Life and Death Content Flashcards
To help learn the content from the Life and Death Section of Paper 2, Route B (Applied Catholic Theology)
What do Catholics teach on the meaning of death
- Catholics believe that death is not the end of our existence.
- Jesus taught that those who believe would have eternal life.
- Death is not the end - just a way to new life.
What do Catholics teach about dying well?
- They should prepare to die well.
- They will seek palliative care.
- They might spend time with their loved ones and get their funeral in order.
How does the Church comfort those who have lost loved ones?
- Prayers are said for those who have died.
- They explore the belief of eternal life through music and art.
What does the Catholic Church teach about euthanasia and assisted suicide?
- It rejects them as appropriate ways of ending life.
- They disagree because all life is sacred and is a gift from God and should be respected until a natural death.
- They are against ‘do not murder’
What is palliative care?
- Aims to control pain
- Medication is provided to give the person as much dignity and quality of life as possible.
Why is palliative care important?
- The Catholic Church supports palliative care.
- It respects the value of every person until their death.
What do non-religious people think about the right to die?
- People who suffer from incurable diseases might choose to end their life before their illness reaches the final stages.
- they wish to end their life before their quality of life is diminished.
- a person who is fully conscious and rational has the freedom to choose when to end their life.
What do Catholics believe about the Sanctity of life?
- All human life is sacred and holy
- Life is a gift from God and should be respected
- Euthanasia and assisted suicide are going against the sanctity of life.
What do Catholics think about euthanasia/assisted suicide?
- It is wrong.
- It goes against the sanctity of life
- It goes against the Ten Commandments ‘do not murder’
- Anyone who assists in euthanasia is co-operating with murder
What do Catholics think the right way to die is?
- People should die with dignity using palliative care.
- It is acceptable to turn off a life support machine if the patient is braindead.
- It is acceptable for a person to refuse treatment which would prolong a painful illness.
- It is not acceptable to withdraw food and fluids to someone in a permanent vegetative state. As food and water are part of basic human dignity.
What do some people think about quality of life and euthanasia?
- Quality of life is more important than life being considered sacred.
- If someone is in constant pain beyond any pleasure, they could have they could have a poor quality of life.
- Some people argue if a person has a poor quality of life, they have a right to die.
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What would the argument be against no quality of life condoning euthanasia?
Quality of life is subjective. How do we measure it?
What arguments are there FOR the right to die argument?
- Many consider it a basic human right to control the ending of your life.
- Advances in medicine have led to people being alive who would previously have died. They should be allowed a painless death.
- Those who believe in free will think it is wrong to keep someone alive who has no hope of recovery
- We do not let animals suffer so why should humans?
- People should be allowed to die with dignity.
What arguments are there AGAINST the right to die argument?
- Life is given by God and so should only be taken by God
- If Euthanasia is legalised people might stop looking for cures to stop terminal illnesses
- People may want to live but go through euthanasia as they don’t want to be a burden to people anymore
- The role of the doctor is to save life not to destroy it
- People might change their minds, but it would be too late.
- All life is special and worthy of protection.
What do Catholics believe about life after death?
- The Nicene Creed teaches us that Jesus rose from the dead and there will be life after death.
- They believe in eternal life.
- They will have a spiritual resurrection body given by God.
What do Christians believe about the survival of the soul?
- It is a non-physical thing which lives on after death.
- Most Christians believe in the immortality of the soul. They believe that when the body dies, the soul leaves the body to live with God.
- Other Christians say the body and soul are one and cannot be separated. After death the soul is temporarily apart from the body, but then the body and soul will be reunited on Judgement day.
What do Humanists think about life after death?
- Humans are just a physical body.
- There is no soul.
- This is the only life we have, and we should make the most of it.
- There is NO life after death.
What might another religion - Sikhs/Hindus say about life after death?
- They believe in reincarnation
- In death the soul passes onto a new body
- How you are reborn depends on how good/bad you were in your previous life.
What does the Catholic Church say happens when you die?
- You are judged by God and you go to heaven or hell.
What are the parables of judgement?
- The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
- The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
- The Parable of the Sheep and the goats.
What do Catholics believe about Judgement?
- When a person dies, God passes judgement on their soul.
- Each person is responsible for their own actions.
- There will be a final judgement ‘judgement day’ when the whole of creation will be judged.
What do Catholics believe about heaven?
- A person who has lived a holy life will be rewarded with eternal happiness in heaven.
- Heaven is described in the Bible as a ‘banquet’ or ‘feast’
- The Bible teaches there is no sadness, suffering or pain in heaven.
- Christians believe it is a holy, happy and peaceful place to be with God.
- It is beyond human experience.
What do Catholics believe about Hell?
- It is a place where unrepentant sinners go after death.
- It is often thought of a place where eternal fire burns and you suffer.
- It is a place of eternal separation from God.
What do Catholics believe about purgatory?
- The world to come will be different from now - so we need to prepare for that change.
- We need to transfer from sinful to pure.
- This happens in purgatory - it means to cleanse and get rid of sin.
- Purgatory is a place where we prepare for heaven
Catholics believe you can help souls in purgatory by praying for them.
What is the ranking of the church?
Pope
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Cardinals
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Archbishops
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Bishops
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Priests
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Laity (Churchgoers)
What is the Magisterium?
- It means ‘teaching authority’
- The Pope and the bishops safeguard the Church’s teaching on behalf of everyone.
- It is their responsibility to ensure the teaching of Jesus is protected
- They make decisions and statements about faith and morality for the Catholic community – they can comment on things previously not mentioned in the Bible.
- Catholics believe they are guided by the Holy Spirit.
- As the Pope is guided by the Holy Spirit, Catholics believe he is infallible.
What is Ordinary Magisterium?
- The everyday teaching of the Church.
- Bishops preach homilies and write letters to their diocese giving them instructions.
- The Pope may write a letter called an encyclical. Such as Laudato Si.