2. Matters of Life and Death Info for Revision Booklet

3. 2.1 Why do Christians believe in life after death? Jesus rose from the dead. All four gospels record the resurrection of Jesus. St. Paul teaches that people will have resurrection like that of Jesus. The Christian creeds (statements of faith) say this. All branches of Christianity teach this.

4. What is meant by the immortality of the soul? the idea that the soul lives on after the death of the body

5. 2.1 What quotes could you use when talking about Christian belief in life after death? I believe in.... the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Apostles’ Creed (statement of faith) Jesus links faith in his own resurrection to his own person: ‘I am the Resurrection and the life.’ Is is Jesus himself who on the Last Day will raise up those who have believed in him. Catechism of the Catholic Church

6. What does resurrection mean? the belief that, after death, the body stays in the grave until the end of the world when it is raised.

7. 2.1 Why do Christians want to believe in life after death? It gives life meaning and purpose. They feel that a life after death, in which people will be judged on how they live this life with the good rewarded and the evil punished, makes sense of a life that is sometimes unfair. (In surveys Christians suffer less from depression than atheists or agnostics.) Evidence from the paranormal (ghosts, mediums, Christian Spiritualist Churchs offer Clairvoyance & Spiritual Healing)

8. 2.1 What are the Christian ideas about the body and the soul? Many Christians believe that people are made up of a body and a soul and that the soul is non-material (you can’t see it or touch it but you may be able to sense it, in the way you can feel an electrical current. A soul could be described as a form of energy) and it is immortal (it will never die). They believe that the soul will live on in heaven after the death of the body. A famous philosopher Descartes said ‘I think therefore I am.’ Some Christians use this to show that the mind is separate from and greater than the body.

9. 2.1 What are the two parables that explain the Christian teaching ‘love your neighbour as yourself. The parable of the Sheep and Goats. The parable of the Good Samaritan

10. 2.1 What does the parable of the Sheep and the Goats say about loving your neighbour? It says that on the Day of Judgement everyone who has; fed the hungry; Clothed the naked; Befriended strangers; Visited the sick and those in prison; will be saved and will go to heaven. Those who haven’t done these things will go to hell.

11. 2.1 What is the meaning of the parable of the Good Samaritan? Jesus taught in the Good Samaritan that loving your neighbour means helping anyone in need, regardless of who they are. These teachings are bound to affect the life of a Christian.

12. 2.1 How does the teaching that living a good Christian life means loving God and loving your neighbour as yourself? They may choose to work for a charity such as Christian Aid or CAFOD. They may choose to work as social workers, doctors or nurses. Christians will try to avoid committing sins in their lives so that they will go to heaven. Some Christians believe that those who die with unforgiven sins will go to hell.

13. 2.2 Why do Muslims believe in life after death? The Quran teaches that there is life after death. Muhammad taught that there is life after death. It is one of the six beliefs of Islam. This life is a test from God. They will be judged on how they have done in the test. There will be rewards for those who pass. This can only happen if there is life after death. It gives life meaning and purpose.

14. 2.2 How do Muslim ideas about life after death affect the way they live their lives? Muslims want to live a good life so that they do not go to hell. Living a good Muslim life means; keeping the 5 pillars of Islam; following the holy law of Islam, the Shari’ah. Nothing should be removed from the body after death so a Muslim would not want a post mortem to be carried out on a dead relative. Many Muslims have concerns about transplant surgery. Surveys show that Muslims suffer less depression than atheists or agnostics.

15. 2.2 What kind of things are included in Shari’ah Law? Following the holy law of Islam means; Eating Halal food; Observing Muslim dress laws; Not drinking alcohol; Not gambling or being involved in lending money to receive interest.

16. 2.2 What are the 5 pillars of Islam? Belief (shahadah) There is one God and Muhammad is his messenger. Prayer (salah) Muslims must pray 5 times a day, Charity (zakat) Muslims must give 2.5% of their disposable income to charity each year. Fasting (sawm) Muslims must fast during the month of Ramadan to remember humility. Pilgrimage (hajj) Every Muslim should go on pilgrimage to Makkah once in there life if they are able to.

17. What is meant by paranormal? unexplained things which are thought to have spiritual causes, for example, ghosts, mediums.

18. 2.3 What are the non-religious reasons for believing in life after death? Non-religious ideas about life after death are connected to the paranormal (MEANING - beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation, such as telepathy, clairvoyance or extrasensory perception.) The exam board expects you to write about; 1. Near-death experiences 2. Evidence for a spirit world 3. The evidence of reincarnation

19. What is a near-death experience? when someone about to die has an out of body experience

20. 2.3 What are near-death experiences? These are when someone is clinically dead for a time and then comes back to life, and can remember what happened. Research has shown that about 8% of people who suffer a heart attack had a near-death experience. The main features of a near-death experience are; Feelings of peace; Floating above the body; Seeing a bright light; Entering a heavenly place where they see dead relatives.

21. 2.3 What evidence is there for a non- religious spirit world? Many people think of ghosts and ouija board as evidence for a spirit world. The clearest evidence is from mediums (people who claim to be able to communicate between our material world and a spirit world). There are mediums in all countries and in all religions. Mediums contact people’s dead relatives giving information they would not be able to without their contact with the spirit world being true.

22. What does reincarnation mean? the belief that, after death, souls are reborn in a new body.

23. 2.3 What evidence is there for reincarnation? Reincarnation is the belief that, after death, souls are reborn into a new body. This idea comes from religious beliefs in Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism, but has moved into popular culture as a non-religious idea as well. There are stories of children being able to recall things that they could not possibly know, and this is seen as evidence of past lives.

24. 2.4 Why do some people believe that there is no life after death? Some people do not believe in God and believe that this life is all there is. Someone brought up as an atheist will not believe in life after death. If there is no God then there is no spirit world. Religions contradict each other, if life after death were true, they would all believe the same thing. Holy books say different things. There is no way to tell which holy book is true and which is false. Evidence of the paranormal has been challenged by scientists. Science shows that the mind cannot live without the brain, so when the body dies, the mind must also die. Space travel has shown that heaven is not above the sky. There is no place where life after death could take place.

25. 2.5 What does the law say about abortion? Under UK law, an abortion can usually only be carried out during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy as long as certain criteria are met (see below). The Abortion Act 1967 covers the UK mainland (England, Scotland and Wales) but not Northern Ireland. The law states that: abortions must be carried out in a hospital or a specialist licensed clinic two doctors must agree that an abortion would cause less damage to a woman's physical or mental health than continuing with the pregnancy

26. 2.5 In the UK, can an abortion ever be performed after 24 weeks ? There are also a number of rarer situations when the law states an abortion may be carried out after 24 weeks. These include: if it is necessary to save the woman's life to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman if there is substantial risk that if the child were born, s/he would have physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped Generally, an abortion should be carried out as early in the pregnancy as possible, ideally before 12 weeks.

27. 2.5 Why is abortion a controversial issue (one that causes arguments)? It depends when you think life begins; at conception or when a child is born and survives. Many non-religious people believe that a woman should have the right to do what she wants with here body. Religious people think that the unborn baby’s right to life is greater than the mother’s rights. Some people thing the time limit should be reduced to 18-20 weeks because of medical advances. Should medical staff have to carry out abortions if they don’t agree with them?

28. What is abortion? the removal of a foetus from the womb before it can survive

29. 2.5 Abortion statistics – How many abortions were carried out in 2011? In 2011, 189,931 abortions were carried out in England and Wales, compared with 189,574 in 2010 (an increase of 0.2%). (520 a day or 3,645 a week) Ninety-one per cent of abortions were performed at less than 13 weeks of pregnancy, and 78% at less than 10 weeks. The abortion rate was highest for women aged 20 years, and the majority of abortions (96%) were funded by the NHS.

30. 2.6 What is the Evangelical Christian and the Roman Catholic Christian attitude to abortion? Abortion is wrong whatever the circumstances because; Life belongs to God Life begins at conception so abortion is murder which is forbidden by the 10 commandments. A foetus is a human being and abortion destroys its right to life. Adoption is a better way to deal with an unwanted pregnancy. Pregnancy through rape should be dealt with by counselling, help and adoption. So that good can come out of evil. EXCEPT – Abortion is only when the death of the foetus is intended. This means that medical treatments for the mother which affect the life of the foetus are not abortion.

31. 2.6 What do other Christians think about abortion? (mainly Liberal Protestants) They disagree with abortion, but in certain circumstances (such as rape, the mother’s life is at risk, or the baby will be severely handicapped) abortion may be the lesser of two evils because; They believe that life does not begin at conception; Jesus’ command to love your neighbour, means that abortion may be the most loving thing to do. It is the duty of all Christians to remove all suffering. The sanctity of life can be broken in a just war so why not in a just abortion. Christianity is concerned with justice. If abortions were banned, there would be inequality of treatment between the rich and the poor as in the past the rich were able to pay for private abortions, even though they were not legal.

32. 2.7 Why do many Muslims allow abortion? Many Muslims allow abortion up to 120 days, for reasons such as the health of the mother or problems with the baby’s health because; Some hadith (sayings of Muhammad) say a foetus does not become life until 120 days of pregnancy. The Shari’ah says the mother’s life must always take priority.# Up to 120 days the effect of the future baby on the family can be taken into account.

33. 2.7 Why do some Muslims believe that abortion should never be allowed. They believe that life begins at the moment of conception. The Qur’an says murder is wrong and they think abortion is murder. They believe the Qur’an bans abortion. (Some Muslims believe that abortion can be allowed only if a mother’s life is at risk. They believe this because of the death of the unborn child is a lesser evil than the death of the mother. The Shari’ah says that the mother’s life should always take priority.)

34. What is euthanasia? the painless killing of someone dying from a painful disease

35. 2.8 What are the different types of euthanasia and what does the UK law say about euthanasia? Euthanasia is normally thought of as providing a gentle and easy death to someone suffering from a painful deadly disease who has little quality of life. This can be done by: assisted suicide, voluntary euthanasia or non-voluntary euthanasia. British law says that all of these are murder. However the law now agrees that stopping artificial feeding or not giving treatment (often called passive euthanasia) are not euthanasia and so are lawful. This includes: switching off life-support machines disconnecting a feeding tube not carrying out a life-extending operation not giving life-extending drugs

36. What is meant by sanctity of life? the belief that life is holy and belongs to God

37. 2.8 Why do many people want euthanasia to remain illegal? There is always likely to be doubt as to whether is is what a person really wants. There is also the problem as to whether the disease will end the life. A cure might be found for the disease. It is the job of doctors to save lives not to end them. Would patients trust doctors who kill their patients? People might change their mind but then it would be too late. Who would check that they were only killing people who really wanted and needed euthanasia.

38. What is meant by quality of life? the idea that life must have some benefits for it to be worth living.

39. 2.8 Why do many people want euthanasia to be made legal? Discoveries in medicine mean that people who would have died are being kept alive, often in agony. They should have the right to die. Doctors have the right to switch of life support machines if they think the patient has no chance of recovering. Therefore passive euthanasia is already legal. People have the right to commit suicide, why not allow them to ask doctors too assist them if they are too weak to do it alone. Judges have allowed doctors to stop treatment.

40. What is meant by voluntary euthanasia? ending life painlessly when someone in great pain asks for death.

41. 2.9 What is the Roman Catholic and Liberal Protestant attitude to euthanasia? They believe that assisted suicide, voluntary euthanasia and non-voluntary euthanasia are all wrong. However they believe that all forms of passive euthanasia are acceptable because; The sanctity of life – only God can take life. Murder is forbidden in the Ten Commandments. If a person is brain-dead then it is okay to turn off a life- support machine as that person has already died. If you give painkillers to a dying person in great pain, and they kill the person then this is not murder because your intention was to remove pain, not to kill them (doctrine of double effect) Not giving extraordinary treatment (treatment that puts off death for a short while) is permitted in the Catechism.

42. What is assisted suicide? providing a seriously ill person with the means to commit suicide

43. 2.9 Why do some Christians believe that any form of euthanasia is wrong? This includes the switching off of life support machines, the refusal of treatment or the giving of large doses of pain killers. This is because; The Bible bans suicide. Switching off life-support machines and the refusal of treatment and giving large doses of pain killers all mean that the life is being ended by humans and not by God (sanctity of life). All forms of euthanasia are murder which is banned by the Ten Commandments. Life is sacred and should only be taken by God.

44. What is non-voluntary euthanasia? ending someone's life painlessly when they are unable to ask, but you have good reason for thinking they would want you to do so.

45. 2.9 Why do a few Christians accept euthanasia in certain circumstances? Medical advances mean it is hard to know what God’s wishes about someone’s death are. The teaching of Jesus on loving your neighbour can be used to justify assisting suicide. It is a basic human right to be in control of your own body.

46. 2.10 Why are most Muslims against all forms of euthanasia (including passive euthanasia)? The Qur’an bans suicide and so assisted suicide is wrong. Most Muslims believe that voluntary euthanasia is just the same as assisted suicide. Euthanasia is making yourself equal with God (the sin of Shirk) as only God has the right to take life. Murder is banned by the Qur’an. Muslims believe that life is a test from God. So if people use euthanasia, they are cheating in the test.

47. 2.10 Why do some Muslims consider switching off a life support machine is not euthanasia? Some Muslim lawyers have agreed to life-support machines being switched off when there are no signs of life. If someone is brain-dead, God has already taken their life.

48. 2.11 What does the exam board mean by ‘the media’? All forms of communication including; Newspapers Television Radio Films The internet (The word media is plural) You need to know arguments for and against the media being free to criticise statements made by religion in the media on issues of life and death, abortion, euthanasia, transplants, genetic engineering, cloning and fertility treatments. Please note this means that this section covers issues which are included in the year 10 Religion and Society topics.

49. 2.11 Why should the media not be free to criticise what religions say about matters of life and death. Some people believe that criticising what religions say on matters of life and death is a way of stirring up religious hatred. (example – Catholic church withdrawing support for Amnesty because of abortions for rape victims. This is banned by the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2007. Many religious believers believe the freedom of the press should be limited because of the offence that criticism of religious attitudes can bring. (example – the Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.) Criticising religious leaders can be close to blasphemy. If they criticise the Pope they are criticising the Roman Catholic Church. The last trial on the blasphemy law was in 1977, when a trial judge said that using words that were insulting or abusive/offensive to Christianity was blasphemous libel.

50. 2.11 Why do some people feel that the media should be free to criticise what religions say about matters of life and death. Freedom of expression is a basic human right which is needed for democracy to work. Before people vote they need to know what is going on in the world and in their own country. For this they need a free media, and therefore the media must be free to criticise religious attitudes to matters of life and death.

51. 2.11 Why is it important for the press to be able to criticise religious statements on matters of life and death. If religious leaders use the press to make statements about matters of life and death (as they do on issues such as stem cell research), they must be prepared for the media to criticise these statements. In a multi-faith society such as the UK there must be freedom of religious belief and expression. Therefore the media must be able to question and criticise not only religious beliefs, but also what religions say about life and death issues. Life and death issues are so important to everyone that people want to be able to make up their own minds once they have heard all the different opinions. This could not be done if religions were allowed to put forward views that no one could criticise.

52. 2.11 What did Karl Popper say about freedom of the press? Sir Karl Popper, a twentieth-century philosopher, claimed that the societies with the greatest freedoms for their citizens are the most advanced. This is because progress is made by allowing criticism of all ideas, policies and so on, discovering what is false in them and then putting forward a more correct version. This can only happen if government policies and religious attitudes can be criticised by a free media.