Religion And Life Flashcards
1
Q
Christian beliefs on origin of universe
A
- designed and made by god out of nothing
Fundamentalist
Statements in the Bible are literally true. The creation story describes exactly how the earth was created or 7 days represent a longer period of time
Liberal
Creation stories are symbolic and the main message is that god created the universe. They may look to science to understand how god did this further
2
Q
Muslim beliefs about creation of universe
A
- universe was designed and made by god out of nothing
- six days refer to six periods of time
- no indication of what was created on each day or if there was a rest day
- god organised the universe to be under his watchful command. The work of creation continues with every life and seed that grows
3
Q
The Big Bang theory
A
- started with a tiny, dense hot “something”
- over 13.8 billion years it expanded to become cosmos as we know it
- it continued to expand and cool
- matter that had been flung everywhere became stars grouped into galaxies
- many Christians and Muslims believe in the Big Bang theory and also that god created the universe
- Islam encourages scientific investigation which may provide greater understanding of God
- some argue the theory strongly resembles the creation story
- eg. The Qur’an describes how God created the universe, the heavens and the earth were one and God split them into two smoke like forms (Qur’an 21:30)
4
Q
How valuable is the world
A
- the beauty of the world can give a sense of awe and wonder
- awe (devout respect for Gods power of creation)
- wonder (marvelling at the complexity of the universe)
- earth and nature is so amazing as they provide everything humans and other living things need to survive
- Muslims see the world in the same way as a place of worship: damaging the earth is a serious sin and similar to harming a mosque
- It is a Muslims duty to respect, nurture and care for the environment
5
Q
Stewardship/ Khalifah and dominion
A
Christians
- Genesis 2 says Adam was given the role of stewardship on earth, looking after it for God
- The responsibility has been passed down to mankind which means it is the role of all humans to look after the earth for God
- If they use it wrongly, they are destroying what belongs to God
- In return for looking after earth, humans are allowed to use it to sustain life
- Christians teach God gave them power and authority to take charge of earth - dominion
- A minority interpret this to mean all humans can do what they want because they are in charge
Muslims
- Both Sunni and Shi’a believe humans have a role as stewards/ khalifah so should protect the environment for future generations
- There is only one creator and people are responsible to him for their actions
- On judgment day humans will be answerable to God for how they have fulfilled this role
- The Qur’an states that the laws of Gods creation should not be changed
6
Q
Use of natural resources
A
- Population growth is having a great impact on the environment and the natural world
- Forests are being destroyed (deforestation)
- Non renewable resources will eventually run out like coal and oil
- It is increasingly important to encourage sustainable development. Scientists are developing renewable energies from sources that wont run out such as wind or solar energy
- Christians and Muslims believe they should conserve energy and avoid waste eg. Turning off unused appliances, reusing bags and recycling waste
7
Q
Pollution
A
Air - fumes from factories and transport - global warming, climate change, acid rain, etc
Land - poor waste disposal - chemicals pollute the earth causing wildlife and food to be poisoned
Water - dumping waste into seas and rivers - oil spills and plastic waste kill birds and marine life
- In order to emphasise the need to help the environment, Muslims follow the Hadith
“ do not seek from it more than what you need”
- Christians believe the world is loaned to humans who have been given the responsibility to look after earth
- God will be the final judge in how responsible humans have been in looking after the earth
8
Q
What do Christians and Muslims do about the environment
A
- In 1986, religious leaders met at Assisi in Italy to discuss how religious people everywhere could help to care for the environment
- Christians wrote “every human act of irresponsibility towards creatures is an abomination” as part of their statement
- They mat again in Japan in 1995 where they stressed being in charge of creation does not give people the right to abuse the earth
- Christians and Muslims join groups such as The Islamic Foundation of Ecology and Environmental Sciences - developed a specifically Islamic approach to environmental protection by emphasising stewardship/ khalifah - or Greenpeace/ Friends of the earth
- Christians and Muslims encourage people to reduce waste, recycle and reuse materials
9
Q
The use of animals for food
A
- vegetarians don’t eat meat or fish
- vegans dont eat/ use meat and fish or anything that comes from an animal like leather, milk and eggs
Christianity
- has no rules on eating meat
- Some believe God gave humans animals for food an are happy to eat meat (Genesis 9:3)
- Non meat eaters including some Christians, argue that there is no need to eat animals because a non meat diet provides all the nutrition humans need
- Some say if crops were grown on land used to raise animals for meat, there would be much more food to go around and this would please God
Islam
- to provide food is a just cause for killing animals but hunting for entertainment and pleasure is not
- Muslims have strict laws about how and which animals to kill for food. No animals should be killed in front of other animals
- to be permissible (halal) the animal is killed “in the name of God” and its throat is cut with a very sharp knife to prevent it from suffering. The blood is drained out
- Pigs must not be eaten nor should any animal that is not halal including those that have died in the wild
10
Q
Animal experimentation
A
- causing animals unnecessary stress and harm is against Muslim principles
- Most Christians and Muslims believe testing should be allowed for essential human needs eg. To test medicine but animals should be treated with compassion
- Islam teaches that experimentation that isn’t essential for human needs eg. To test the effects of a drug
- Many Christians believe stewardship involves treating all life with care as it was given by God. So saving human life is important
- Some Christians use the principle of dominion to support their use of animals to benefit humans
11
Q
Christian beliefs on origins of human life
A
- In the story in Genesis 1, God creates all life with human life being created last
- Genesis 2 describes how God created the first man Adam from soil and breathed life into him
- Adam was given responsibility to look after his environment - the Garden of Eden
- While Adam was asleep some time later, God took one of his ribs and used it to create a woman, Eve
- God intended for Eve to help Adam and they would live in close relationship with each other and with him
- The story shows humans are very important to God as they were created in his image
12
Q
Muslim beliefs on origins of human life
A
- After God made the universe and all in it, he created humans
- God created Adam as the first man by moulding him from clay and breathing life into him
- God created Eve (Hawwa) from the same soul as Adam and she became his wife
- They were allowed to live in paradise and were given free will but forbidden to eat from one tree
- The evil Iblis convinced them to eat fruit from the forbidden tree
- Adam and Eve regretted their disobedience
- Being aware of the regret shown by Adam and Eve is an essential part of following and serving God
- God created everything necessary for Adam and Eve to live on earth and be the start of the human race
13
Q
Evolution
A
- In 1959 Charles Darwin released The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
- He suggested the theory of evolution
- He suggested as earth cooled, conditions became right to support life
- life started with single celled creatures in the sea
- Over time they evolved into creatures capable of living on land
- Next came creatures with the ability to fly such as insects and birds
- Around 2.5 million years ago creatures resembling humans formed
- They gradually changed into humans about 200,000 years ago
- Genes passed on from their parents have resulted in different individuals from the same species, some of which found it easier to survive and breed successfully
- They were able to change or adapt to their surroundings and thrived. This is called survival of the fittest
14
Q
Religious debate on evolution
A
- Some Muslims and Christians are creationists who believe that the origin of human life is exactly as recorded in scripture and who reject the theory of evolution
- Many Christians and a minority of Muslims accept the mainstream scientific view of evolution and do not believe it should cause conflict with their faith
- They believe God created the beginnings of life and set everything in motion to develop over the course of history
- Some Muslims argue that the theory of evolution is correct for all living beings except humans. God inserted Adam into the natural order and evolution has progressed from God’s first moment of creation
15
Q
Abortion
A
- the removal of a foetus from the womb to end a pregnancy, legal in the UK
- Christianity and Muslims believe in the sanctity of life, that life is holy and given by God so only he has the power to take it away
- Many people also argue of the quality of life, the general wellbeing of a person in relation to their health and happiness
