Religious Studies Ethical dilemmas How would the ethical theories you have studied so far respond to the following situations?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 1 The police man in a small town is guarding a paedophile against a mob that is about to storm the police station by force, in order to capture the prisoner and lynch him. If the mob is frustrated, many people may be killed in the ensuing riot. Should the policeman deliver the prisoner to the mob?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 2 Should the richest people in a country be forced to pay for the poorer members, through taxation? If so, how much should they be made to pay?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 3 A man has been sentenced to prison for burglary. He admits he is guilty but says he will never do anything like this again. He says that he is not insane or a danger to the public. He argues that he would be happier out of prison than in it. He says his wife depends on him for support and she and the children would be far happier if he were able to be the family breadwinner again. He believes that he is not, and will not, be an influence on others, as almost no one would ever know about it. Therefore, he argues he should be released. If he is telling the truth, what would you do?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 4 A wealthy man and a poor man commit the same crime. The rich man is fined £10,000. The poor man is sent to prison for one year, because he cannot afford to pay the fine. Is this fair?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 5 You run an orphanage that is under-funded and you have had a hard time making ends meet. A wealthy celebrity asks if you would be prepared to sell them an orphan for a substantial amount of money. Do you agree to sell the child?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 6 You are shopping and notice a man stuffing a pair of socks into his pocket. Do you report him?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 7 You are waiting for a bus with a few other people. When the bus arrives the driver gets out and goes into a local shop to get a newspaper. Do you pay your fare or get on for free?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 8 You can rescue one of each the following from a burning building. Which do you rescue? A child or an adult? A stranger or your cat? Gordon Brown or Ian Huntley? Your partner or a Nobel Peace Prize Winner? An entire species of whales or your entire family? A bottle with the cure for cancer or your sister? A bottle with the cure for cancer or your sister who just gave you some of her bone marrow to save your life?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 9 You discover a wallet lying on the street. It contains £100 It also contains the owner’s identity and address. Do you send the wallet back to them?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 10 Would it be acceptable to whip cows to death if more succulent beef resulted from this process, giving the consumers of beef more pleasure?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 11 Should attempted murder be punished less severely than murder?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 12 It is 2 a.m. and you are late getting home. As you approach a set of traffic lights you notice that no one is around. Do you drive through the red light?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 13 Two burglars are up in court. One has stolen £1,000 The other has stolen £10,000. Should we punish the theft of £10,000 more than the theft of £1,000?

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 14 Rank the following situations in order of how horrible you find them. What would the different ethical theorists say? a) Clubbing baby seals over the head for fur. b) Raising and killing rabbits for fur. c) Raising and killing rabbits for food. d) Raising chickens in crowded conditions to save money. e) Slitting the throats of cattle in slaughterhouses before they are unconscious. f) Using aborted foeti for treating Parkinson's disease victims. g) Using an intentionally aborted foetus for purposes of art. h) A highly rated television show which depicts the actual torture of a convicted criminal.

Religious Studies Ethical dilemma 15 Are the following acceptable grounds for a person to take the life of a non-human animal? a) Its noise bothers you at night. b) The fox is killing your sheep. c) Its meat makes a tasty dish. d) You enjoy seeing it squirm. e) The moles are destroying your vegetable garden. f) You just don't like frogs. g) The Eagle keeps killing your prized carrier pigeons. h) I enjoy killing animals.