Religion and life Flashcards
what is an atheist view about the origin of the universe?
the Big Bang Theory
What is the Big Bang?
- it happened 13.8 billion years ago
- a very small point that was really hot and dense expanded like a balloon being blown up
- space and time were created, then matter which evolved into galaxies and meteors and eventually human existence
what is the evidence for the Big Bang?
- the universe is still expanding (red shift)
- cosmic microwave background radiation still exists from when the Big Bang happened
what is empirical evidence?
evidence available to our five senses eg. you can see it or feel it
what does Genesis 1 say about creation?
Day 1 - light and dark
Day 2 - sky and water
Day 3 - dry land and plants
Day 4 - sun, moon and stars
Day 5 - sea and flying creatures
Day 6 - land animals and human beings
Day 7 - God rested and made the last day of the week holy
God said everything was good
What does this show about God’s nature?
God is omnibenevolent and a judge
What is Genesis 2 about?
- God rested on the seventh day
- God created man out of dust and gave him life
- God created the Garden of Eden and told Adam he could take anything from it except fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil
- God gave Adam all the creatures he dad created
- God created a woman, Eve, from Adam’s rib to help him
what do liberal theists believe about Christian creation story?
- if the stories were literal, there is no need for 2 stories
- Genesis 1 sounds poetic so it may be an aid to worship
- Lost in translation - Hebrew day is closer to being and era
- understand the accounts through a a scientific lens
what do creationists and literal theists believe about creation?
- even if the accounts are illogical they are are still literal
- genealogies go back 4000-6000 years, in contrast to scientific 4.5 billion years
- Humanity is created by God not evolved
what is creationism?
the fundamentalist view that the world and life were literally created in 6 days 10000 years ago
what is Richard Dawkins view?
- atheist
- religion doesn’t have anything to teach us
- science has filled all the gaps so there is no need for religion
- religion doesn’t make sense because of Darwin’s theory of evolution
Charles Darwin: “if it could be demonstrated that any complex organism existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous successive modifications, my theory would absolutely break down”
- Darwin is defending his theory
- if any part of his theory was different, it would break down completely
“Your Lord is God, who created the heavens and earth in six days, then established Himself on the throne; He makes the night cover the day in swift pursuit; He created the sun, moon and stars to be subservient to his command. All creation and all command belong to him” - Qur’an 7:54
- Allah created heaven and earth in six days
- he created night and day and the sun moon and stars
- everything he created is under his command - omnipotent
what reference to the Big Bang is there in the Qur’an?
“the heavens and earth were joined together as one unit before we clove them asunder” - Qur’an 21:30
how did Allah create Adam?
he sent angel to collect 7 handfuls of soil of different colours. Allah used these to create Adam and breathed life and power into him.
how did Allah create Eve?
from Adam’s soul
what did Allah make everything out of?
water - “made from water every living thing” (Qur’an 21:30)
why do most Muslims believe creation happened over 6 long periods of time?
the Arabic word for day in the Qur’an ‘yaum’ corresponds more to a longer period of time like 1000s of years
Do Muslims accept scientific theories?
they don’t oppose them because creation in the Qur’an follows a similar route to the scientific way. They see scientific theories as as scientific truth and a way that Allah created the world, but it doesn’t have the same power as the Qur’an.
What does traditional Christianity say about the Bible account of creation?
it is a theological account, not scientific, we shouldn’t take it at face value
why did The Origin Of Species cause trouble?
some people had broken away from traditional Christianity and went to believing the Bible was a literal account of creation so there could be no evolution
what views do Christians have on taking care of the planet?
- stewardship
- dominion
what is stewardship?
the idea that believers have the duty to look after the the environment on behalf of God until it needs to be returned.
what is dominion?
dominance or power over something; having charge of something or ruling over it
Key Bible quote on stewardship
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” - 1 Peter 4:10
Key Bible quote on dominion
“rule over the fish in the sea and the birds” - Genesis 1:28
what are Muslim beliefs about caring for the planet?
Khaifah (no idea of dominion here)
what is Khalifah?
someone who looks after something for someone else. the world is on loan from Allah
Key Qur’an quote on being a Khalifah
“It is he who has made you successors on earth” - Qur’an
what do Muslims believe about using the environment?
- you can use the world all that you need but you mustn’t waste it
- “Do not seek from it more than you need” - Hadith
- “Eat and drink, but do not be extravagant” - Qur’an 7:31
What do Christians believe about using the environment?
- the world is a gift from God so you must use it properly and take care of it to get rewarded, otherwise it will go bad
- “The earth is the Lord and everything in it” - Psalm 24:1
- The parable of the talents - Matthew 25
What happens in the parable of the talents?
- a master gave his 3 servants either 5 talents, 2 talents or 1 talent before travelling
- the servants with 5 and 2 talents doubled their money
- the servant with 1 talent was lazy and buried his talent into the ground
- the master rewarded the servants who had made money and fired the servant who had buried his money
- the servant with 10 talents got that servant’s talent
What are the 3 types of pollution?
- air
- land
- water
What causes air pollution?
fumes from factories and vehicles
what problems does air pollution cause?
- asthma attacks, lung cancer and other diseases
- global warming, acid rain and climate change
what causes land pollution?
ineffective disposal of waste
what problems does land pollution cause?
- chemicals enter the earth
- poisoned wildlife
- less efficient farming
- contaminated food
what causes water pollution?
dumping waste into bodies of water
what problems does water pollution cause?
- very harmful for marine life
- eg. Deepwater Horizon oil spill 2010 - released over 750 million litres of oil into the sea. Killed thousands of birds and marine animals
Why are animals important?
- humans use them for food (unless vegetarian/vegan)
- pollinate plants that we eat
- may be holy - eg in Hinduism the cow is sacred
- every animal has its purpose
what does the Islam symbol mean?
progress
what do Christians believe about the value of animals?
- “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you” - Genesis 9:3
- God created animals for humans to use
- animals are valued but humans are more valued
- “The righteous care for the needs of their animals” - Proverbs 12:10
- the Bible teaches we should treat animals kindly
what do Muslims believe about the value of animals?
- “All the creatures that crawl on the earth and those that fly with their wings are communities like yourselves” - Qur’an 6:38
- Allah created all creatures and they all worship him in their own way
- all are valuable, have rights and should be treated with kindness and compassion
- 200 Qur’an chapters mention animals and 6 Surahs (chapters) named after animals
What do Christians believe about using animals for food?
- “The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them” - Romans 14:3
- no teachings that eating meat is wrong
- there are teachings to treat those who eat differently to you with respect because it is their choice
- Vegetarian/vegan Christians do it for their own reasons
What do Muslims believe about using animals for food?
- “Whoever kills a sparrow or anything bigger than that without a just cause, God will hold him accountable on the Day of Judgement” - Hadith
- Killing animals for food is a just cause - Muslims can eat meat or be vegetarian
- Pig meat is forbidden
- only allowed to eat halal (permissible) food - farmed and killed according to Shari’ah law
- the process: Kill the animal ‘in the name of God’, sharp knife cuts the throat windpipe and blood vessels in the neck and blood is drained
- haram to eat animal that died in the wild/not ritually slaughtered
What do Christians believe about animal experimentation?
- “Are not 5 sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God” - Luke 12:6
- most support the ban on animal testing in 1988
- support limited animal testing so long as there is no other way to test medicines
- should be done as caringly as possible
- all human life is sacred and should be treated with respect - animal testing for medicines is allowed if it will save many lives
What do Muslims believe about animal experimentation?
- causing harm/modifying an animal is forbidden
- you can’t force them to do something they can’t do
- only acceptable for testing medicines to save human life, but must be treated humanely with absolute minimum suffering
- forbidden - testing cosmetics and forcing animals to smoke to see the effect of cigarettes
- testing for non essential purposes doesn’t keep with principles of justice and kindness
What do Christians believe about the origins of human life?
- Genesis 1 - human life was created last
- Genesis 2 - God creates man form the soil and he breathed life into him. He is responsible for looking after the Garden of Eden
- Later God took one of Adam’s ribs and created a woman, Eve. She was to help Adam
- They had a close relationship with each other and with God
- humans are very special to God because they were created in his image
Bible quote about creation of humans
“Then God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” - Genesis 2:7
What do Muslims believe about the origins of humans?
- God made humans after making everything in the universe
- God made Adam the first man out of clay and breathing life into him
- God made Hawwa (Eve) from the same soul as Adam
- They could live in Paradise and had freewill but weren’t allowed to eat from one tree. Iblis tempted them to eat from the tree but both regretted it later
- being aware of Adam and Eve’s regret is important in following and serving God
- God created everything needed for Adam and Eve to live and start the human race
Qur’an quote in creation of humans
“You humans were lifeless and he gave you life” - Qur’an 2:28
What is the Theory of Evolution?
- proposed in 1859 by Charles Darwin in his book ‘On the Origin of Species by Means of natural Selection’
- life started with single-celled creatures in the sea
- over a long time they evolved into creatures capable of living on land
- then came creatures that could fly eg. insects + birds
- 2.5 million yrs ago - creatures like humans formed
- 200000 yrs ago - humans formed
- genes passed on from generation to generation = different individuals of same species
- some had mutations that made them better adapted to their environment so they survived + reproduced more - survival of the fittest
What do religious believers think of evolution?
- Creationists (Christians + Muslims): origin of human life is the same as in scripture - no theory of evolution
- Many Christians + some Muslims: accept theory of evolution + shouldn’t cause conflict with faith. God created the beginnings of life and set everything into motion
- some Muslims: theory of evolution worked for everything except humans- God inserted Adam into the natural order and evolution progressed form first moment of creation
What is abortion?
the removal of a foetus from the womb to end a pregnancy
what is sanctity of life?
the belief that life is sacred because it was created by God
what is quality of life?
The general wellbeing of a person in relation of their health and happiness
what is ensoulment?
the moment a human being gets a soul
- Christians = at conception
- Muslims = either 40 or 120 days after conception
what is the UK’s legal perspective on abortion?
- 1990 - Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act
- legal in a licensed clinic during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy
- no time limit if mother’s life is in danger or if child will be severely deformed
- 2 Doctors must agree to it only if it meets one of the 4 conditions: pregnancy endangers woman’s life; woman’s mental/physical health if endangered; strong risk child will have severe physical/mental disabilities; extra child may endanger physical/mental health of other children in the family
What is the Catholic view on abortion?
- forbidden - life begins at the moment of conception so killing embryo is like killing a human
- children are a gift from God - don’t kill them
- sanctity of life applies to unborn children too
- imago dei - all are created in the image and likeness of God
- exceptions: mother’s life is endangered (mother > unborn child); risk of death
what is the Anglican view on abortion?
- more liberal than the Catholic church but still strongly discourage - it’s a sin
- encourage other alternatives, eg. adoption
- “lesser of two evils” - allowed if risk of harm is more by continuing the pregnancy
- abortion is allowed if: poor financial situation; risk of physical harm; potential severe disability (lower QoL)
Bible quotes on abortion
- “You shall not murder” - Exodus 20:17
- “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” - Psalms 139:13
What is the Muslim view on abortion?
- Abortion is forbidden (haram) - sanctity of life applies to the foetus - it is a protected life too
- must happen before ensoulment (120 days) - afterwards it is considered taking a life
- allowed if: risk of harm to mother (mother > child); foetus will have physical/mental disabilities; pregnancy due to rape
- not allowed due to: social or financial grounds of mother and family
Qur’an quote on abortion
“Do not kill your children for fear of poverty - We shall provide for them and you” - Qur’an 17:31
what is the secular view on abortion?
UDHR - Universal declaration of human rights:
- every human has a right to life and a decent standard of living
Humanists:
- no God or soul - life isn’t sacred
- human life has high value + dignity - QoL must be respected
- when making ethical decisions, human rights+ individual preferences have priority
Bible quote on the value of human life?
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Do not be afraid; you are worth more than five sparrows” - Luke 12:6-7
Qur’an quote on the value of human life
“If anyone kills a person - unless in retribution it spreading corruption in the land- it is as if he kills all mankind, while if any saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind” - Qur’an 5:32
What is euthanasia?
Providing a gentle and merciful death to someone
What is the difference between active and passive euthanasia?
- active euthanasia = directly and deliberately causing death eg. Lethal injection - illegal in the UK
- passive euthanasia = indirectly ending a life by withdrawing treatment eg. Turning off life support - legal in the UK
What are the 3 types of euthanasia?
- Voluntary euthanasia = person asks for their life to end because they don’t want to live anymore
- involuntary euthanasia = person can express choice but isn’t given opportunity to
- non-voluntary euthanasia = person can’t express a choice eg. Baby/person in coma
why is passive euthanasia allowed in the UK?
withholding treatment is ok if it is in the patient’s best interests since it is allowing death to take place instead of actively ending life
What are some Christian arguments that euthanasia is acceptable?
- God gave people freewill to end their own lives
- it may be the most compassionate thing to do for the person - follows Jesus’s teaching “Love thy neighbour” (Luke 10:27)
- it allows a good and gentle and dignified death - may not be if it is natural death
- drugs to end life are God-given so can be used
What are some Christian arguments against euthanasia?
- it is deliberate killing - against the 10 commandments - “You shall not murder”
- open to abuse - may not be the will of the ill person
- only God should take life at a time of his choosing
- inheritance issues may make relative pressurise someone to agree to euthanasia
- if it is allowed once it may lead to euthanasia becoming compulsory at a certain age (slippery slope)
- it is playing God
what do Muslims believe about euthanasia?
- it is haram - it goes against the sanctity of life
- no one knows God’s plans - the person may be suffering for a purpose - eg. those looking after them will be doing good, giving them a place in paradise
- it is a sin against God, the individual and the community
- Al Qadr (predestination) - God has planned when a person will die and changing that goes against his plan
Qur’an quote about euthanasia being wrong?
“No soul may dies except with God’s permission at a predestined time” - Qur’an 3:145
What do Christians believe about death and the afterlife?
- death is the beginning of eternal life that depends on God
- starts on the Day of Judgement - God judges based on behaviour + faith in Jesus
- result = spend eternity with God (heaven) or without God (hell)
What do Muslims believe about death and the afterlife?
- Afterlife = Akhirah
- life on earth is a test which determines what happens in the afterlife - all deeds are written in a book of deeds by two angles sitting in your shoulder through your whole life
- on the Day of Judgement the book is opened and the person is judged and God decides their fate
- those who either did more bad deeds than good or rejected God, Muhammad and the Qur’an get sent to hell
- those who did more God than bad deeds get rewarded with eternity with God in Paradise
how does belief in the afterlife influence religious people?
- everyone is accountabe for their actions on earth and there will be consequences for them in the afterlife
- doing the right thing involves resisiting temptation to stray from God’s path
- they will be rewarded for doing this and other good things like prayer with heaven in the eternal afterlife
