Life and Death

Question 1

What is the sanctity of life principle?

Answer 1

The belief that all humans are made in the image of God (‘imago dei’) and therefore all human life is sacred.

Question 2

What is the quality of life principle?

Answer 2

The belief that human life is only valuable when a person can feel pleasure/pain (sentience) and the person experiences more pleasure than pain.

Question 3

What is nihilism?

Answer 3

The belief that life has no meaning.

Question 4

What does nihilists believe?

Answer 4

They don’t believe in life after death.

Question 5

What do pessimistic nihilists believe?

Answer 5

That life is meaningless and death is the end.

Question 6

What do optimistic nihilists believe?

Answer 6

That it is up to us to give life meaning and value.

Question 7

Who is Albert Camus?

Answer 7

The French novelist and philosopher, who explored both kinds of nihilism.

Question 8

What was Camus’ most famous novel?

Answer 8

The Outsider, which explores nihilsm

Question 9

Who was Jean-Paul Sartre and what did he believe?

Answer 9

He was another French novelist and philosopher, who taught that people live superficial lives to escape the fear of nihilism.

Question 10

Who is the main character in the Outsider?

Answer 10

Meursault, who was at first pessimistic nihilist because he doesn’t care what happens to him

Question 11

What does Meursault believe?

Answer 11

That as there is no afterlife and no God to judge and place him in heaven or hell, then it doesn’t matter when he kills a person.

Question 12

What does Meursault suddenly realise?

Answer 12

That as there is no afterlife, he is free to live his life imaginatively as he wants - he is an optimistic nihilist.

Question 13

What does Sartre explain?

Answer 13

That escapism is not real life; real life requires making an effort and being committed to oneself, one’s job and other people.

Question 14

What is resurrection?

Answer 14

The belief that after death a person’s soul is reunited with its body.

Question 15

Which types of religion believe in resurrection?

Answer 15

Christians, Jews and Muslims all believe in some form of resurrection.

Question 16

Why do Christians believe in resurrection?

Answer 16

Because the early Christians experienced the resurrected Jesus.

Question 17

What did Jesus’ resurrection suggest?

Answer 17

That they too will be resurrected.

Question 18

When will resurrection take place for Christians?

Answer 18

At the last judgement.

Question 19

Who will God judge?

Answer 19

All people - the righteous will enter heaven; the wicked will go to hell.

Question 20

What does resurrection affirm?

Answer 20

The value of human life; it supports the sanctity of life principle.

Question 21

Why do Christians have different views about Jesus’ resurrection?

Answer 21

Because it is not clear what kind of body the resurrected Jesus had.

Question 22

What do some think about the resurrected Jesus’ body?

Answer 22

That Jesus had a spiritual body which wasn’t physical and so could pass through walls; or that he had a perfect physical body.

Question 23

What do others think about the resurrected Jesus and his body?

Answer 23

That he had no body, he was a pure soul and appeared as a vision in the minds of the first Christians.

Question 24

What do people believe about hell and heaven?

Answer 24

Some believe hell and heaven are not actual places but spiritual states where the soul exists.

Question 25

What does heaven and hell mean?

Answer 25

Hell means the soul exists separately from God's love; heaven means the soul exists fully in the presence of God's love.

Question 26

What does belief in resurrection give?

Answer 26

Meaning and purpose to life

Question 27

What is reincarnation?

Answer 27

The belief that after death, a person's soul returns to this world and inhabits a new body.

Question 28

Which types of religions believe in reincarnation?

Answer 28

Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists all believe in some form of reincarnation.

Question 29

What exists in the body in Hinduism?

Answer 29

The jivatman (individual soul) exists in the body as it goes through many stages of life.

Question 30

What is samsara?

Answer 30

The cycle through this life and future lives; it is controlled by the law of karma.

Question 31

What is karma?

Answer 31

The law of cause and effect.

Question 32

What creates positive karma?

Answer 32

Living a good life which means one is reborn into a higher or better form of life.

Question 33

What happens when the soul is fully purified?

Answer 33

Reincarnation ceases and the soul achieves total happiness, or bliss.

Question 34

What does reincarnation affirm?

Answer 34

The value of human life; it supports the sanctity of life principle.

Question 35

What does reincarnation explain?

Answer 35

Why some people are naturally more spiritually and morally advanced from an early age.

Question 36

What does reincarnation remove?

Answer 36

The feeling that one has to achieve everything in this life as there will be future lives.

Question 37

What does the promise of future bliss encourage?

Answer 37

It encourages people to work hard on becoming morally good.

Question 38

What does the law of karma mean?

Answer 38

That the unrighteous will justly be reborn at a lower animal level.

Question 39

What do war realists believe?

Answer 39

That wars are necessary to fight against aggressors and to protect a country's way of life.

Question 40

What do war militarists believe?

Answer 40

That wars are a sign of a country's political strength.

Question 41

What do just war theorists believe?

Answer 41

That war can be justified as a lesser of two evils.

Question 42

What are three parts to just war?

Answer 42

Justification for going to war, justice in war, justice after war.

Question 43

What is the justification for going to war?

Answer 43

- The cause must be just. - It must be authorised. - The intentions must be good. - There must be a chance of success. - It must be the last resort. - Use of force must be proportionate to the aim.

Question 44

What is justice in war?

Answer 44

- Force used in battle must be proportionate. - Non-combatants (non-soldiers) must be protected.

Question 45

What is justice after war?

Answer 45

- Law and order must be restored. - The environment must be protected and restored.

Question 46

What do pacifists belive?

Answer 46

That if killing and violence are morally wrong, then war is wrong.

Question 47

What do absolute pacifists believe?

Answer 47

That war is always wrong?

Question 48

What do weak pacifists believe?

Answer 48

That war is wrong but may be used as a very last resort.

Question 49

Why are Christians divided?

Answer 49

Jesus taught we should love our enemies, but he didn't condemn soldiers.

Question 50

What did people argue about the conditions of a just war?

Answer 50

That not all of them need to be met for a war to be justified; and that it is impossible for all of the just war conditions to be met, so pacifism is the only alternative.

Question 51

What did Martin Luther King support?

Answer 51

Absolute pacifism because evil cannot be combatted with the evil of violence. Alternatives to war must be used.

Question 52

What do utilitarians argue about pacifists?

Answer 52

That absolute pacifists cause suffering by letting evil leaders act violently and unjustly.

Question 53

What do Christians argue about pacifism?

Answer 53

That it is an ideal but in a sinful world, war is sometimes necessary.

Question 54

What do Christians argue about violence?

Answer 54

That it should be replaced by reconciliation and people should aim to make the world peaceful as God intended it to be.