RE - matters of life and death

RE - matters of life and death

1. Life after Death

   • key words
     • near-death experience
       • when someone about to die has an out of body experience
     • paranormal
       • unexplained things which are thought to have spiritual causes eg/ ghosts/mediums
     • reincarnation
       • when souls, after death, are reborn into a new body
     • resurrection
       • when after death, the body stays in the grave until the end of the world, when it is raised
     • immorality of the soul
       • the idea that the soul lives on after death
   • christian views
     • evangelical protestants
       • jesus came back to life - resurrection
       • believe in resurrection - "the rising again of the dead at the last judgement"
     • protestants
       • believe immorality of the soul
       • believe in communication between alive and dead christians
     • roman catholics
       • believe in resurrection - jesus came back to life
       • teachings of the church
     • general christians
       • believe there is a life after death - good: heaven, bad:hell
       • 4 gospels - jesus crucified and buried - "disappeared" - rose from dead
       • soul is something that never dies
       • church teaches life after death - they should believe it
       • believe it to make life have a meaning/purpose
         • life to end at death doesnt name sense, so life after death does
       • "in my fathers house there are many rooms" John 14
   • for
     • paranormal - evidence of ghosts and spirits
       • peoples experiences - people say that they see ghosts, spirits (trapped souls)
     • hope to see the loved one again after death
       • see that they have gone to a better place
         • family belief - influenced, nature, educated
     • reincarnation - your soul gets reborn
       • personal evidence that people believed they lived before
     • spiritualists can sense ghosts
     • media (tv, newspapers, articles, documentaries)
     • near death experience
   • against
     • no actual proof
       • someone cant come back from the dead to tell their story
     • scientific evidence
       • personal experiences can be explained scientifically
     • people may not believe in heaven/hell/God
     • not religious - family dont believe - influenced, educated
     • hallucinating (fake/lie)
       • faith can act like a placebo effect - mind - will power
         • imagination
     • psychology can help to explain why people have near death experiences
       • brain produces chemicals to reduce/ease suffering

2. Wealth and Charities

   • key words
     • rich
       • having more money than you need to provide basic necessitites eg/ food home
     • poor
       • not having enough money to provide basic necessities eg/ food, home etc
   • christian views
     • teach equality - every person is valued and shown equal care and respect
     • "the love of money is the root of all evil" 1 timothy 6:10
     • what matters most is what a person does with their wealth, not how much they have
       • teach that spiritual riches are more important than material riches
     • expect rich to use their wealth to support the poor
   • charities
     • christian aid
       • speaking out on behalf of poor communities to bring social justice
       • uses half of its funding on development programs
       • new testament says riches must be used to help others
     • support poor
       • collect 2nd hand clothes for families, children and elderly in need
     • salvation army are run by religious organizations
     • dependent on public
     • receive money from national lottery

3. Euthanasia

   • Key words
     • quality of life
       • life must have some benefits for it to be worth living
     • voluntary euthanasia
       • ending a life painlessly when someone in great pain asks for death
     • euthanasia
       • the painless killing of someone dying from a painful disease
     • non voluntary euthanasia
       • ending a life painlessly when the person cannot ask but there is a good reason of thinking they would want you to do so
     • assisted suicide
       • providing a seriously ill person with the means to commit suicide
     • sanctity of life
       • life is sacred and should not be destroyed
         • we belong to God, so life isnt ours to take
   • For
     • killing a person in pain is a loving act
     • no choice
       • people break the law to perform euthanasia
     • majority believe its right
       • free will
       • religions that agree
         • Christians for love
     • no quality of life
       • reduce pain and suffering
     • CofE say its allowed if...
       • braindead
       • painkillers may kill them
       • dont give treatment to a dying patient
     • Litherals and quakers
     • "if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. so, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord"
   • Against
     • killing is wrong
       • "thou shall not kill"
     • its currently illegal in the Uk
       • society says its wrong
     • religions that disagree in general
       • Christians
         • sanctity of life
           • life is sacred/precious and shouldn't be destroyed
     • can we really tell what a person wants??
       • make a wrong decision
         • murder
     • CofE
     • roman catholics and evangelical protestants
   • Law
     • withing the UK, there is currently no law to deal with euthanasia
     • however, the act of taking a life is dealt with under murder laws
       • 1961 suicide act

4. Abortion

   • Key words
     • sanctity of life
       • life is holy and belongs to God
         • bible says - "God created humans in his own image" Genesis 1:27
         • "dont you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you. you do not belong to yourselves but God" 1 corinthians 6:19
     • abortion
       • the removal of a foetus from the womb before it can survive
     • quality of life
       • life must have some benefits for it to be worth living
   • Christian views
     • for
       • it may be a loving act
       • sanctity of life can be broken in circumstances such as war, so why not abortion?
     • against
       • life is holy and belongs to God, therefore only God has the right to end pregnancy
       • every person has a natural 'right to life'
       • "thou shall not kill"
   • Whose rights?
     • pro-abortion
       • the belief that the woman should be the person to decide as its her body
       • she shouldnt be forced to go through an unwanted pregnancy
       • stopping abortions would make women go to illegal 'back street' clinics
     • anti-abortion
       • in favour of protecting the foetus
       • the foetus is a living, growing thing. to destroy is is the same as killing it
       • true 'choice' would consider the choice the baby and father might take
   • Law
     • 1967 'Abortion Act'
       • 2 doctors must agree that 1 of the following is true...
         • the mothers life at risk
         • mothers physical/mental health may be at risk
         • theres a substantial risk the child may be born handicapped
     • 1990 Act states abortions cannot take place after 24 weeks, unless the mothers life is at risk