Making Moral Decisions

Some Christians would prefer to use the

Bible

to make moral decisions because they believe it is the exact word of God, it contains God’s teachings on how to behave and it gives examples of how Jesus lived His life.

The Church has authority because they give advice on moral issues. The Church is the final authority for Catholics because the Pope and bishops have special powers in interpreting what the Bible says.

Conscience is an inner feeling of right and wrong. Some Christians believe it is the voice of God telling Christians what they should do in a moral situation.

Joseph Fletcher said an action is morally right if it produces the most loving outcome!

HUMAN RIGHTS

are important to Christians because Christians believe in justice. Many human rights are a fundamental part of justice and what it is to live in a fair society.

We all have the right…

Christians believe that human rights are important because:

1. They believe in the sanctity of life – all life is holy and belongs to God, and so everyone has the right to life 2.People are made in the image of God and so belong to one human family who should be treated with equality and dignity. Not to be tortured, to be free, to a fair trial, to an education,

CHRISTIANS FOR GE:

Jesus healed people. Christians should follow his example to cure diseases; Creating cells for research is not the same as creating people. Therefore scientists are not

playing God

; Embryos are not regarded as human beings until they are 14 days old and may therefore be used for research.

to own property, to participate in free elections.

CHRISTIANS AGAINST GE:

Some Christians Genetic engineering is finding out which genes cause diseases, such as muscular dystrophy, and then working out how the genes can be changed (often by cloning) so that the disease does not develop. Some people are in favour of genetic research because it can lead to cures for dreadful diseases. However, some people are against genetic research because they think the likely effects are not really known.

oppose all forms of genetic engineering as they believe it is playing God.

The Bible tells us about our moral duty

It is cells that are cloned not people

8.1

Most Christians

believe that they should take part in electoral and democratic processes to make society more Christian. They are guided by

Christian teachings

such as:

The Golden Rule,

which says Christians should treat other people in the way they would like to be treated;

The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats,

which says that Christians should help the homeless, the sick, the hungry;

The story of Cain and Abel, which tells

Christians that they are responsible for the rights of others.

GLOBAL WARMING

Scientists have claimed that the rise in temperatures will melt the ice-caps, causing a rise in sea level, resulting in coastal areas disappearing under water. The Earth is warmer than it has been for over a thousand years.

Natural climate Change

Some scientists claim that the Earth’s climate has always been changing. They say that in the last 10,000 years the warmest periods happened well before humans started to produce large amounts of carbon dioxide.

Solar activity

Some scientists believe that changes in the Earth’s temperature are caused by the amount of radiation coming from the Sun.

The Greenhouse Effect

The burning of fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide, which produces a barrier in the atmosphere so heat from the sun can get through but it cannot get back out again. This causes the Earth’s temperature to rise.

P O L L U T I O N Acid Rain Human Waste Eutrophication Radioactive Pollution

Stop using fossil fuels Recycle, and don’t litter Manufacturers to use less chemicals Don’t dump nuclear waste

SOLUTIONS Christians

believe that God gave humans the

stewardship

of the Earth and its resources. The Bible tells Christians that they have a responsibility to the Earth.

Islam

teaches that God created humans as his

stewards of the Earth.

He showed people how to look after the Earth in the Qur’an. Life is a test and God will judge Muslims on how well they have looked after the world.

8.2

Infertility is when a couple cannot have a baby.

There are now several medical treatments that can help infertile couples have babies, such as: IVF, artificial insemination, egg and embryo donation.

Catholics

believe life is given by God, and not every one has a

right

to have children.

Every Sperm is Sacred. Other Christians

allow IVF and AIH.

Islam

allows IVF and AIH because they only involve the husband and wife.

Islam does not allow any other forms of fertility treatment

because they cause problems concerning the identity of the parents.

Natural resources

are naturally occurring materials, such as oil and fertile land. Natural resources can be divided into two groups – those that can be used again and again, known as renewable resources e.g. solar power, and those that when they are gone they are gone for good, known as non-renewable resources e.g.

oil.

Transplant surgery

is using healthy organs from a donor to replace a dying organ in a patient. It is important because it can give life to dying people and it brings life out of death.

The UN was formed

in 1945

after the end of the Second World War. The aim of the UN was to preserve world peace and to remove the causes of conflict by encouraging economic, social, educational and cultural progress throughout the world, especially underdeveloped countries.

Pax Christi

Religious Organisations Like

Pax Christi

are working for world peace in all the world’s religions.They try to promote peace by:

Going to war zones and supporting efforts to stop the war; Organising demonstrations against wars; Educating people about the need For world peace.

8.3

The

just war theory

is the idea that it is right to go to war if the reasons are just. For example, it has been agreed to by the UN, or it is being fought in self-defence.

Christian Pacifism

Pacifism means refusing to fight in wars.

The UN is important for world peace as they can recommend action to stop any threats to world peace by: •

Imposing sanctions

•

Authorising force

•

Sending in peacekeepers Muslims

believe in peace, but Islam teaches that if faith is attacked, Muslims must defend their faith by fighting a jihad (a just war fought in a just way). They believe this because it is taught in the Qur’an, which they believe is the word of God

Bullying is when stronger people pick on weak people to make their lives miserable.

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Children don’t want to take part in their parents’ religion Children want to marry a person of a different faith Children become more religious than there parents Disagreement over moral issues.

Religious Conflict

Christians are against bullying because it is the duty of Christians to protect the innocent and it is sinful for Christians to use violence without a cause. Parable of the

Sheep and the Goat

says “

Whatever you do for my brothers you do for me” -Jesus