Rights And Responsibilities Flashcards
Different views on the Bible
- Some believe is it literal word of God (fundamentalists)
- Some believe it is interpreted through the Church
- Some believe it was inspired by God and contains spiritual truths
- Some believe it was written by people influenced by God and should be interpreted to modern day society
Why do Christians believe the bible is a source of authority?
- If is the word of God
- It contains moral advice from St Peter and Paul
- It contains the laws of God
- It contains teachings of Jesus
How do Christians use the Church’s teachings as a source of moral guidance?
- RCC Pope and Council of Bishops offer guidance on contraception- these are published in Catechism and Encyclicals
- Pope can give infallible guidance to Catholics and he will speak ‘ex cathedra’
- CofE, Archbishop of Canterbury and general synod make decisions on homosexual clergy and women bishops
Why do Christians think Church’s teachings are the best source of moral guidance?
- God continues to speak in the world today- Pope is directly appointed by God
- Church is the body of christ and the church’s teachings are Christ’s teachings (Ephesians)
- The Church is a community of believers and can help each other
- Modern day dilemmas can be solved by the Church without the Bible
- Problems with the bible, conscience and situation ethics
Christians on conscience
- God given
- Helps judge moral actions
- Should look to Bible/Church first then conscience
Quotes for Christians on conscience
- Catechism of the Catholic Church says ‘a human being must always obey the certain judgement of their conscience’
- ‘We are sure that we have a clear conscience in every way’- Hebrews 13:18
Cardinal Newman on conscience
- people know more than can be proven
- people rely on science math and logic for knowledge
- rational skills won’t determine wrong and right or existence of God
- inner sense responsible for guilt and personal decisions
- God given
- following it is following God and leads us to him
Sidmund Freud on conscience
conscience is feeling of guilt, superego is part of personality, superego holds onto experience or guilt and shame, right/wrong isn’t about God, not God given, ego= ‘front’ we show to people
Joseph Butler on conscience
- God given, not the ‘voice of God’, decision is benevolence vs self love, based on moral reason, moral reason is god given, human nature, intuition assists
Piaget on conscience
quality acquired growing up, morality we learn from others, come with cognitive development, moral compass complete my 10, morality is progressive and development
Christians on situation ethics
- Put forward by Joseph Fletcher 1960
- Way of approaching moral issues
- Must obey teaching of Church and Bible
- Love should be the only principle uon which we make moral decisions, a good action is the most living thing to do
- Some say it has weaknesses
Quotes on situation ethics
- ‘Love on another as I have loved you’- John 15:12
2. ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’- There is no more commandment more important than these’ - mark 12:31
Benefits to situation ethics
- people would be more affectionate
- actions positively motivated
- more optimism
- better equality and more respect for one another
- Christians following in steps if Jesus
- Personal ethics
Disadvantages to situation ethics
- different concepts of love
- excuse to do wrong things
- laws break and society falls apart
- relative morality
- consequences are impossible to predict
- when someone benefits, another suffers
Human rights
Universal declaration of Human Rights are the rights which, worldwide, everyone is entitled to (eg equality+freedom)
30 mains points
Why are Christians concerned with human rights?
- Jesus was concerned
- Every human is created in the image of God
- God loves everyone equally
- It is right to work for laws to protect the poor and suffering
- Christian values should be opposed on the secular society
Quote for Christians on human rights
‘Adam name his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all human beings’- Genesis 3:20 - This show we are all related and entitled to the same rights
Quote for ‘Jesus was concerned’
The Good Samaritan- Luke 10:25-37
This shows that how a person acts towards others matters most and gospels show Jesus ensures rejected people would receive far treatment
Examples of Christian’s moral duties
Am I my brothers keeper?
The parable of the sheep and the goat
Love one another
Golden rule
Am I my brother’s keeper?
- selflessness following in the steps of Jesus, help others rather than ourselves
The parable of the Sheep and the Goat
when you do wrong/right to people you do the same thing to God and Jesus
‘I tell you whenever you did this for one of the least important members of my family, you did it for me!’
Love one another
teaches people to love others, love shouldn’t just be dictated it should be shown with actions
‘We must love one another’, ‘Whoever does not love is under the power of death’
Human rights in the UK
Bigeest controversy concerns terrorism and national security
greatly criticised the terrorism act of 2000-2006
Example of Christianity and human rights
Many christian reformers such as William Wilberforce who was against slave trade and Archbishop Desmond Tutu who was against racism in South Africa
Quote for Christians on human rights
- ‘Everyone must submit himself to there governing authorities’ Romans 13:1
- Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners… as if you yourselves were suffering’ St Paul
Importance of involvement in the democratic and electoral process
- Democracy= ‘rules of people’
2. UK is a representative democracy
For taking part in democratic process
- In the past the right to vote was extremely importance and we should honour this (The Suffragette Movement)
- Politics affect everyone and they control our lives
Against taking part in democratic process
- No choice, political parties say the same thing (cuts in Britain agreed my everyone)
- Waste of time, one vote makes no difference
- Politicians do not tell the truth (expenses scandal)
Christians on moral duties and responsibilities
- God makes moral commands (love your enemies)
- Jesus gave further commandments (decalogue)
- God will separate those who helped others and those who did not (Parable of the sheep and the goat)
- christians must stand by when others are in need (my brothers keeper)
