The Right to Life

Bible teachings
You shall not murder
You shall love your neighbour as yourself
If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments
Before I was born the Lord called me
Before you were born I set you apart
Your eyes saw my unformed body
There is no God besides me, I put to death and I bring life

Abortion the deliberate termination of a pregnancy, usually before 24 weeks.

Pro-choice arguments

Pro-life arguments

Women can choose what happens to their body

Unsafe abortions - without legalised abortions
there would be a rise in backstreet abortions
Incapable mother
Mothers health - mothers life prioritised
Compassionate killing disabled embryos

Every human being has the right to life

Life is sacred

Single mothers/financial difficulties.

Free will

A human is created from conception

No line you can draw, such as 24 weeks
The embryo can feel pain during abortion and
suffers
Abortion isnt pain free, mother may experience
emotional difficulties after.
Why kill an innocent being for the sake of others
actions?

Alternatives to abortion
-Financial and social support from the church community
-The church can give counselling
-Accepting single mothers into church life
-Offering fostering and provision temporarily
-Adoption in extreme cases

Euthanasia

Inducing a painless death, with compassion, to ease suffering. Some see it as a

mercy killing whilst others see it as taking of a life.
The UK LAW allows strong painkillers, even if they end life sooner. And withdrawing medical
treatment if they judge recovery is not possible.
-Voluntary euthanasia when a terminally ill person asks a doctor or a fiend to help them die
peacefully. Can be known as assisted suicide
Christian Responses Christians are against taking a life, but Jesus came to heal the sick.
Many Christians accept that suffering is being a part of Christ.
-Involuntary Euthanasia when a persons wishes cannot be given, e.g. being in a coma. Someone else
needs to decide to end their life.
Christian responses Some Christians argue that removing water/food is the same as
killing. It also may kill people against their will. Some believe that when a person is brain
dead, it is more compassionate to allow the family to begin their grieving process and
remove them from a life support machine.
-Active Euthanasia - The ending of a life by a deliberate action, e.g. a fatal injection
-Passive Euthanasia Allowing a terminally ill person to die by withdrawing medical treatments which
would only pro-long the suffering.
Christian responses to active and passive euthanasia
-Interests of others guilt?
- Morality of action and inaction. do not murder and love thy neighbour moral
behaviour is also about what we dont do.
-Limits of mercy. Many Christians realize that with medical treatments, there comes a point
where any more does more harm than good, excessive treatments should not be given.
Double effect rule of extra strong painkillers, is compassionate.

Self Determination

Refers to the right to make decisions for one self in life. It is an argument
used by those who agree with voluntary Euthanasia.

Christians For

Christians against

Life is sacred there should be quality to it

Free will
Sometimes pain is so severe that live is
indistinguishable from torture

Only God has the right to take away a life

Human suffering brings you closer to Christ
Involves a third party.

Hospices

special places, which people go to, to die with dignity. assisted living not dying
Many Christians would argue that the work of the hospice movement is a much better example of a
Christian response to the terminally ill than euthanasia. This is because the hospice movement
-Emphasises compassionate care with expert pain relief
-Emphasises healing, physically and spiritually
-Emphasises valuing the person and every movement of their lives.
-See the end of your life as important
-Dying with dignity
-Care is not just medical, but emotional, spiritual and psychological.

The use of medical technology

Be fruitful and increase in number
Children are a reward from him
Go forth and multiply
Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive
Abraham and Sarah and Hagar

AI artificial insemination. Sperm medically inserted to assist pregnancy

AIH By husband
AID By donor
Christian Responses:
All forms are wrong
-Children are a gift from God
-New life should be the fruit of a marriage
-Technology makes it unnatural
AIH is moral
-Church of England teaches it is helping a loving, married couple to have children. However it is wrong
with donor sperm.
-correcting nature
AID is moral
-Can be used in certain circumstances E.g. due to genetic diseases
-A parent may want a child biologically related rather than adopted.

IVF A scientific method of making a woman pregnant, which does not involve sex. Conception occurs
in a test tube.

For

Against

Couples have the right to try for children. Humans

are made with the ability to reproduce
Infertility is like an illness
IVF is using science to correct Gods plan Go forth
and multiply
If no embryos are destroyed there is nothing
wrong with IVF.

Children are a gift, not a right

IVF may involve the destruction of new life
New life should only come from natural love,
between a Husband and wife.
There are many children in need of adoption.

Surrogacy

A form of fertility treatment whereby a womans egg is artificially fertilised by sperm,

and is then implanted into a host woman who carries the pregnancy to full term, and then gives back
the baby.

For

Against

Abraham and Sarah had a child through Hagar

Christians should use their gifts to help others.

Undermines the right of a child to be conceived

Interrupts Gods plans
Can cause inner conflict and emotional damage to
a child and the parents.

Hybrid embryo A mixture of both human and animal tissue.

Against Embryo research

For embryo research

Should be treated sacredly

The embryo is important, but hasnt got the same

rights as a human being. So research up to 14
days is acceptable
It could bring medical cures. When nature goes
wrong it should be corrected with scientific gifts.

Taking innocent life is wrong

Christians should take care of the weak who
cannot protect themselves
Wrong to tamper with Gods plan for nature
God made humans in his own image. Mixing them
with animals degrades the image of God

Stem cell cloning (Therapeutic) Cloning embryos for research, used to develop cures for diseases.

For

Against

Saves lives
Human life only needs be protected after
conception
They arent unique
Defies the way God makes each of us.

Chooses one life over another.

Babies should be formed from love
Children have the right to two biological parents
Could lead to a master race

Somatic cell therapy Uses adult stem cells instead of embryos. Gene therapy can be used to treat
diseases.

Designer babies
For

Against

Morally acceptable when it comes to making the

baby healthy
Some people cannot have children without one
dying after another due to illness. Christians would
support a technique which enabled children to
grow full term, and allow their parents to watch
them grow up.

Maybe involve selection of embryos which have

the right features. Some may be destroyed
The test itself could damage the foetus

Shows an unhealthy search for the perfect child

The disabled community may feel devalued
The rich may become a better species
Children are gifts from God only

Saviour siblings
For

Against

No different to other kinds of blood/organ

donation. After all, Jesus healed the sick
Saves one life and creates another
Parents have children for all kinds of reasons

Embryos are discarded

Not valuing the baby for what it is
May be emotionally damaged when they are older

Personal responsibility

Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman. That is detestable
And for this reason a man will leave his mother and father to be united with his wife
Each of you should learn to control your body in a way that is holy and honourable
Flee from sexual immorality
The body is a temple of the holy spirit
You shall not commit adultery
Go and sin no more Woman caught in adultery
Be fruitful
Avoid every kind of evil
Do not get drunk on wine

Christian responses to HETERO sexuality

Christian responses to HOMO sexuality

Part of Gods plan for men and women in the world

Jesus performed a miracle at a wedding
approving of men and women together
Sexual relationship between a man and a woman
should be committed, faithful and loving
It is the way God intended for new life to be
brought into the world
Gives different family roles

Goes against Gods plan, and is the result of a sin

God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve

Chastitity

Being homosexual is not sinful, but sex is only for

married men and women.
RC Church calls for homosexual couples to remain
celibate
Church of England welcomes couples who cannot
remain celibate into church lives
Bible texts may be misinterpreted. Loving
homosexual relationships are just the same as
loving heterosexual relationships.

Sexual purity. Not having sex before marriage

Contraception - the artificial and chemical methods used to prevent a pregnancy taking place
-Artificial, natural & Emergency
Christian responses to contraception
Church of England it is morally acceptable for a Christian to have sex for means other than child
bearing
Roman Catholic church Opposed to artificial contraception. Love making is about making new life
as well as expressing love.
Any use of artificial contraception is a sin because the couple are not being open to new life, thus
preventing Gods plan.
Others believe that Emergency contraception is only wrong because it actively prevents a potential life
from being born.

Drugs
Stimulants Affect the central nervous system.

Depressants Include alcohol and sniff able

E.g. tobacco and caffeine. Can lead to anxiety,

paranoia, and nervousness in high doses.
Analgesics Painkillers. E.g. Heroin. Can give a
sense of warmth and happiness.

substances. They reduce brain activity, relieve

tension or anxiety and promote relaxation.
Hallucinogens- e.g. cannabis and LSD. May
distort perceptions.

Christian beliefs about drug use

-Alcohol Eucharistic wine. Methodist churches use non-alcoholic. Pentecost church
believes wine must be avoided for fear of sinning.
Members of the Salvation army promise not to use alcohol for full membership. Others may
consume it in moderation.
-Other drugs Instead, be filled with the spirit
The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage onto human health and life Catechism 2291

Effects on the Individual

-Addiction
-Quality of life diminished
-Health problems
-Financial issues

Effects on the family

-Violence
-Parents may neglect kids
-May steal
-Smoking affects health of
others
- Pregnant women damage
the baby

How Christians can help drug addicts

-Support for the families
-Counselling
-Rehabilitation clinics
-Donating money to funds
-Forgive them
-Pray for them
-Include them in society

Effects on society
-Smoking causes deaths
-Money on rehabilitation
-Crime harms others
-Lack of respect for the
members of the community
-Gang culture

Social Responsibility
They should love each other as Christ loves the church
The wifes body does not belong to her alone, but also to her husband
The two will become one flesh
Honour your father and your mother
Show respect for the elderly
Listen to your father, and do not despise your mother
You are all one in Christ
Parable of the good Samaritan

Marriage - A legal union between a man and a woman

Christian views on marriage
-Lifelong, faithful love
-Support and comfort one another
-Their love between each other should reflect the love of God
-The place for bringing up children
-Joyful and sharing
-Church of England = marriage provides the proper context for sexual relationships and the upbringing
of children...around which other relationships grow
Civil Marriage a short ceremony in a registry office or an approved building. Must be two witnesses
who sign the register saying I do solemnly declare that I know not of any unlawful impediment why
I...must not be joined in holy matrimony to...

Marriage ceremony
Everyone Will Discuss Very Easy Parties Before Revising Stuff
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Entrance Bride & father

Welcome the priest welcomes everyone and reads what Christians believe about marriage
Declaration
Vows to have an to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in
sickness, and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part
Exchange of rings
Proclamation Priest announces they are husband and wife
Blessing prayers are said for the couples
Readings appropriate readings from the bible
Signing of the register a legal requirement

Cohabitation a couple living together in a sexual relationship outside of a marriage

For

Against

Church of England Marriage is best but

cohabitating couples should be protected

Greek orthodox is opposed to it because it

disapproves of any recognition of a relationship
outside a marriage
Outside of marriage constitutes a grave sin
Catechism
No commitment

Marriage is based on relationship not marriage

Some families may be opposed

Civil partnerships
For

Against

God cares for everyone anyway

A threat to Christian marriage marriage is based

on natural order men and women.
Church of England not to provide services of
blessings, neither a Christian liturgy. However
some clergymen are prepared to do so.
God made them male and female

Gay people have the same love and

responsibilities
Orientation is a gift

They can have a partnership, but not sex.

Divorce

Legal ending of a marriage

Roman Catholic views - Against

Civil divorce cannot dissolve
anything. Any remarriage is
adultery
Some marriages may be
annulled in circumstance. E.G.
Forced marriage, lack of love.

Church of England It depends

There may be exceptions. E.G
divorce may be the lesser of two
evils when a marriage fails
Not all priests are happy with
accepting divorces, provisions
are made

Others - Methodist
Generally willing to help
divorced. People make mistakes
Christians should reflect the
forgiveness of God
A minister may be unwilling, but
provisions are made.

Prejudice

Unfairly judging someone before the facts are known. Holding biased opinions against
an individual group.

Discrimination To act against someone on the basis of race, gender, colour, religion etc.
Reasons for prejudice and discrimination
-Inequality. Not seeing someone as your kind
-Fear, bad experiences with certain groups
-Ignorance, lack of knowledge
-Upbringing, different beliefs passed down.
How can Christians act on the parable of the good Samaritan?
-Loving your neighbours
-Helping the disadvantaged
-Become involved in how their church can help disadvantaged Christian. E.g. wheelchair ramps.
-Welcome Christians from all backgrounds into the church
-Charity work

Gender

Disability

Protestant churched admit women to leading roles

such as ministers
Others believe men and women have different
roles in the church, and women should not be
leadership
Some Christians believe men are head of the
household wives, be submissive to your
husbands

Some see them as charity cases whilst others

see them as members of the community.
Some Christians try to support families of disabled
children emotionally and spiritually
Giving services with provision for the deaf.

Martin Luther King we must learn to live together as brothers, or we are going to perish together as
fools
Desmond Tutu what does the colour of ones skin tell us that is of any significance about a person.
Nothing of course

Jean Vanier LArche community

-Felt called by God to set up a community in which disabled people and carers could recognise their
unique gifts. He believed communities could change the world
-He formed faith groups, which met up regularly to discuss hopes and difficulties. Believed that when
confronted with human brokenness, people found a God with unlimited love
-Now 130 lArche communities in 30 countries. Based on appreciating each others values.

Global concerns
Let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds in the air, over the livestock, over all the earth...
Let us not love with words or speech, but actions and in truth
Whatever you did for the least o =f your brothers or sisters, you did for me
He will separate the people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats
The poor are the blessed and the kingdom of heaven is theirs
The poor are waiting for justice
Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Give him a net and feed him for a lifetime.

Stewardship

The belief that believers have a duty to look after the environment on behalf of

God

Individual Responses

Community Responses + (Crediton

Methodist church green projects)

Recycling
Insulation
Light bulbs energy efficient and turning things
off
Saving water

Car pooling
Buying local
Projects
Educating people

Kyoto protocol

Aims to reduce greenhouse gases by 5%. Began in 1997. China, USA and India
have not signed. Some argue it cannot go ahead without their participation.
Christian attitudes to earth summits Christian leaders have urged people to respond. Bishops asked
for carbon cuts individually in Lent, and the pope has 2,700 solar panels. Many Christians have become
involved in ecological projects. Other Christians believe that environmental problems are a literal
interpretation of the apocalypse (revelations) rather than averting climate problems Christians should
be prepared for the second coming of Jesus and judgement day.

The 5 basic needs

Food, water, education, health and work.

Causes of poverty
-Environmental problems
-Health
-Conflict
-Corrupt governments
-HIV/AIDS
-Debt
-Unfair trade
-Greed in MEDCS
Fair-trade a method of trade in which the producer receives a fair payment for his or her goods. Non
profit organisation. The producer is paid premium on top of the agreed price, which goes towards
education, healthcare and improvements in the quality of their product.
CAFOD Concerned to promote human justice and development. Involved in both types of aid. Believes
all humans deerve equal respect and that resources need to be shared efficiently. Works in over 50
countries. And raises awareness of the issues faced by developing countries.

Conflict
Blessed are the peacemakers

Human life is sacred and not something to be disposed of

love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also
All who live by the sword will die by the sword
Do not steal
Do not judge or you too will be judged
Causes of war
-Defence of land or religion
-Remove their own government (Civil)
-Greed for land
-To stop mass murdering.

Just War

a war that the Christian churches define as acceptable. They must fit a certain criteria.
Developed by Aquinas and Augustine, and the RC church.
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Just cause
Just intention
Proportionality
Last resort
Chance of success
Legitimate authority

Problems Civil wars where governments hurt their own people and the scale of the weapons.

Pacifism the belief that it is unacceptable to take part in a war and any other form of violence.
Absolute
Relative
Selective/Nuclear
Active engaging in political activity to promote peace.
Quakers conscientious objectors. Reject all forms of violence.

Terrorism

When groups use violence, or the threat of violence to achieve their aims. Rather than
using a democratic process. Used to create fear
Causes
-Sense of not having any poitical influence
-Political, social and economics inequality
-Religious extremism not accepting other views as valid
-Ethnic conflict
Why the majority of Christians oppose terrorism.
-Prevents reconciliation between different people
-Creates problems and suffering and harm
-Life is sacred
-Also important to address both sides of the opposition
Christian Responses to nuclear warfare and proliferation
Church of Ireland Finds them unacceptable
Church of England No justification for the mass suicide of peoples, no matter the religious you are
Methodist Urgent priority, use should be limited.

Crime Breaking the law.

Causes of Crime

Economic

Social

Family

Lack of finance and living in

poverty
Lack of education

Drugs and gang culture

Dysfunctional

Inequality
Lack of family support
Belief that there are no services
Lack of leadership in
communities

Violence
Upbringing

Low placed values on the

individual
Responses Bible quotes. Respect human life.
Punishment

Retribution - To get your own back. Based on an eye for an eye

Reformation To change someones behaviour for the better
Deterrence To serve as a warning to others
Protection To stop the criminal hurting anyone else in society
Prison, Fines, Suspense and community service.

Capital Punishment
For

Against

Permanent
Cheaper
Retribution life for a life

Contradicts right to life

Painful
Some with the death penalty still have high
murder rates
Innocent people may be killed
Emotional for family

Crime stopped
Someone has given up their human rights by
murder
Only the most serious criminal understand the
language of violence

May show less dignity for people in society

There are alternatives

Christian Responses
Catechism 2267 Only if it is the most protective way of defending lives
Catholics opposes the sanctity of life, cannot teach killing is wrong by killing
Southern Baptists church The state has the right to do it to those who have violated certain laws.