RE GCSE Paper 2

RE GCSE Paper 2

1. Rights and Responsibilities

   • Many Christians use the Bible to make decisions as...
     • They believe it is the word of God.
     • It has authority from God about what they should believe and how they should live.
       • Christians have different opinions on the authority of the Bible.
         • 'The Bible is literally the word of God and is always right.'
         • 'The Bible is the word of God but needs to be interpreted by the Church.'
         • The Bible was inspired by God and gives guidance on how to live but needs to be adapted for Modern Life.
     • The Bible comes from God so is the only thing that can be trusted.
     • God's truth does not change.
     • The Bible has been handed down for hundreds of years and has kept Christians on the right path.
   • Christians also look to the Church to make moral decisions...
     • Talking to other Christians.
     • Listening to the Priest or Vicar.
     • Praying and worshiping together
     • Accepting the authority of the Church to explain and teach God's word.
       • Christians believe the Church has authority as...
         • The Church is the body of Christ. Christians should follow the teachings of the Church as they are the teachings of Jesus.
         • The Church provides rules so everyone knows what they should do.
         • Only the Church fully understands the Bible and knows how to fully interpret and apply it's teachings.
         • God speaks to them through the Church.
   • Some Christians believe that conscience is given to them by God and use it to make moral decisions.
     • They believe that it is the most important guide to making moral decisions.
     • Christians believe that they should consult the Bible, look at the teachings of the Church but in the end follow their conscience.
   • Situation ethics
     • The idea that you should choose the most loving thing to do when making moral decisions.
       • Similar to the 'Golden Rule' taught by Jesus - '...do unto others what you would have them do to you...'
       • Jesus seemed to follow situation ethics when he ignored the teachings of the Bible and acted in the most loving way in the case fo the woman was being accused of adultery.
   • Human Rights in the UK
     • The rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled.
     • All humans are born free and equal in the same rights.
   • Why are human rights important to Christians?
     • They believe every human being is created by God in his image and deserves respect.
     • They believe God loves everyone equally so all should be treated equally.
     • The teachings of the Bible such as the Ten Commandments (The Decalogue) support most Human Rights laws.
   • Genetic engineering

2. Environmental and Medical issues

3. Peace and Conflict

4. Crime and Punishment