RE - B603

RE - B603

1. Human Relationships

   • Marriage
     • The Marriage Ceremony
       • Rings are exchanged - circular shape represents eternal love
       • Vows are said - promises to each other and to God - cannot be broken
         • "till death do us part"
       • Hymns are sung and prayers are said to show that God is present in the relationship
     • The Purpose of marriage
       • To join two people who love each other
       • To Procreate
       • "A man must leave his mother and father and unite with his wife"
       • It is an expectation of todays society
     • Monks and Nuns do not marry because they don't want a distraction from God
   • Divorce
     • Most Christians believe Divorce is wrong
     • Ways to prevent Divorce
       • Counselling
       • Live separately
       • Seek advice from God directly or look in the bible for Jesus' teachings
     • Catholics
       • Do not allow divorce under any circumstances
       • Only God can end a marriage by death
       • Some will be forgiving and will allow an annulment if the marriage vows were not official
       • "What God has joined let no man break up"
     • Protestants
       • A little more lenient - will allow divorces in some cases
       • The Golden Rule
   • Sex before marriage
     • Seen as wrong by all Christains
       • "Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit"
     • Defies the point of Marriage

2. Medical Ethics

   • Euthanasia
     • The assisted ending of someone's life who is suffering
     • Active
       • When the person suffering asks / is aware of assistance
       • A special drink / tablets that will result in the person dying painfree
     • Passive
       • When the person suffering is in a medicated coma or is unable to communicate
       • Switching off life support machines or taking away anything that is artificially keeping them alive
     • "Thou shall not murder"
     • Bible teaches us that life is sacred and should not be wasted - Sanctity of Life
     • The only form of Euthanasia that is acceptable is the Doctrine of Double Effect
   • Animal Testing
     • Most Christians do not agree - Stewardship
       • God told us to look after everything on the earth and animals deserve to be treated with respect
       • Animals were made from to same source as humans - torturing / killing animals is classed as murder
       • The Garden of Eden has animals and this is a representation of God's ideal world - where animals and humans live in harmony
       • In order to prevent it some Christians will protest outside of animal testing labs
     • Some Christians accept it- Dominion
       • Animals do not have a soul so don't have a special relationship with God
       • In Genesis God said " humans rule over the fish in the sea, the birds of the air..."
       • If testing on animals will benefit humans e.g. a new drug then God will be accepting because it was worth it
   • Abortion
     • Most Christians do not agree
       • "Thou shall not murder"
       • All life is valuable to God
     • Sometimes there is a genuine reason why abortion must be done
       • Acceptable if the mother and baby will die during birth
     • Protestants are pro-choice and if the mother thinks abortion is the best option then her views must be valued
     • Jesus would have shown sympathy and would have been forgiving as he greatly admired women
   • Fertility Treatment
     • Most Christians would disagree as it is playing God
     • Against God's original plan - not natural
     • "Hannah had no children for God had closed her womb"
     • Treatments such as IVF also create spare embryos which either get used in surgery or destroyed which is again murder
       • Can be the most loving thing to do to give a couple a child.
         • Child will have multiple parents - unnatural and emotionally difficult

3. Poverty and Wealth

   • An obligation to care for the poor
     • Everyone is God's child and everyone is your neighbour
       • "Do unto others as you want to have done to you"
     • "It is easier to fit a camel through the eye of a needle than to get a rich man into heaven"
   • Christians would argue that communication and travel is easy now so there is no reason why we cant help developing countries
     • God says it is impossible to love him if you ignore the needs of others
       • "The Love of money is the root of all evil"
   • Christians will work with charities such as Christian Aid and Tear Fund
   • Story of the poor beggar woman who gave all the money she had to the church