SHHS Unit 3 Matters of Life and Death Cards

Question 1

2.1 Why do Catholics believe in life after death?

Answer 1

1. Catholics believe Jesus rose from the dead.
2. Catholics believe in the immortality of the soul. They believe that when the body dies, the soul goes to be with God.
3. St. Paul in the Bible says that people will have a resurrection like Jesus, and God will give them a spiritual resurrection body.
4. The catechism of the Church teaches that Jesus rose from the dead and there will be life after death.

Question 2

2.1 How does Catholic belief in life after death changes the way Catholics live their lives?

Answer 2

1. Many Catholics believe that only if they have lived a good Catholic life will they be allowed into heaven.
2. Living a good Catholic life means following the two greatest commandments – love of God and love of neighbour.
3. In the Parable of the Sheep and Goats, Jesus said Catholics should feed the hungry and visit those in prison.
4. Jesus taught in the Good Samaritan that loving your neighbour means helping anyone in need.

Question 3

2.2 What are the three main reasons non-religious people believe in life after death?

Answer 3

Near death experiences, Evidence for a spirit world (including mediums) and Reincarnation.

Question 4

2.2 What is a near death experience? Why might this lead to belief in life after death?

Answer 4

Near death experiences. It happens when people are clinically dead for a period of time and then come back to life.

Frequently quoted in near death experiences are: feelings of peace and joy, feelings of floating above the body, seeing a bright light, entering another world, meeting dead relatives and coming to a point of no return.

Question 5

2.2 What is evidence of a spirit world? Why might this lead to belief in life after death?

Answer 5

Evidence for a spirit world.

Ghosts and Ouija boards appear to give evidence of the spirits or souls of the dead surviving death, but the clearest evidence seems to come from mediums.

Mediums

A medium is a person who claims to have the fist of communicating between the material world which we live and the spirit world inhabited by those who have died. They are sometimes called psychics, clairvoyants or spirit guides.

Question 6

2.2 What is reincarnation? Why might this lead to belief in life after death?

Answer 6

Reincarnation Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists believe that life after death involves the souls being reborn into another body (reincarnation).

In 1996 Taranjit Singh was born into a poor peasant family. From aged 2 he said he had been killed by a motor scooter on 10th September 1992. This was proven as true. He went to the village where he had lived and died. His handwriting was identical to the boy who died.

Question 7

2.3 Why do some people not believe in life after death?

Answer 7

1. If there is no God, there is nothing non-material. Then there is no spirit world or heaven for life after death to happen.
2. There is no place where life after death could take place; space journeys have shown heaven is not above the sky.
3. People who have been brought up by atheists will not believe in life after death.
4. Different religions believe different things about life after death, if they were true they would say the same things about it.

Question 8

2.4 What is the law on abortion?

Answer 8

• The 1967 Act states that an abortion can be carried out if two doctors agree.
• They must agree that: The mothers life is at risk
• There is a risk of injury to the mothers physical or mental health
• There is a risk that another child would put at risk the mental or physical health of existing children
• There is a substantial risk that the baby might be born seriously handicapped
• Abortions cannot take place after 24 weeks unless the mothers life is gravely at risk or the foetus is likely to be born with severe mental or physical abnormalities.

Question 9

2.4 What is pro-choice?

Answer 9

Pro-Choice: Is the name given to the movement which supports a girl or woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy.

Question 10

2.4 What is pro-life?

Answer 10

Pro-Life: Is the name given to those who support the foetus’ right to life and want abortion banned because it denies the foetus’ right to life.

Question 11

2.4 Why is abortion a contraversial issue?

Answer 11

• šMany religions and anti-abortion groups believe that life begins at the moment of conception.
• šOther people believe that a baby is not a separate life until it is living outside the mother.
• šAbortions should be reduced to 18 or 20 weeks as babies born at 22-24 weeks can now survive.
• šMany non-religious people believe a woman should have a right to do what she wants with her own body.
• šReligious people argue that the unborn child’s rights are the same as the mothers.

Question 12

2.5 What does the Catholic Church believe about abortion?

Answer 12

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1. The Catholic Church teaches that all abortion is wrong whatever the circumstances (apart from medical treatments for the mother which would affect the life of the foetus).
2. They support the right of medical staff to refuse to be involved in abortions.
3. Life is holy and belongs to God and only God has the right to end a pregnancy.
4. Life begins at conception.
5. Adoption is always a better solution.

Question 13

2.5 What do Liberal Protestants believe about abortion?

Answer 13

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1. They believe that abortion is wrong, but it must be permitted in certain circumstances such as if the mother has been raped or if the mother’s life is at risk.
2. Some of these Christians would allow abortions for social reasons such as poverty and the effects on the rest of the family.
3. Jesus said love your neighbour as yourself, and abortion may be the most loving thing to do.
4. Life does not begin at conception
5. Christianity is concerned with justice, and if abortions were banned, an unjust situation would arise.

Question 14

2.6 What is Euthanasia ?

Answer 14

šEuthanasia provides a gentle and easy death to someone suffering from a painful, terminal disease who has little quality of life.

Question 15

2.6 Why do people want euthanasia to be illegal?

Answer 15

1. There is always likely to be doubt as to whether it is what the person really wants.
2. Doctors would face a big problem if they started to kill patients, even though the patient requested it. It is the role of doctors to save lives, not end them.
3. There is also the problem as to whether the disease is terminal. A cure might be found for the disease.
4. People might change their mind about wanting euthanasia, but then it would be too late.

Question 16

2.6 Why do people want euthanasia to be legal?

Answer 16

1. Advances in medicine have led to people being kept alive who would previously have died, but they judge their quality of life as poor.
2. Just as doctors can now switch off life-support machines, so judges have said that doctors can stop treatment.
3. The development of life-support machines has already brought in a form of euthanasia as machines can be switched off if there is no chance of recovery.
4. Many people feel that it is a basic human right to have control about ending your life.

Question 17

2.7 What do Catholics believe about Euthanasia and why?

Answer 17

šCatholics believe that euthanasia is wrong. However, they don’t consider switching off a life support machine as euthanasia. They have this attitude because…

1. šThey believe in the sanctity of life.
2. šThey see euthanasia as murder.
3. šIf doctors say someone is brain dead, then they have already died, so switching off the machine is accepting what God has already decided.
4. šIf you give painkillers to a dying person in great pain, and they kill the person, this is not murder because your intention was to remove their pain, not to kill them.

Question 18

2.7 A few Christians accept euthanasia in certain circumstances. Why?

Answer 18

1. šMedical advances mean it is hard to know what God’s wishes about someone’s death are.
2. šThe teaching of Jesus on loving your neighbour can be used to justify assisting suicide, because it might be the most loving thing to do.
3. šIt is basic human right to have control over your body and what people do to it.

Question 19

2.8 Why do people think that the media SHOULD NOT be free to criticise what religions say about matters of life and death?

Answer 19

1. šSome people believe that criticising what religions say on matters of life and death is a way of stirring up religious hatred which is banned by the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2007.
2. šMany religious believers believe the freedom of the media should be limited because of the offence criticism of religious attitudes can bring.
3. šSome religious believers think that criticising what religious leaders say about matters of life and death is close to the crime of blasphemy.
4. šSome religious people feel that religious statements are based on what God says and so are beyond human criticism.

Question 20

2.8 Why do people think that the media SHOULD be free to criticise what religions say about matters of life and death?

Answer 20

1. šFreedom of expression is a basic human right which is needed for democracy to work.
2. šIf religious leaders use the media to make statements about matters of life and death, they must be prepared for the media to criticise those statements.
3. šIn a multi-faith society, there must be freedom of religious belief and expression, so the media must have the right to question religious beliefs.
4. šLife and death issues are so important to everyone that people want to know what is the right view.

Question 21

2.10 what are the four main causes of world poverty?

Answer 21

1. Natural disasters
2. Wars
3. Debt
4. Other Factors (such as lack of education, disease, lack of clean water etc)

Question 22

2.10 How do natural disasters cause poverty?

Answer 22

Many less economically developed countries (LEDCs) are situated in areas of the world where natural disasters (earthquakes, droughts and floods etc) can destroy many thousands of homes and the farmland on which the people depend.

Question 23

2.10 How do wars cause poverty?

Answer 23

Many LEDCs have been badly affected by wars. Wars can destroy crops, homes, schools, hospitals and so on, causing even more poverty. They also force many people to leave their homes and become refugees in other safer countries.

Question 24

2.10 How does debt cause poverty?

Answer 24

Most LEDCs have to borrow money from, the banks of developed countries to survive and begin to develop. However, the amount of interest they have to pay can actually make the countries poorer.

Question 25

2.10 How do other factors cause poverty?

Answer 25

There are other causes of world poverty. Lack of education means that young people in LEDCs have few or no skills. Lack of clean, fresh water leads to disease, short life expectancy and large families.

Question 26

2.11 How is CAFOD trying to solve world poverty?

Answer 26

1. Development programmes: CAFOD works to promote development in by opening clinics and training health workers.
2. Disasters and emergencies: CAFOD has a disaster fund to deal with natural disasters and refugees.
3. Raising awareness: About five per cent of CAFODs budget is spent on ecuating people on how they can help poverty.
4. Speaking out on behalf of poor communities to bring social justice: CAFOD was heavily involved in the Make Poverty History campaign of 2005, the largest ever world campaign to end poverty.

Question 27

2.11 Why is CAFOD trying to end world poverty?

Answer 27

1. According to the New Testament, riches must be used for the help of others, especially the poor.
2. Jesus told in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats where he said that feeding the hungry and clothing the naked is like feeding and clothing Jesus himself.
3. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that Christians should share their time and money to help the poor.
4. The Golden Rule for Christians is to treat other people in the way you would like to be treated.