On the other hand people who are atheists might say that the universe could have happened by accident, just as the result of a ‘Big Bang’, and there does not need to have been any God to start it off. Or they might say that things in the world, which seem to have designed, are the result of evolution, not God.
Unit 3- Religion & Science
Questions
- Describe Christian beliefs about how the world began.
- Explain how and why a Christian might show concern for the environment.
- ‘Scientific ideas about how the universe began prove that Christianity is wrong.
Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view.
Answers
- Christians believe that God made the universe and that God made it of nothing. The book of Genesis describes this in two stories, how God made the world for people to live in. According to the teachings of Genesis, all of the different species were there from the beginning. In Genesis, God made men and women as a special creation and gave them pride of place. They were made in the image of God, and given the Garden of Eden in which to live in. Everything was perfect until Adam and Eve disobeyed God. God made all the different animals, and presented them to the first man so that he could choose names for them, showing that from the very beginning, people had control over the animals.
This teaching has presented some difficulties for some Christians, who realise that the story in the book of Genesis contradicts scientific ideas about evolution, because it says that all the different species were there from the start, rather than evolving gradually. It also contradicts scientific theories about how the universe began, because it does not any explosion or expanding universe. It gives the impression that the earth existed in the way we know it today, right from the start, rather than gradually cooling over millions of years.
Many Christians believe that the scientists are probably right. These Christians believe that the creation stories in the bible are a poetic way of describing important truths, but that they tell the truth using myth- stories, which contain important truth, but do not necessarily describe exactly what happened historically. They believe that the event s in the Bible are not always meant to be taken literally.
Some Christians, however, believe that the biblical accounts are literally true. They believe that the Bible comes from God, and God does not make mistakes. These Christians believe that interpreting Genesis is dangerous, because people might then interpret a lot of other events as myths too, such as the Virgin Birth or the resurrection of Jesus, and say that they did not really happen.
- A Christian might show concern for the environment by joining campaigns and protests, such as those organised by Greenpeace. Christians can also take care in their everyday lives to avoid causing unnecessary damage to the environment. For example, they might make an effort to recycle things rather than just throw them away. They might try to reduce the amount of pollution produced by cars, by cycling to work or by using public transport.
Many Christians believe that they have a duty, as stewards of the Earth, to take better care of the world around them. In the Bible, people were given this kind of care-taking role as soon as they were created. So, Christians believe that this means they should take responsibility for the Earth and the other species in it. They should care for it, protect it, and preserve it for future generations. They should recognise that the world belongs to God, and that they are looking after it for God, and it doesn’t belong to them.
Christianity also teaches that people should not take more than is necessary. It is wrong, according to Christianity, to be too concerned about having possessions and wearing the most fashionable clothes, but instead should concentrate on God and on the poor.
- I believe that it could be possible to combine a religious faith with scientific ideas. I believe that the more that we find out about the world, the more we learn about God.
Unit 6- Religion & Human Relationships
Questions
- Describe Christian beliefs about the use of birth control (contraception).
- Explain how the beliefs of Christians might affect their attitudes towards divorce.
- ‘People should only have sex if they married to each other’.
Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer, and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer.
Answers
- The Roman Catholic Church teaches that artificial contraception, such as the Pill or condoms is wrong. It is acceptable for Roman Catholics to use ‘natural methods’ to plan their families, such as only making love at the times of the month when a woman is at her least fertile, but it is not acceptable to use artificial methods such as the ones previously stated. This is taught because Roman Catholics believe that the main reason why God created sex was so that children could be brought into the world, and they say that using artificial contraception goes against God’s plans.
Some people, however, including some Roman Catholics, disagree with this teaching. They argue that it could sometimes be a good idea for people to use contraception, especially if they do not have enough money to support a large family.
Other Christian Churches, such as the Church of England and the Methodist Church, give very different teachings. They say that using contraception is the responsible thing to do. People should be free to choose when to have children, and how many they want to have, so that every child brought into the world is wanted by its parents. Family planning using contraception is therefore encouraged.
- All Christians realise that sometimes marriages do not work, and a married couple might end up making each other unhappy. Christians have come to different conclusions about which are the right teachings to follow.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that married couples may live apart, if that is what they want to do, but they may not divorce. Catholics believe that marriage is a sacrament, it is a sign of something holy and special done by God, and cannot be undone. Roman Catholics, therefore, cannot marry a new partner if their first husband or wife is still alive, but sometimes, in serious situations a marriage can be annulled, which means that it is agreed that the marriage bond never really existed, perhaps because one of the partners was forced into the marriage or did not understand what was happening. It is not easy for a Roman Catholic couple to have their marriage annulled, and usually they have to choose between staying married, or divorcing without the agreement and recognition of the Church.
Other Christian denominations, such as the Church of England believe that if the couple sincerely believe that there is no possibility they will ever want to live together again, divorce can be allowed, and both partners are then free to marry other people. If either of them wants to marry a new partner in Church after they have been divorced, then it is up to the vicar or minister to decide whether they are taking Christian marriage seriously enough for this to be allowed.
The Christian Churches agree that they should do all that they can to help couples that are having difficulties in their relationships. They often have special classes for people who are about to get married, and groups that married couple can join to talk about how they can work towards a happy and successful married life. Some churches also run counselling services to help people who are thinking about separating or divorcing.
- Yes I do agree, as I believe that marriage is suppose to be a faithful partnership between one man and one woman. Many Christians believe that sex is only appropriate between people who are married to each other. They argue that the bible teaches that the human body is a ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’ and that it should be treated with respect.
They might also say that God designed sex for a purpose, to create children and to strengthen the love between married people.
Other Christians believe that these views are old-fashioned. They say that the main message of Christianity is love, and that sex is morally acceptable within any relationship that is committed and loving, whether or not the people involved are married to each other.
Unit 7- Religion and Medical Ethics
Questions
- Describe Christian attitudes towards fertility treatment.
- Explain how a Christian might respond to someone who was thinking about euthanasia.
- ‘People should make up their own minds about issues of life and death.’
Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer, and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer.
Answers
- There is no teaching in the Bible, which refers explicitly to fertility treatment, because it is something that was not possible at the time when the Bible was written.
Some Christians believe that giving fertility treatment would be the most loving way to behave to couples that are unable to conceive, as it would bring about the creation of new human life, which is a good thing. It is keeping the commandment given by Jesus as a healer, and is keeping the commandment given by Jesus about treating other people in the way you yourself would be liked to be treated.
Other Christians, however, are not sure that fertility treatment is always acceptable. They believe perhaps fertility treatment is going to far, and trying to make things happen which were not part of God’s intentions. Many Christians are also worried about the kinds of fertility treatment that create ‘spare’ embryos because, if it is believed that these embryos count as ‘persons’, then destroying them is the same as murder. Some Christians are also against methods of treatment that involve eggs or sperm from anonymous donors because it can be seen as introducing a third person into a relationship, when god meant it to be just two. Roman Catholics are especially against artificial methods of fertility treatment.
- According to Christian belief, all human life is sacred. Many Christian therefore believe that euthanasia is wrong. They believe that God gave the gift of life, and that it is not for humans to choose when to take it away. Sometimes, they argue that euthanasia is a sign of a complete lack of faith in God, and that Christians should trust God to know when it is the right time for them to die.
When members of different Christian denominations have met to discuss the moral issue of euthanasia, they have all come to the same conclusions, that deliberate killing is wrong, but no-one has to try and keep a life going on and on unnecessarily.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches a principle known as ‘double effect’. This can be acceptable to the Roman Catholic Church because the intention is to help the patient, not kill.
Many Christians believe that a dignified death can be achieved if a person goes into a hospice for care. Hospices do not practise euthanasia, but instead they give special care to help make a dying patient as comfortable as possible, so that when death comes, it is peaceful and as painless as possible.
Most Christians also realise that suicide is the result of great unhappiness, rather than wickedness. Some Christians volunteer to help with organisations such as The Samaritans, which offer counselling services to people who are desperately unhappy.
