Religion and Human Experience

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  • Created by: Amy
  • Created on: 19-02-13 11:01

Religious Teachings on Sanctity of Life

Christianity

  • God is interested and involved in each humans life
  • Life is sacred and a gift from God
  • Only God should take life away
  • Jesus showed in his teachings that all life should be valued

Hinduism

  • The soul is present in all species of life
  • Everything that grows and lives is interconnected
  • Where there is life and soul there is atman
  • At death the soul enters another body
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Why is life so special?

  • Cannot create is from nothing
  • Religious scriptures show the importance of creation
  • God has given creatures the ability to reproduce - and every life is special
  • We know so much about bodies and the brain but not much about life
  • Life is precious and a unique thing
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Should people have free will to make life and deat

  • No one should ever make a decision about their own or someone elses life
  • Doctors are the experts
  • Its never "my life" because your life affects friends and family
  • No reason why a clear-minded person shouldnt be allowed to make a decision about their life
  • God created all life so he should decide
  • God gave humans free will, when deciding about life and death you should speak to those around you
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What are the moral issues a couple must consider i

  • Are we abusing technology in the decisions we make?
  • Who can end anothers life?
  • Are we playing God in trying to make these decisions?
  • What do our scriptures teach and how can we be true to that teaching in this situation?
  • What is the best thing for the person whom we are deciding?
  • When does life begin?
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How do believers decide what is right in modern me

  • Pray to seek advice from God
  • Consider effect on you and others around you
  • Discuss the matter with other believers, and experts in the religion or 'issue'
  • Think about the ultimate principles in the religion that will have an impact on the issue
  • Search the sacred texts for references or beliefs
  • Analyse intentions and measure them against other relevant teachings
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How do doctors make eithical decisions?

  • Hippocratic Oath
  • Long-term effects on the patient
  • Effects of the illness and treatment on the family
  • Faiths and beliefs are taken into account
  • 
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What are the dilemmas faced by scientific advancem

  • Dont use a life-machine if the person is totally dependent on it
  • Some surgery and medical treatments arent necessary
  • Drugs need to be tested to make sure they are safe how do we do this?
  • Donating organs raises a lot of issues
  • Sometimes its not right to preserve life - we have to accept our time is up
  • People with strong beliefs may refuse a treatment because it goes against what they believe in
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How does religion help or hinder people making dec

  • Answers through prayer
  • For some modern ethical issues there are no teachings
  • Its difficult to get agreement from people with the same belief
  • Having clear beliefs makes it hard to make a decision
  • Religious teachings and guidance can help people facing a difficult decision
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Does the issue depend on the situation?

  • Every situation is different - never one decision
  • Religious believers will look for teachings to apply
  • The role of utilitarianism - for the greatest good
  • Cant just depend on the situation - ultimate principles too
  • You need to strike a balance between weighing up the situation and following the teachings that matter to you
  • The role of conscience
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Christian views on abortion

  • Sanctity of Life
  • being people in the image of God
  • All life is precious and sacred
  • Ten Commandments
  • Catholic Churches are normally against
  • Other denominations are against abortions for social reasons, accept certain circumstances (mothers life at risk)
  • Many Christians leave the decision to the individual
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What are the rights of the unborn child?

  • Consider to consider rights of mother and child, one sometimes dominates the other
  • God created all life, even that not yet born
  • An unborn child in the period, which abortion is allowed is not fully human so has less rights
  • Some religions see the start of life at the moment of conception - life is precious and sacred
  • Once the moment of conception has taken place the unborn child has rights as any other human being
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Whose choice should it be concerning the issue of

  • God created all life
  • Faith community of the couple may also have a perspective but still leave it up to the couple
  • Only something the mother and father have a decision about
  • Medical reasons
  • Mothers choice - her body
  • Parents and family should be involved in any decision about the child
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Religious Teachings: Euthanasia

Christianity

  • Taking a life is wrong - sanctity of life
  • Life is a gift from God, only he can take it away
  • Death is not the final end, but it a 'doorway' to life after death
  • Suffering can have a purpose

Hinduism

  • Ahimsa (harmlessness) Euthanasia is not acceptable
  • Death is a natural part of life, it will come in time
  • Dharma or duty is importrant in life, and should be followed through
  • Sometimes a 'willed death' for purely selfless motives may be acceptable
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Is it ever right to end someone's life?

  • Only God can decide when a person's life should end.
  • No one should ever make a decision to take another person's life
  • Someone should be able to decide the future of their own life
  • Life is sacred
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Religious Teachings: IVF

Christianity

  • Life is given by God no one else has the right to children
  • Embryo technology is banned becaused it involves throwing away some fertilised eggs, children have a right to know who their parents are
  • But technology is also God's gift although it can be abused to, the cost isnt always justifiable when so many children are starving and it provides happiness to the couple

Hinduism

  • The Law of Manu encourages couples who are infertile to adopt children.
  • IVF is acceptable if the sperm and egg from the husband and wife are used
  • Discarded embryos do not have souls as they are not mature enough
  • Embryo donation is not allowed because caste is passed down through the father
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Is it right to spend so much money on IVF when peo

  • Life is too sacred to place in the hands of human beings
  • Greater quality of life with IVF
  • Importance of families in many traditions
  • Some believe IVF is God given
  • When there are unwanted babies it seems wrong spending so much money on fertility treatments
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