Theme B Flashcards

Question

Religous and non-Religous beliefs about Animal Rights

Answer 1

Religious people believe that animals are part of God’s creation. All life, including that of animals, is sacred. However, religious people also believe that humans have been given dominion over animals so can make use of them for food, clothing and as working animals. Many of the ways we use animals can be justified and seen as acceptable. However, problems arise with how some people treat animals. For example, farming is acceptable but factory farming can be seen as cruel because of the conditions animals are kept in. The animals have very little space and lead a completely unnatural life.

Answer 2

Animal experiments are widely used to develop new medicines and to test the safety of other products. Many of these experiments cause pain to the animals involved or reduce their quality of life in other ways. The use of animals to test cosmetics products or their ingredients is banned in the UK but using animals to test medicine is still allowed.

Answer 3

Experimenting on animals is acceptable because:  **innovation**  **Humans and animals physiology are similar enough to justify the use of animals** to find cures for human diseases  It **saves human life**

Answer 4

Experimenting on animals is always unacceptable because:  it **causes suffering to animals**  the **benefits to human beings are not proven**  **animals and humans do not respond to medicines in the same way** so it may be pointless to experiment on animals

Answer 5

Christians and Muslims allow meat in their diets. Some Christians fast at certain times of the year avoiding certain foods. Many Christians do not eat red meat on Friday out of respect for Jesus’ sacrifice on Good Friday (when he was placed on the cross). **Some Christians are vegetarian and follow the teachings of St Francis of Assis**i, who preached to the birds and is the most popular pro-animal Christian figure **"Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you."** (Genesis 9:3)

Answer 6

Most Muslims believe that the rules around the ritual slaughter of animals are designed to minimise distress and pain for an animal. The rules include:  animals must be healthy and well cared for  the slaughterman must be an adult Muslim who says the name of God before making the cut  the animal's throat must be cut quickly by a single action, with a very sharp knife, to minimise pain  the spinal cord must not be cut  all of the blood must be drained from the animal after death  no animal should be killed in front of other animals Food that Muslims are allowed to eat is called halal and food they should not eat is called haram. Halal meat has been farmed, prepared and slaughtered according to Shari'ah law. Haram food includes all pork products, animals that eat meat and animals that have not been slaughtered according to Islamic law. "**We are Allah's stewards and agents on Earth. We are not masters of this Earth; it does not belong to us to do what we wish. It belongs to Allah and He has entrusted us with its safekeeping."** Muslim Declaration at Assisi 1986

Answer 7

Some Muslims and Christians choose to be vegetarian. They believe that vegetarianism:  is **healthy and safe**  helps to **protect animals from factory farming** and **from ill treatment**  **promotes the belief that God is compassionate and merciful** and that humans should show the **same compassion and mercy to animals.**

Answer 8

There are many ways in which people, individually and in groups, may try to protect the rights of animals:  **Charity** - Joining or working for groups that promote animal rights.  **Protest** - boycott, write to mps  **Support** - Supporting breeding programmes which help to ensure that endangered species do not become extinct  **Conferences** - Attending and supporting conferences locally, nationally or internationally, which increase awareness of animal rights issues  **Food** - being a vegetarian or vegan

Answer 9

**"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over…every living creature." (Genesis 1:28)** **"The righteous care for the needs of their animals." Proverbs (12:10)**

Answer 10

**"There is no man who kills [even] a sparrow or anything smaller, without its deserving it, but God will question him about it on the judgement day" (Hadith)** **“It is He who appointed you khalifahs on earth.” (Qur’an 6:165) "It is God who provided for you all manner of livestock, that you may ride on some of them and from some you may derive your food. And other uses in them for you to satisfy your heart's desires. It is on them, as on ships, that you make your journeys." Qur'an 40:79-80**

Answer 11

Pollution basically means there is **too much of something which is toxic and damaging to the environment.** Pollution can affect air **(emissions from factories and traffic on the roads),** water (**from oil spills and fertiliser running off farmland into rivers)** and land **(from dropping litter and the use of land-fill sites). Pollution is the direct result of human action.**

Answer 12

Both Islam and Christianity suggest that human life is the most important and special of all kinds of life. When God created the world humans were placed in charge and because religious people believe God created life it follows that all life is sacred and special and deserves to be protected. Sanctity of Life – the belief that all life is special. Quality of Life – a description of how good someone’s life is.

Answer 13

The law defines abortion as the ‘forced expulsion of the foetus from the womb, with the intention of destroying it’. The law in the UK states that abortion is ILLEGAL unless it is carried out under the following circumstance: 2 doctors must agree that at least one of the following is true:  There is a danger to the mother’s physical or mental HEALTH  There is a danger to the physical or mental health of EXISTING CHILDREN  There is a danger to the mother’s LIFE  There is a risk the foetus will be born with physical or mental DISABILITIES The abortion has to be carried out at a registered clinic, by a registered doctor and it must take place before the 24th week of pregnancy.

Answer 14

The question of when life begins is key. **Conception** – when the sperm meets the egg **Implantation** – when the fertilised egg ‘implants’ and attaches itself to the womb. Approx. 1week after conception. **Heartbeat** – when the heartbeat can be detected with specialist equipment. Approx. 6 weeks **Viability** – the point at which the foetus could survive outside the womb (with medical support). Approx. 24 weeks. **Birth** – when the baby is born. Approx. 40 weeks.

Answer 15

A woman should have the right to decide what happens to her body. - Stopping legal abortions would l**ead to ‘backstreet abortions’ and the loss of life**. - In the case of **rape**, it would be l**acking in compassion** to **deny a woman the right to an abortion.** - **The pregnant woman's health and welfare are more important** than that of the **embryo** or foetus. - The quality of life of the unborn child or the woman's existing children could be adversely affected by the birth. - **The woman might be too young to bring up a chil**d, or she may have too many responsibilites which make bringing up a child difficult or impossible.

Answer 16

- **God has created life** so we should not interfere with God’s creation - Every human being, including an embryo or foetus, **has the right to live and to reach their potential.** - The **unborn child is denied choice** and is **not able to speak up for itself.** - People born with **disabilities** can l**ive full and happy lives**. - Alternatives e.g. **adoption**. - Abortion destroys human life and makes l**ife appear cheap and disposable**. This affects the quality and value of life.

Answer 17

Euthanasia means 'gentle and easy death'. The term is used to describe the deliberate ending of a person's life for compassionate reasons because they are suffering, eg from a painful or incurable disease. Euthanasia is illegal in the UK. It can be seen as assisted suicide, so breaking the Suicide Act of 1961, which forbids anyone from helping someone else to die and carries a fourteen year jail sentence. It can also be seen as manslaughter or, at worst, murder, which carries a life sentence. Doctors do switch off life support machines when patients have no sign of brain activity and they do administer drugs to ease pain which can also shorten life. Neither of these is seen as euthanasia in the UK

Answer 18

There are various types of euthanasia:  **Active euthanasia** - something is done to a person to make them die more quickly, eg giving drugs with the intention of bringing about death.  **Passive euthanasia** - any form of treatment that might extend a person's life is withdrawn, eg a life support machine is turned off or a feeding tube is removed. This is legally allowed in the UK, and so would not be called euthanasia.  **Voluntary euthanasia** - a person asks for their own life to be ended (illegal in UK).  **Non-voluntary euthanasia** - a person cannot make a decision about euthanasia or cannot make their wishes known, and so someone else (eg a doctor or a family member) decides that it would be in the person's best interest if their life was ended. For example, if the person is in a coma.  A**ssisted suicide** - deliberately assisting or encouraging another person to end their own life.

Answer 19

Euthanasia can **quickly and humanely end a patient’s suffering**, allowing them to die with dignity.  Euthanasia can help to **shorten the grief and suffering** of the **patient’s loved ones**.  **Everyone has the right to decide**  Most people would have their **pets put down if they were suffering** – this would be regarded as kindness. This same kindness should be given to humans.

Answer 20

* A **dying patient** may not be able to make a **rational** decision. * A patient may have said they want **euthanasia** when they were **nowhere near death;** however, when faced with d**eath they may change their mind** but be **incapable of telling anyon**e. * **Many people recover** after being **“written off”** by doctors. * Hippocratic Oath: **doctors must try to preserve life**. If euthanasia was legalised, the relationship of trust between doctors and patients can be destroyed.

Answer 21

**A hospice is a home for those who are terminally ill. Hospices help people to die with dignity.** Aims: To relieve the physical symptoms illness and remove as much of the pain caused by the illness as possible. This is called palliative care.  To care for the emotional and spiritual well-being of the patient by allowing them to talk about death in a free and open way and help them sort their finances and any unfinished business.  To support the families of patients. In most hospitals, the needs relatives are largely ignored. Hospices seek to fulfil those needs.  Educate others who are caring for the dying, and to work out new, better ways to care for the dying

Answer 22

Originally, hospices were places for travellers, the sick and the needy to stay. They were set up by Christians. Over time, some of them began to specialise in looking after those who were dying. Hospices are not just for Christians, and not everyone who works there is a Christian. They do not try to make anyone believe in God, but provide opportunities to talk to ministers / priests if the patient wants. Hospices support relatives, even after the patient has died. Some Hospices are for children, with facilities for children and families, with play areas, gardens, and rooms for brothers and sisters to stay.

Answer 23

Death is when our brain and body stop functioning permanently. No one recovers from death. Religious people believe that at death the soul/spirit/self leaves the physical body and continues on to some other kind of life.

Answer 24

Christians believe in the physical resurrection of the body. At death the body waits until Judgement Day. Roman Catholics call this Purgatory. At judgement, each person faces God and Jesus to evaluate their deeds. If they were good in life they will go to heaven, which is paradise. If they were bad, they go to hell for eternal punishment.

Answer 25

Muslims believe in resurrection. At death, the body waits in the grave (barzakh) and sees the events of its life. This can be quick or very slow and painful. On Judgement Day, people are sorted according to their beliefs and actions. The wicked are cast straight into hell; the truly good go straight to paradise. All others cross As-Sirat bridge, carrying the book of deeds (sins make it heavier). The bridge is sharp and so they are purified from sin before going to paradise