Theme B: Religion and Life Flashcards
Genesis quote about command to rule over nature
“I give you domonion..
“Rule over…”
What are the 2 interpretations of ruling nature?
- Stewardship
- Dominion
Stewardship
- with rulership comes responsibilities like being a caring, protective ruler
- We can use natures resources but with responsibility
- as part of our duty as rulers, we must protect Gods creation
What does the Quran say about humans?
“Khalifah” meaning ruler (Quran)
What is dominion?
- Humans are in charge of nature and can do as we please
- we can exploit nature and take what we need eg excessive moning, deforestation, pollution
Quotes on stewarship Christianity
- “take care of it” (Genesis)
- “The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Pslams)
- “people are responsible for the future of the planet” Pope John Paul II
Quotes from Islam about the world
- “The world is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you His stewards over it” (Hadith)
- “Eat and drink from the provision of Allah, and do not commit abuse on the earth” (Quran)
Quotes from Sikhism about the world
- “Air is the guru, water the father, and the earth is the great mother” (GGS)
- “Air, water, earth and sky - the Lord has made these His home and temple” GGS)
What can a belief in dominion influence a believer to?
- justify medical experimentation
- see all animals as created for the benefit of humanity
- justify battery farming of animals
- justify mining, drilling for oil, deforestation
What can a belief in stewardship influence a believer to?
- care for animals, veg and vegan
- be against medical experimentation on animals
- care for environment, recycling, reducing carbon footprint
What is reverential respect?
an amazement at the beauty, power + complexity of the natural world
Religious people will thank and praise the Creator for his work
How do humans pollute the environment?
- light pollution - fewer stars in the countryside
- releasing harmful waste into air, water,
- emptying factory waste into rivers - poisons fish + fertiliser kills
How do humans cause climate change?
- Burning of fossil fuels = greenhouse gases
- Drought, malaria will come to colder areas like here, flooding
- solution = use renewable energy resources thats sustainable
How do humans destruct natural habitats?
- Pollution like oil leakage kills and redcues biodiversity
- deforestation for buildings
How do humans abuse natural resources?
- Tech means materials are being taken out faster and in greater quantities
- coal running out
What does the RCC say about the good of the earth and beauties of nature?
“The goods of the earth and the beauties of nature are to be enjoyed and celebrates as well as consumed”
Religious reasons to why people are veg/ vegan?
- follow Gods command
- animal life is sacred
- Sikhs believe eating meat is bad karma
- we have a duty as stewards not to cause harm
- Jesus taught mercy for the weak, oppressed and powerless = shouldnt exploit
Non-religious reasons to why people are veg/ vegan?
- meat industry is cruel
- might be healthier
- animals are sentient (conscious, have feelings)
- we dont need meat to survive
- against battery farming
- killing animals for food is wrong
- its speciesism to exploit animals ( peter singer)
Christian opinion to support eating meat
- God gave us “dominion” over them (Genesis)
- “What goes into someone’s mouth doesn’t defile them” - Jesus (impure them)
Christian opinion against eating meat
- Agape
- Adam and Eve were veg in Garden of Eden
- Jesus taught mercy
- God made us stewards of his creation
Muslim opinion to support eating meat
- Eid-ul-Adha = animal slaughter
- God made us “khalifah” over natural world
Muslim opinion against eating meat
- Muhammad = “For charity shown to each creature which has a wet heart, there is a reward” (Hadith)
- Taught compassionate to all
Sikh opinion to support eating meat
- Rahit Maryada states Sikhs are free to choose whether or not to eat meat
- Guru Hargobind ate meat and hunted
Sikh opinion against eating meat
- GGS = “One Lord is in all, so why do you kill chickens?”
- GGS = “The dinner of rice and beans in excellent… who would cut his throat to have meat with his bread”
- “Gods light is within everyone”
Jesus quote about eating
“What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them” - kidness is more important
Quran quote about use of animals
“may ride on some of them and from some you may derive food”
Arguments for animal testing
- Help researchers to find drugs and treatments eg cancer, HIV, vaccines
- acceptable for medicine
- testing safety of drugs
Arguments against animal testing
- “expensive for caring and feeding
- not allowed for cosmetics
- not all substances tested end up being used - no benefit for us
- Human and animal bodies aren’t identical - results not applicable to us
- leads to death
- there are alternatives like computer modelling/simulation
Pro-life
Term used for arguments and pressure groups against abortion, usually in any circumstances
Pro-choice
Term used for arguments and pressure groups which defend a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body
Pro-life arguments
- RCC - life begins at conception so abortion = murder
- Sancitity of Life - “God made mankind in his own image” - Genesis
- Foetus has rights its a potential human
- Foetus can defend itself, smn has to
- adoption is better than killing it
- if foetus is disabled, its not for us to decide how its Quality of life will be
Pro-choice arguments
- woman should have the right to decide what happens to her body
- may be the result of rape/incest
- if woman is raped, abortion is the lesser of 2 evils
- some have foetuses have disablities = low quality of life
- If womans life is at risk from pregnancy
- if its illegal, woman would have to go to unsafe backstreet abortions - unsafe
Relgious views against abortion
- Sanctity of life = “in the image of God” Genesis, human life is sacred and should be protected
- Catholics = life begins at conception
- Catechism of Catholic Church
- 10 commandments = do not murder
- agape - love thy neightbour jesus
- Bible “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you”
- Quran = “Whosoever has killed a soul, it is as though he has murdered all of mankind”
- Quran = “Kill not your offspring for fear of want”
Religious views in favour of abortion
- Church of England (Protestant Christians) would employ the lesser of 2 evils however still sinful, acceptable in certain circumstances eg rape, severse disabilties, mother’s life at risk
- Church of England = “In an imperfect world, the “right” choise is sometimes the lesser of 2 evils”
- Agape - jesus
- Sharia Law = womans life at priority
- Muslims believe soul enters body at 130 days so abortion before may be accepted - relgion of compassion
What does the catechism of the Catholic Church state?
- “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception”
- “From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognised as having the rights of a person”
- “inviolable right of every innocent being to life”
Euthanasia
meaning “good death” - the practice of intentionally ending a life to relive pain and suffering
Active euthanasia
- death is brought about by an act eg doctor giving overdose
- illegal in UK
Passive euthanasia
- when death is brought about by omission eg withdrawing of treatment to allow smn to die
- allowed in UK
Voluntary euthanasia
- person gives consent to be euthanised
Non-voluntary euthanasia
- person in incapable of giving consent eg in come, dementia, brain damage
Hospice
home providing care for the sick or terminally ill
Palliative care
concerned with caring the patient, rather than managing symptoms but improving their quality of life
Assisted suicide
suicide effected with the assiatnce of another person, taking of legal drugs by a doctor, provided with the equipment to die
Arguments in favour of euthanasia
- Right to die should be a human right
- body autonomy
- Only the individual can decide if they will have enough quality of life
- We see euthanasia as compassionate for animals, so why not humans?
- We can free up medical resources
- No one else is being harmed
Arguments against euthanasia
- Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath to protect lives
- Slippery Slope argument - legalising euthania is a slippery slope because everyone will want access to it if a certain group does
- Euthanasia gives too much power to doctors
- Care for people in their last days, intead of killing them = improve palliative care
- Vulnerable ppl may feel pressurised, not wanting to be a burden onto others for taking care of them
Religious arguements against euthanasia
- Only God has the auhtority over death
- Bible: “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh”
- Quran: “ No soul shall die except by Allah’s permission”
- GGS: “Nothing at all is in the hands of mortal beings”
- Sanctity of Life - Life is sacred “in the image of God”
- Quran: “Do not take life which God has made sacred, except by right”
- GGS: “God’s light is within everyone”
- 10 commandments - do not murder
- Agape = loving thing to do is to care for them, not kill
- Suicide is a sin, Hadith = “whoever commits suicide with something will be punished with the same thing in fire”
- Life is a test (Islam) + of karma (Sikhism) - samsara + mukti
2 Quran quotes against euthanasia
- “No soul shall die except by Allah’s permission”
- Do not take life which God has made sacred, except by right”
Hadith against euthanasia
“whoever commits suicide with something will be punished with the same thing in fire”
GGS quotes against euthanasia
- “God’s light is within everyone”
- Nothing at all is in the hands of mortal beings”
Christian quotes against euthanasia
- Sanctity of Life: life is sacred, everything “made in the image of God” Bible
- Agape - most living thing is to care for them, not kill
Religious arguments for euthanasia
- Agape - most loving act MIGHT be to kill them, too much suffering, to die with dignity
- Passive euthanasia - letting patients die by removing treatment is acceptable
- Humanists: the right to die is a “fundamental” human right
Who are humanists?
athiest/agnostic + morality and values derive from human nature and experience alone
Christian view on the afterlife
- Day of Resurrection - judged by God
- Heaven = “eternal life”
- Hell = “Eternal punishment”
- Not good enough/not bad = Purgatory (souls undergo purification) - only Catholics believe this
Islam belief on the afterlife
- Akirah = life after death
- Soul enters Barzakhn (state of waiting) until Day Of Judgment
Islamic belief of the creation of the universe
- Before time, only God existed and he created the universe
- Quran “Your Lord is Godm who created the heavens and earth in six days”
- six phases/periods of time
- closely resembles modern scientific theory of the BIg Bang
Christian belief of the creation of the universe
- Gensis: God designed and created universe and it was Good
- Made it out of nothing
- made in 6 days, rested on the seventh day
FOR
Believing both the Big Bang Theory and religious teachings about origins of the universe
- some believe God caused Big Bang to create universe
- Most scienists belive universe had a beginning, God = first cause
- 6 days = 6 periods of time = doesnt disagree with Big Bang
AGAINST
Believing both the Big Bang Theory and religious teachings about origins of the universe
- Big Bang doesnt need a supernatural cause - could be an accident
- Scientists say that universe evolved naturally over billions of years, not 6 days
- Contradictions
- Creation stories = myths
Examples of Christian environmental groups
- CAFOD
- Christian aid
- Tearfund
- they put pressure of the gov and industry to think more about howppl are abusing the planet
Gensis quote about dominion - other one about the sea, birds, livestock
“ruler over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky”
What did the Prophet Muhammad say about planting a tree?
- chartiable deed
- “who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird or a person or an animal eats from it”
- “charitable gift for him”
utiliarianism
idea that deicisions should be made based on what has the best balance of good and bad outcomes
Christian quote about caring for animals
Proverbs “ The righteous care for the needs of their animals”
Christian quote about how animal experimentation is allowed as long as it benefits humans
Catechism of the Catholic Church : ““morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits” “or saving human lives”
Christian quote against euthanasia, we are meant to suffer
Job: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
Quran quote about killing kids
“Do not kill your children”
Quran quote about about praying and patience (against euthanasia)
- “Seek comfort in patience and prayer”
Jesus ressurection quote providing evidence for afterlife
- “He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit” Peter
Reasons why people belive in the afterlife
- Way of helping ppl to deal with death - comfort
- religions put pressure on ppl to follow their teaching and live in a certain way
- heaven is a comepnsation for the suffering on earth
evidence for afterlife
- Near Death Experiences - science cant explain + people (mediums) claim they can talk to the dead
- claim to have evidence for reincarnation - kids remember past lives
- out of body experience + spoken to long dead fam members
