future generations: all members of the Ummah, past, present and future, share in the Earth’s resources.

Question 23

What are the causes of global warming?

Answer 23

• Lots of trees are being cut down and so less carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere.
• Burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide.
• Animals are increasingly farmed and belching methane.
• Many fertilisers used to grow crops release nitrous oxide.
• Natural cycle of the planet.
• Natural radiation from the sun decreases the amount of clouds and therefore the earth gets heated up more.

Question 24

What are four possible solutions to global warming?

Answer 24

• Using alternative ways to travel such as public transport, cycling and walking instead of cars/planes.
• Governments can meet at global conferences and agree to restrict carbon dioxide production.
• Power can be produced in ways which don’t involve fossil fuels (e.g. solar and wind power).
• People can use less energy (e.g. turning off devices instead of putting them on standby, low-energy lightbulbs).
• Recycling can be increased so that resources are made better use of.

Question 25

What problems could global warming cause in the future?

Answer 25

• Sea levels might rise and cause flooding because of melting ice caps.
• Water will evaporate from the sea more quickly, which could cause weather such as storms, torrential rain and flooding.
• The temperature of the soil will increase which will make it dry out and cause droughts.
• Flooding will decrease the amount of land available to be farmed and not enough food might be made.
• People will move to higher ground because of flooding and then there might be overcrowding and increased disease.

Question 26

What are the different forms of pollution?

Answer 26

• Air pollution - gases are added to the air like carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide. These might cause breathing problems such as asthma.
• Water pollution - chemicals and bacteria enter water and make humans unable to use it. This might lead to disease spreading like cholera. Eutrophication from farming waste is another example.
• Land pollution - materials are left on the land and affect how it can be used. An example of this is landfill sites.

Question 27

What are some possible solutions to pollution?

Answer 27

• Governments can set limits and laws to punish people who cause too much pollution (e.g. Kyoto Protocol has been signed by many nations to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions).
• Sewage plants can be built to ensure that no dangerous waste enters the water supply.
• Materials can be recycled to minimise land pollution caused by rubbish.
• People can look for alternative ways of living to minimise their air pollution (e.g. using automatic instead of petrol/diesel cars).

Question 28

Why does the scarcity of natural resources pose as a threat to the planet?

Answer 28

• The price of natural resources will increase and therefore it will be harder for people to afford things such as oil for their cars.
• Conflicts may arise in countries regarding who can have access to the natural resources because there might not be enough for both.
• New alternatives will have to be found to provide power, such as solar or wind, which will be expensive to set up and may not be as efficient.
• Biodiversity and ecosystems will be threatened because mom the increase in deforestation.

Question 29

What are some possible solutions to the scarcity of natural resources?

Answer 29

• Less energy can be wasted by people by doing things like switching lights off and shutting things down instead of standby.
• Alternative methods can be found in order to reduce energy consumption (e.g. cycling or walking instead of driving).
• Reusing resources (e.g. unwanted clothes and gadgets should be given to others who might want to use them, plastic bags can be reused when shopping).
• Recycling - people can recycle their items to be broken down and made into other things.