[Part 3]- Theme B- Religion and life

Question 1

What is a Catholic quote that supports stewardship?

Hint: protectors

Answer 1

‘let us be protectors of God’s creation’- Pope Francis

Question 2

What is a quote that supports euthanasia?

Hint: Colossians 3:12-15

Answer 2

‘clothe yourselves with compassion’

Question 3

What does imago dei mean?

Answer 3

In the image of God

Question 4

Do Catholics support the Big Bang theory? Explain your answer.

Answer 4

Some Catholics would because Pope Francis supports the Big Bang theory.

[they may accept scientific theory because science explains how + religion explains why].

Question 5

Give a quote that supports the origins of human life as being created by God

Hint: Genesis 2:7

Answer 5

‘and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life… man became a living being’ Genesis 2:7

Question 6

Give another quote that supports dominion

Hint: Psalm 8

Answer 6

‘You put everything under their feet’- Psalm 8

Question 7

Give two way that Christians could help to tackle pollution [2]

Answer 7

Any from:

• recycle
• shop sustainably
• support environmental charities

Question 8

This is a question about animal experimentation. Give religious views for and against this, (whilst referring to religious teachings or texts).

Hint: Catholics, Dominion, Genesis 1:28, cosmetic + medical testing.

Answer 8

FOR:

• only for medical testing, to ensure preservation of human life. This is because I’m Genesis 1:28 it teaches Christians to have dominion ‘over every living creature that moves on the ground’.

Therefore, humans should be free to use animals in ways that are advantageous to us.

AGAINST:

• may accept medical testing, but reject cosmetic testing because it is unecessary.

This is because the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches it is wrong to cause animals to suffer or die ‘needlessly’.

Question 9

Give a quote that opposes animal testing

Hint: Psalm 104

Answer 9

‘the Earth is full of your creatures’- Psalm 104.

Animal testing is wrong because they belong to God, so they value.

Question 10

Give a quote that supports the sanctity of life:

Hint: Genesis 2:7

Answer 10

‘God breathed into him the breath of life’- Genesis 2:7 teaches Christians that life is God-given, therefore no one has the right to take it.

Question 11

Give + explain other reasons why Christians may see abortion as acceptable. Whilst referring to the strength of the argument!

Hint: Genesis 2:7 + Jeremiah 1:28 and interpretations

Answer 11

In Genesis 2:7 it states ‘He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being’.

Some Christians may agree with abortion because they may argue that an interpretation of this is that life solely begins at birth, as newborns only take a breath once they are born.

However this is a weak argument because in Jeremiah 1:28 it explicitly states ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you’ so life starts at conception not birth, so abortion is murder.

Question 12

Referring to the doctrine of double effect, explain why a Catholic may see abortion as acceptable, in certain circumstances. [4]

Hint: refer to ectopic pregnancy + moral evil.

Answer 12

• Although Catholics are against abortion [because the Cathecism of the Catholic Church states that ‘direct abortion is a moral evil that is contrary to the natural law’,] they may see abortion as acceptable in cases of the doctrine of double effect.

-This is because in procedures (such as an ectopic pregnancy), where the primary purpose is to save the mothers life + an abortion happens, they would see this as acceptable because the intention was to save the mother’s life.

Question 13

This is a question about euthanasia. Give a Christian quote that supports euthanasia.

Hint: Luke 6:36

Answer 13

‘Be merciful as your Father is’- Luke 6:36.

Question 14

Give a reason why Christians may support euthanasia

Hint: Sabbath + situation ethics.

Answer 14

• Situation ethics teaches Christians that euthanasia may be the most loving thing to do in certain situations. For

example, if someone was living in intolerable pain. Furthermore, Jesus modelled love as he healed on the Sabbath even though it was against the law, so Christians shouldn’t always keep to the law, to do the most loving thing.

Question 15

Give a reason why someone may disagree with euthanasia + refer to the argument that Peter Saunders said.

Hint: slippery slope.

Answer 15

One could argue that if euthanasia was legal, people may feel pressure to end their lives because they may feel a burden.

This is reinforced as Peter Saunders said ‘the right to die can become a duty to die’, but how is people being pressured to die loving?

Jesus taught to ‘love thy neighbour’ but people feeling a pressure to die contradicts this teaching which is found in the Bible. Therefore this is why a Christian may disagree with euthanasia because it suffering to the person involved which is never loving.

Question 16

Give Peter Saunders quote about euthanasia

Answer 16

‘the right to die can become a duty to die’.

Question 17

Give secular attitudes towardsdeath + the afterlife

Answer 17

AGAINSt:

• Humanists believe that ‘death is annihilation’- (The British Humanist Association ).

FOR:

• death cannot be the end, because there has to be justice.

Question 18

Give a Catholic teaching about euthanasia

Answer 18

Pope John Paul I said ‘euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God’.

Question 19

Give a Christian teaching about death + the afterlife

Answer 19

Any from:

• the parable of the sheeps + goats teaches Christians that ‘the righteous will inherit eternal life’- Matthew 25.
• John 3:16 teaches Christians that ‘whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life’.
• the key point of Christianity is that Jesus rose from the dead, so there must be an afterlife because in 1 Corinthians 15:17 it states ‘If Christ has not been risen, your faith is futile’.

Question 20

Explain what Palliative care is + explain why the Catholic Church advocates end-of-life hospices instead of euthanasia.

Answer 20

• Euthanasia is not needed because there is palliative care for those dying from terminal illness, as Hospices can help to relieve + manage pain.

Question 21

Do Christians and Buddhist believe that death is the end?

Answer 21

• No, Christianity doesn’t teach that death is the end
• ; Buddhism teaches that death is the end, after you have: attained enlightenment and reached nibbana- this is ultimately escaping the cycle of samsara [death, life and rebirth]

Question 22

What are Christian, Buddhist and secular attitudes to the afterlife

Answer 22

Christian:

• Christians believe that your body is put back into the Earth, and you commit your soul to God (which leaves your body after death).
• Other Christians believe that judgement happens as soon as a person dies.
• Christians that they are judged by God and he will decide if they will spend eternity with him on judgement day (In heaven) or eternity without him (In hell, with the devil).

-Christians believe that if you are saved and live a good life you will go to Heaven because John 3:16 teaches ‘For God so loved the world that he… whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life’

• Some Catholics believe in purgatory, where your soul it purified to allow you to go to Heaven.

[- Revelation teaches that ‘there will be no more death, crying or pain in Heaven].

[- Matthew teaches that in hell, you will be ‘thrown into the blazing furnace’].

Buddhist:

• Buddhism teaches that there is no God or creator who judges you but there is instead the cycle of samsara (rebirth) you will be born into a lesser (animal) or higher being (human) based on your karma.
• skilful actions lead to good karma but unskillful actions lead to bad karma.
• Buddhism teaches that you can escape the cycle of samsara and reach enlightenment and reach nirvana. [by getting rid of all their bad karma], because in verse 351 of the Dhammapada it states ‘having reach perfection, fearless, without craving, without blemish, he has cut of all the darts of existence …]

Secular:

• Although the majority of secular people believe that death is the end, some don’t as:
• some people believe that souls of the dead live on in ghosts and spirits. Some people may try to contact the dead through mediums.
• others claim to have near death experiences where they believe they died, but claimed to come back to live.
• other people also claim that they have past lives.

Question 23

RECAP: Give ways religious believers can tackle pollution:

Answer 23

Christianity:

• clean the environment
• join secular organisations like Greenplace, which aim to tackle pollution on a larger scale.

Buddhism:

• plant trees to reduce amount of sewage entering the sea as the Holy Isle project do this.

Question 24

RECAP: What does pollution mean?

Answer 24

Pollution- contamination of something, normally the environment.