Nature of Human Life Flashcards
‘A procession of angels pass before a human being wherever he or she goes, proclaiming - make way for the image of God.’
B. L. Sherwin
Jews and Christians believe humans are created ‘in the image and likeness of God’
Genesis 1:26
Which Jewish philosopher thinks that God and humans are alike because they are thinking creatures and can distinguish between good and evil
Maimonides
Which Jewish philosophers think humans are more important than animals because animals cannot make moral choices
Maimonides and B. L. Sherwin
Which Jewish philosopher rejects fatalism
Maimonides
Fatalism is
the idea that everything is pre-determined and we have no control over it.
How to Jews think humans and God are similar
They both have the capacity to be moral and the capacity to be creative.
What do many scholars think about the ‘man’ created in Genesis 1:27
That is had dual gender, therefore both men and women were made in the image of God.
Important women in the Torah
Sarah, Ruth
What does traditional Judaism think about equality of genders
That women have equal but different roles, generally looking after house/children.
What was God’s covenant with the Jews
That they are to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation and they have to recognise humans are precious, so not even ‘not dislike’ someone but to act lovingly towards them.
What do Jews think about the value of human life?
Leviticus 19:18: should love their neighbour.
Ten Commandments says murder is wrong.
Think it goes further - life should be preserved so someine in danger should be helped, not abandoned.
Which Christian thinker said God made humankind as a sacred animal so humankind shouldn’t be sacrificed
Lactantius
Which Protestant traditions believe that the dignity of human beings is mostly lost due to sin?
Cairns
How is free will shown in Genesis
When Adam and Eve choose to eat the fruit.
What does it mean for humans to have dignity in Christianity
That in natural dimension terms they’re like God because of rational thinking and moral decision making powers, and in a supernatural dimension their ultimate purpose and destiny to be with God.
What impact has the fall of man had on humans, from St Augustine and interpretting Romans 5:12?
That since the fall, all human beings have the stain of the original sin with them: so human’s have value because God’s intention for them is to e saved
What is the traditional Christian view about free will?
The traditional Christian view is that because humans have dignity and a rational soul, they are free autonomous agents responsible for their actions and with the ability to act morally.
How is the value of humans shown by their relationship with God for Christians?
They are in his image, redeemed by Jesus and destined for unity with God
What does St Paul say about equality
That social differences fall away ‘There is no Jew or Gentile, there is no longer male and female’
What is the role of women in Christianity
Female priests were banned in the early Church.
The Roman Catholic ministry and priesthood are only roles men can adopt.
Example of Christian teachings that challenge traditions that have excluded groups because of their race
The Good Samaritan: Jesus used the example of a member of a community discriminated by to do moral goodness.
What is the Christian view on disability?
Many think it is good to heal the sick and help those in need. However the Bible describes Jesus as without a blemish and God is perfect, so are able bodied people close to God?
Jesus heals the sick, is the role of disabled people to wait to be healed by the able bodied?
Imago dei
Humans have the image of God within them
What do Christians think about killing people?
It is killing a life made in God’s image, it interrupts God’s plan for that person and allows sin and the devil to dominate.
Why is self-sacrifice important to Christians
Christ sacrificed himself for all humans on the cross.
In the Gospel he says the greatest thing someone can do is lay down their life for their friend.
It is an act of discipleship - giving up most valued possession.
Who believes God is all knowing and how does this affect free will?
Western religions, Psalm 139, philosophers Anselm, Descartes. If God knows all of the choices we will make (omniscience) this seems to be incompatible with free will.
Who said that if God had a foreknowledge of the future then the events that will happen are necessary events
Johnathon Edwards quoting Mavrodes
What do Thomas Aquinas and Boethius believe about omniscience
They believe that God is timeless - he exists outside of time and had knowledge that’s not in any time - so he doesn’t know what will happen in the future.
What does Zagzebski believe about free will
That God knows what any possible free creature could choose in any situation, and knows the entire future including all free human acts.
Predestination
Some Protestant Churches hold this view, that God has already decided who to save, originating from Paul’s letter to the Romans.
John Calvin and St Augustine also believe this.
What did B. F. Skinner believe about about free will?
He believes that humans are subject to their social environment rather than their will and and actions are determined by our nature rather than true choice.
Why are humans considered of more value than animals
Because humans are stewards of the earth (Genesis 1:26-28) and animals are not made in God’s image and have the chance to have a relationship with God.
Who believes God has both male and female qualities
Judaism
Dignity and freedom
Are closely related
What does Aquinas say about free will in Christianity?
‘man chooses not of necessity but freely’
In Judaism what would be better than committing an exceptional sin
Being killed
Who thinks God doesn’t ‘foresee’ events but observes them all at once and says “All the days are ‘Now’ for Him”
C. S. Lewis
What do Judaism allow for animals
Experimentation for human benefit, food and work, but not hunted or in fights
Where in the bible does it suggest humans are lower than angels
Hebrews
Which parable suggests sinners are as/more important than believers
The prodigal son
Where did God make his covenant with Noah and ‘every living creature’
Genesis 9
Love preferable to miracles
John Hull using St Paul
