Origins and Meaning Content Flashcards
To help learn the content from the Origins and Meanings Section of Paper 1, Route B (Foundational Catholic Theology)
What do Catholics believe about Creation?
- Nothing existed before God created the world - Creation Ex Nihilo
- Only God creates because he is omnipotent
- This belief can be found in the Bible in Genesis.
- They believe it is a symbolic story.
- The world was NOT created in 6 days exactly as it says.
What does Creation Ex Nihilo mean?
Creation out of nothing.
Which Catholic scholar talks about Creation ex nihilo?
St. Augustine
What happens in Genesis 1?
God creates the world in 6 days and rests on the 7th. He looks at all he has made and sees that it is good. He creates humans on the 6th day.
What happens in Genesis 2?
Adam names all the animals in the world but is still lonely. God creates Eve from Adams rib.
What do Other Christians (Creationists or Fundamentalists) believe about the creation story?
- They believe that the Bible account is accurate and is exactly how the world was created.
- The world was created in 6 calendar days.
- They believe this because the Bible is the word of God and is never mistaken.
What do Jews believe about creation?
- God is the creator and source of all life
- Every week Jews celebrate the Sabbath - recalling that God rested on the 7th day.
What do ORTHODOX Jews think about the Creation story?
- The creation story in the Torah is the same as the one in the Bible (Genesis 1 & 2)
- Just like Creationists, Orthodox Jews think the creation accounts are true.
- They do not accept modern theories such as the Big Bang.
What do Catholics believe about the Big Bang?
- They believe in the Big Bang.
- The theory supports their believe of creation out of nothing.
- The Big Bang theory was put forward by a Catholic Priest.
- ‘Let there be light’ could be reference to the explosion.
- Science explains HOW the universe came about and Genesis explains WHY.
What do REFORM Jews believe about Creation?
- Like Catholics, they believe the Creation stories shouldn’t be taken as historical facts.
- It is symbolic.
- God continues to provide and sustain us through evolution.
What is the Big Bang Theory?
- The world was started with a big bang - a big explosion. Which led to stars and planets being formed.
- It can lead to people such as Hawking to doubt that God exsists as the world can be created without the need for God.
Which scholar supports the Big Bang Theory?
Stephen Hawking.
Is there a problem between science and religion?
- No - for Catholics there is no conflict.
- Yes - for people who take the Bible literally (Creationists) there is a conflict.
What is the scientific theory of evolution?
- Idea proposed by Charles Darwin
- The idea that organisms gradually change and develop through natural selection.
- Certain characteristics help animals to survive.
- An example is the Giraffe getting a longer neck over time
- Evolution takes millions of years to come about.
Which modern scholar did we look at for evolution?
Richard Dawkins
What does Richard Dawkins say about evolution?
- Evolution does away with the need for God and the belief that humans have souls.
- Humans are just survival machines and don’t have any other purpose.
- We are just genetic mutation and advanced animals.
What is the Catholic view of Evolution?
- Catholics think that evolution supports the idea of a loving creator God.
- It supports the idea that God created the world with purpose and everything exists as part of his plan,
- The Pope sees no conflict between evolution and Catholic belief.
What is the Catholic view of the sanctity of life?
- Human Life is Special and should be cared for
- Each person is unique because God made them.
- Catholic church teaches that all life is sacred and that everyone has the right to life which should be protected and valued AT EVERY STAGE.
What does St Catherine of Siena say about being made in the image of God? (imago dei)
- The soul is made in the image of God
- Humans come from God
- God creates out of love. The fact humans are made with dignity and in Gods image shows how much God loves them.
- Gods qualities are reflected in us - like a mirror.
What do Jews believe about the sanctity of life?
- God is creator, he alone gives and takes life.
- The Torah (Genesis) teaches that humans are created in the image of God and that life is precious.
- The Ten Commandments also forbid taking life.
What is an abortion?
A deliberate ending of a pregnancy
What is pro-life when thinking about abortion?
The idea that abortion is always wrong and every human (including embryos) has a right to life.
What is Pro-Choice when thinking about abortion?
The idea that a woman should be able to choose what happens to her own body. This includes choosing to end a pregnancy.
What are the UK laws on abortion?
- Abortion was legalised in Britain in 1967.
- An abortion cannot happen after 24 weeks.
- Two doctors must agree to the abortion.
- You must have justification to have an abortion.
- If the baby is found to have a severe disability abortion may take place after 24 weeks.
What does the Catholic Church say about Abortion?
- Against abortion in all circumstances as Human life is sacred.
- Life begins at conception, Abortion is therefore seen as murder
- The foetus has a right to life.
- They would encourage adoption after birth rather than abortion.
What would a Catholic say in response to Peter Singer?
- Humans are always people.
- Even when they are asleep, in a coma or haven’t yet been born.
- Catholics would agree that animals should be treated with care.
- However, as humans are made in the image of God, so they have a dignity which animals do not have.
What is double effect? (Catholic views on abortion)
Double effect says that if the mother’s life was in danger during pregnancy, then the action to save the life of the mother even if it destroys the life of the unborn child is acceptable as the intention is to save the mother.
What are Other Christian views on abortion?
There is no single view on abortion in Christianity.
- Some fundamentalist Christians think abortion is NEVER acceptable.
- Most Christians think that it is not a good thing, but sometimes is the lesser of two evils.
- Some situations where it would be the lesser of two evils are -
1. if the pregnancy is the result of rape
2. If continuing the pregnancy might be dangerous to the woman’s health
3. if the child is likely to be severely disabled and so quality of life is affected.
What would Jews believe about abortion?
- They disagree with abortion
- God is the sole creator, giver and taker of life.
- Before we were formed in the womb, God knows us.
- Do not kill.
What is ‘specieism’ for Peter Singer?
- Speciesism is when we say that Human Life is more important than any other life.
- Singer argues that dogs or other animals have more mental capacity and are more of a ‘person’ than a baby or an elderly person with dementia.
- Arguing that human life is more important than any other life is wrong - it is the same as racism.
What does Peter Singer think about the Sanctity of Life?
- Not all life is of equal value.
- If a person cannot think or relate to others, then their life has limited value.
- Therefore, it is morally acceptable to take the life of embryos and new-born babies as they are classes as having limited value.
- This also applies to old people with dementia or disabled people and so this is why it is controversial.
What do Humanists think about abortion?
- There is no set Humanist view on abortion.
- Humanists value happiness and personal choice.
- Generally, they take a pro-choice stance. Abortion is often the most morally acceptable choice to make.