"What Christians believe about life is up to them. They should not try to make others accept their position." Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have considered more than one point of view.

Christians have been around since the time of Jesus, and even before that. At the time of Jesus, Christians didn’t need to read about his teachings, they had him their in front of their eyes. Nowadays Jesus is not around, so we need the Bible to relate to Jesus’ teachings. It is the main form of guidance for life. It consists of stories about Jesus’ life, his miracles and his death and resurrection. We have Priests, Bishops and Archbishops spreading the word of God, but that is not enough. In the past few years the church attendance has been falling, this therefore means that the majority of the population are not religious. The churches teachings are very strict, for example the ten commandments (Exodus      ). People should be free to choose what to believe about their religion. We have free will and are able to decide for ourselves what the right or wrong action could be. Why should the majority be dictated by the minority?

On the other hand, religious views and opinions have shaped many of the laws of the country, whether people like it or not. Most people would see life as a gift which should be respected and cherished. Christians are called upon to go out and preach their message. Just as the disciples were told when Jesus rose from the dead (Mark 16:9-20).

The statement is the question is arguable, agreeing with the statement would mean you came to a conclusion that people should make up their own mind whereas disagreeing with it means that the people need guidance. People should believe what they want to believe. They should not be forced into making any decisions. The Christian community is full of groups which each believe in different aspects. Believing in different views from people makes Christianity so great. If they all believed in the same things then it would be predictable and we would not hear different views on chosen topics.

As a Christian I follow the Roman Catholic and Church of England teaching which consists of viewing abortion and euthanasia as wrong doings. In accordance to the statement in the question, I feel each Christian has their own view on the happenings in the world and it is up to them which side to take in their argument. Although they should not try to make others accept their position. They have chosen that so they should keep to it and not involve or change people’s views on certain aspects. Christians have the right to their own opinion about this chosen topic, which is life. Although there are many arguments put forward, realising the best option is difficult. If the group needs supporters then trying to sell their idea is justifiable to a certain extent. In conclusion I feel Christians are able enough to make their own decisions and when they do, they make the right ones with many other people. People around the world are under enough pressure with the demands of life, and choosing to make life changing decisions is very difficult, especially when it concerns views about life.

Tom Griffin