religion and life Flashcards

Question

why might Christians still be accepting of the Big Bang Theory? ORIGINS OF THE UNIVERSE

Answer 1

they believe God was the one to push those 2 particles together that reacted and caused the explosion, as he's omniscient and omnipotent. the Bible also predicted the end of the world and Judgement Day, so they believe the implosion of the Universe supports this idea.

Answer 2

- man is hit by a poison arrow, and he would die if the doctor didn't remove it quick enough. he refused the doctor's help. - wanted to know who shot the arrow, what bow they were using ... - before the man could find the answer to his questions, the poison took effect and he died. Buddhists consider it more important to find a way out of suffering than to understand the origins of the Universe

Answer 3

- neither support nor deny the Big Bang. they teach that all things are dependent on conditions (dependent arising) and are within the cycle of samsara. - Buddhists believe the Universe has no beginning and no cause/creator - cyclical vision of the universe - each universe is followed by another. no beginning/end to the process - they can therefore accept the Big Bang Theory (current Universe is simply the replacement of the last one), as it doesn't state that there was nothing before the Universe.

Answer 4

- a book called 'On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection' was put forward by Charles Darwin - theory of evolution: as the Earth cooled, the conditions became right to support life - higher forms of life have gradually developed/evolved from lower ones - creatures were able to change/adapt into their environment and thrive. this is called the survival of the fittest

Answer 5

1. life started with single-celled creatures in the sea 2. over a long period of time, they evolved into creatures capable of living on land 3. humans started evolving around 2.5 million years ago 4. they developed into humans with the same anatomy as us about 200,000 years ago

Answer 6

'So God created mankind in his own image ... male and female he created them.' - Christians believe we are made in the image of God, and have some of his qualities (i.e. some are powerful, some are loving, intelligent, just, etc.)

Answer 7

- Genesis 1: God created all life, with human life being created last - Genesis 2: God created the first man, Adam, from the soil and breathed life into him - some time later, while Adam was asleep, God took one of his ribs and used it to create a woman, Eve. she was created to help Adam, and to live in a close relationship with him and God not all Christians literally believe this, and instead interpret it to mean that humans are special to God as they were created in his image

Answer 8

fundamentalists: don't believe in theory of evolution. believe God created each species separately. some believe life was created exactly as described in Genesis 1 and 2 majority of Christians: accept the theory of evolution but believe that God is the creator: he started the process and evolution explains how life developed afterwards

Answer 9

- typically creationists - believe that evolution is a lie, the Bible is the direct word of God, so that must be what happened - God is omnipotent/omniscient, so he could do it - 'For anything is possible with God.'

Answer 10

- C of E (protestant), who only take the Old Testament metaphorically - they're okay with evolution, as an omniscient God could have planned it (God's plan) - Eve coming from Adam follows on with the evolutionary idea of one species following on from another - they can believe in the scientific facts, as the people who wrote the Old Testament weren't as intelligent as us nowadays, so they could be wrong

Answer 11

- the Buddha said that anything (including life) can come into existence when the necessary conditions are there. the process doesn't rely on a creator God - it just happens - Buddhism teaches that it's impossible to identify a beginning/end to Earth. instead, the Earth is in a continuous process of change - when the conditions were right on Earth, plants and animals came into being. as conditions continued to change, life continued to evolve - Buddhist ideas don't conflict with the theory of evolution

Answer 12

'For here there is no Brahma God'.

Answer 13

Buddhists believe there is plenty in the world to wonder at. the fact that no one created it (dependent arising) perhaps makes it more amazing. 2 atoms collided to form the Universe at just the right moment. - Buddhists can develop mindfulness and therefore appreciate every passing moment and experience more wonder

Answer 14

'Where shall I find such favourable circumstances again?'

Answer 15

- fortunate place to be in - gives the opportunity for a Buddhist to become enlightened (perfect ratio of pleasantness to suffering, has all the conditions needed to help them find wisdom) - nothing happens twice, every moment is unique - provides and sustains life, gives food, clothes, shelter, etc. - although the world belongs to nobody, it's everyone's responsibility to look after it

Answer 16

- it's of mammoth value, it's priceless. gift from God as a result of his love, only one place like it in the Universe - the beauty of the world can give a sense of awe and wonder, and devout respect for God's creation

Answer 17

- Christians have a duty to look after the environment on behalf of God. implied in the Book of Genesis when God puts Adam into the Garden of Eden to 'work it and take care of it' - the responsibility has been passed down to the rest of humanity, which means it's the role of all humans to look after the world for God. using it wrongly means they're destroying what belongs to God - in return for caring for the world, humans may use it to sustain life

Answer 18

- Genesis also teaches that God gave humans dominion (power and authority) over the world - a minority of Christians interpret this as meaning that humans can do whatever they want with the world - but most Christians want to care for the world as God's stewards - 'subdue it. rule over'

Answer 19

- to look after the world for future generations - dependent arising. teaches that all life is interconnected, all creatures depend on a healthy planet to survive - if people misuse the environment, they will cause suffering to themselves and others. this contradicts the Buddhist aspiration to remove suffering - the first moral precept encourages Buddhists to avoid causing harm to human beings. this means looking after the world as the home of all living things

Answer 20

- generating antibodies. warm their ears, inject small, harmless viral injections. take blood samples every now and then for research. rabbit is held in captivity for their whole life. - DRAIZE TEST. test household cleaning products. poured onto rabbit's skin and eyes, left their for days. rabbits are unable to blink, and have no tear ducts to wash it away.

Answer 21

- a sepsis (toxic shock) study for potential medical treatment is tested on mice. mouse is given general anaesthetic, sepsis is induced. the treatment is given, and tested and recorded. the mouse's anaesthesia gently wears off until it dies - it doesn't feel a thing. - genetically engineer animals (e.g. an ear was grown on the back of a mouse). helps us learn more about transplants on human patients.

Answer 22

implanting a wireless transmitter into a rat. surgical procedure, the rat is under general anaesthetic and is given painkillers afterwards. - given one or two test drugs, so scientists can monitor the effect of drugs on the heart - we have used this method to test many medications that humans use

Answer 23

- electrodes inserted into a monkey's brain. helps scientists learn more about restoring movement for people with paralysis. the monkey is on lots of painkillers and feels nothing, it's then put down afterwards. - a marmoset (type of monkey) is injected with the substance MPTP which causes symptoms of Parkinson's disease. it has constant tremors, loses weight, and must be handfed. scientists then test the effectiveness of a potential drug for Parkinson's and see how it works. the marmoset is then allowed to recover, but may have a slight tremor forever.

Answer 24

- use of mice to test riot control gas - use of frogs for dissection - use of dogs for heart disease research

Answer 25

- Ryan Wilson was a drugs trial volunteer in 2006 - the drugs had passed animal testing, but when given to him, it induced a 2 week coma, he lost all of his toes, and the tops of some of his fingers we could save these people by doing more extensive animal testing.

Answer 26

- medical - toxicity testing (medicines, food, cosmetics, agricultural) - genetic engineering - psychology - weapons research - veterinary

Answer 27

- rats - mice - fish - birds - guinea pigs - rabbits - monkeys

Answer 28

- circus - shooting - animal riding - racing (dogs, horses, camels) - fly fishing for fun - animal fights

Answer 29

- the nature of all animals must be published for public inspection - does NOT enforce the reporting of animal cruelty, or the administration of anaesthesia

Answer 30

- can be treated with many other forms of research that don't even concern animals, such as stem cell testing, MRI and CAT tests, computer modelling. - 92% of drugs that have passed animal trials have failed human trials. we are simply wasting these animals. many drugs that animals are immune to and humans aren't, and the other way round. - what makes a human life more valuable than an animal life?

Answer 31

goes against the 1st moral precept: abstain from harming living things. - however, if it meant that 100 people were prevented from catching the disease and suffering, then the suffering of one animal could be accepted.

Answer 32

- after Noah saved all of the animals from the flood, he's given permission to eat animal meat. 'Everything that moves about will be food for you'. - animals were created for humans to use and care for. God values animals, but humans are more important, as they're the only ones to have a soul. - if the testing is proven to be necessary, and the welfare of the animals is considered, it can help to ensure human safety and save human lives

Answer 33

- they disagree with using animals for personal gain. Noah was there to look after the animals, and work for them. they weren't for his pleasure, he worked for them. - animals must still be treated kindly: 'Do not muzzle an ox', 'The righteous care for the needs of their animals'. - therefore, animal experimentation is only acceptable if it's ethical and doesn't cause pain to them.

Answer 34

FOR - 'You appointed them (humans) rulers over everything' AGAINST - 'Good people look after their animals but wicked people are cruel to them'

Answer 35

- 'When man has pity on all living creatures only then is he noble' - 'All beings tremble before violence; all fear death. Comparing others with oneself, one should not kill or cause to kill' - Goes against 1st Moral Precept

Answer 36

Buddhists claim that ending suffering is important. If animals can help to reduce human suffering, then a little bit of animal experimentation when desperately needed could be accepted

Answer 37

- animals were created by God for humans to use and care for - many believe humans are more important than animals as they were created in the image of God, but animals should still be treated kindly

Answer 38

- believe animals should be treated with kindness and compassion - karma teaches that causing harm to animals is unskilful and will lead to suffering. it also goes against the 1st moral precept - the eightfold path teaches that Buddhists should not make a living from activities that cause harm to others, including animals (right livelihood)

Answer 39

The Bible says Christians have the choice to be vegetarian. The only rule is to not judge other regardless of what they choose, be sensitive to others' beliefs about what they choose to eat - Jesus wasn't vegetarian, he fed 1000s of people fish, including himself - most Christians eat meat, they believe God gave humans animals to use for food: 'Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you'

Answer 40

- Eating meat does go against 1st Moral Precept Theravada: Doesn't say. Monks and nuns can eat whatever is freely given by the public (danha) Mahayana: Should be vegetarian. claim the Buddha instructed his followers to be vegetarian. doesn't show compassion, and creates an atmosphere of feat among all living beings - 'My teachings are like a raft', Buddha wasn't vegetarian, died of food poisoning from meat. - Could be trying to learn from his mistakes?

Answer 41

'All tremble at violence; all fear death. Comparing with oneself, one should not kill or cause to kill'

Answer 42

Catholics believe in it. the soul is purified and is now holy enough to be accepted into Heaven

Answer 43

- God's home. They believe that Jesus came to Earth to show that if we live good lives, we can live in Heaven with God (salvation) - 'There will be no more mourning or crying or pain' - 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise'

Answer 44

- Christians believe that the Devil rejected God's love, as he thought he was better than God - he was thrown out of Heaven and into Hell - he tempts us to do evil - Christians believe that Hell is a place for people who go against God and enjoy doing evil things. they don't feel sorry for their sins/don't want forgiveness they'll suffer forever - 'hell, where the fire never goes out'

Answer 45

- soul immediately leaves body, either ascends to Heaven or descends to Hell - soul stays tied to body until Judgement Day, where it can be decided where it goes

Answer 46

- believe Jesus' resurrection is evidence for an afterlife - some believe people will be in Heaven in their physical bodies, and others believe it's just their souls that enter Heaven - some believe that God, who is the source of all good, would not condemn people to Hell and that all go to Heaven: 'whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life' - others believe that all who go to Hell deserve their fate

Answer 47

'But who is richer at the time of death? If the beggar has created more merit, then although he looks materially poor, he is really the rich man' - Most believe that death isn't a single moment but a process, leading them to hope for a peaceful death. the consciousness passes on from the physical body over a period of hours or days - 2 possibilities: rebirth (at some point after death, the person's consciousness enters another life at the moment of its conception) or enlightenment (not nirvana, as Mahayanas stay and become Bodhisattvas when they become enlightened) - can also depend on the skilful/unskilful actions done, and your state of mind at death (some believe that you choose between rebirth or enlightenment, so a clear mind is needed to make this decision)

Answer 48

- over 9 million barrels are used everyday - estimated that we only have enough for the next 40 years before we run out

Answer 49

- deforestation means that 7.3 million hectares of forest is being cut down each year, an alarming rate - this is just to make room for our own needs e.g. roads, houses - the more the population grows, the worse this will get

Answer 50

- wind power through turbines are a good way of collecting energy - only works when it's windy, and people think they spoil the landscape

Answer 51

- needs more research, currently very expensive - can't create enough wave power right now for it to be a viable source of energy

Answer 52

- popular option - weather dependant, not useful in many countries - expensive, space consuming, unattractive

Answer 53

- reduce, reuse, recycle. use low packaging products, reuse shopping bags, recycle waste - walk, cycle, use public transport - donate second hand items to charity - turn off unused electricals

Answer 54

- produced by Prince Philip and the leaders of major world religions to outline how to protect nature by religions working together 1. humans are part of nature 2. although we're at the top of the evolutionary pyramid, we still evolved from nature 3. nature is sacred 4. we can't destroy nature without destroying humanity 5. Gods aren't responsible for nature, it's simply a natural phenomenon

Answer 55

the 2nd noble truth is that suffering is caused by the three poisons. if we take more from the environment that we need for our own luxury purposes, we're going against this teaching as we're being greedy

Answer 56

in order to gain enlightenment, we must show care and compassion for others. this includes the Earth as human life depends on it

Answer 57

caused by factories and vehicles and the fumes they produce. can cause asthma attacks, lung cancer, global warming, climate change, and acid rain

Answer 58

caused by the ineffective disposal of waste and rubbish dumps. can lead to the poisoning of wildlife, chemicals seeping into the Earth, affecting farming and contaminating food

Answer 59

caused by dumping waste into the sea and rivers (e.g. microplastics) and oil spills. can lead to the death of marine life, the destruction of habitats and the poisoning of birds

Answer 60

- called on everyone to take action, look after the environment and be stewards - look after people, as they're part of the environment too - reduce pollution, use renewable energy, recycle more - be aware of climate change - respect God's creations

Answer 61

- some (e.g. oil, gas) are non-renewable, meaning they'll eventually run out. once they do, the world may have to adapt considerably in order to live without them - reducing the use of natural resources, recycling more, using renewable energy sources and helping to protect the environment are all ways that people can help to preserve the world for future generations

Answer 62

- the use of technology has increased and the world's population has grown - more pollution means more human and animal lives have been put at risk

Answer 63

- the world is on loan to humans, who have been given the responsibility by God to look after it - pollution is not loving towards others - Jesus teaches Christians to 'love thy neighbour' - The parable of the talents warns that God will be the final judge about how responsible humans have been in looking after the Earth

Answer 64

pollution directly/indirectly causes harm to all living creatures, so contradicts the 1st moral precept

Answer 65

- some work in their local community to clean up the environment, e.g. by litter picking - religious believers may also join secular (not religion associated) environmental organisations such as Greenpeace, which aim to tackle pollution on a wider scale

Answer 66

- Holy Isle project aims to protect the local environment and reduce waste - Tibetan Buddhists living on the Holy isle take care of the island's environment - planted 35,000 trees, reduced the sewage entering the sea, created a nature sanctuary for wildlife