Matters of Life and Death

• Jesus rose from the dead
• St Paul teaches that people will have a spiritual resurrection
• Churches believe in it
• it gives their lives meaning and purpose 
• evidence of the paranormal
• Jesus taught it
• major creeds teach it 

• Have to lead a good life to get in to heaven
• Commandment "Love God" therefore go to Church 
• Commandement "Love your neighbours as yourself" therefore help people in need (christian Aid) 
• Jesus said only those who fed the hungry,clothed the naked,befriended strangers,visited the sick and those in prison was allowed in heaven.
• avoid committing sins

Non religious reasons for believing in life after death:

• Near death experience: when someone is clinically dead and then comes back to life they feel peace of body,floating above the body,seeing a bright light,entering a heavenly place.
• Evidence of reincarnation
• Evidence for a spirit world : contact with spirits and dead people

Why people dont believe in life after death:

• Holy Books contradict each other e.g bible - immortal soul, Quran - resurrection 
• Science shows that everything dies so what could survive 
• there is no place for life after death to take place 
• brought up not to belive in life after death

• when dead people will stay in the grave until the Last day
• raised for final judgement

why : 

• Quran teaches this, it is the word of God 
• believe that life is a test so there must be a life after death
• taught in Hadith

Affect on their lives:

• observe five pillars of Islam
• follow shariah law 
• resurrection means nothing should be removed from the body after death

Abortion can be carried out if

• the mothers life is at risk 
• child will be born handicapped 
• serious effect on family and children
• before 24 weeks of pregnancy

Controversial issue:

• religions believe that life begins at moment of conception
• a baby is not a separate life until it is outside of the mother
• mother can do whatever she wants with the baby
• it shouldn't be carried out by staff they might have conscience of killing a baby

Roman Catholic and Evangelical Protestants believe that abortion is always wrong :

• sanctity of life
• life begins at conception
• murder is banned in the sixth commandment ,abortion is murder
• everyone has the right to life
• the Church says it 
• adoption is better than abortion

Other Protestant disagree with abortion but think you should choose the lesser of the two evils so it should be allowed

• they don't believe that life begins at conception
• if baby is handicapped  
• duty of a Christian to remove suffering
• if killing is allowed in just war then why not in a just abortion

Some Muslims believe abortion shouldn't be allowed because they believe in the sanctity of life:

• only God is allowed to take life
• The Holy Quran says the people should never kill their children

Most Muslims believe abortion should be allowed if the mothers life is at risk:

• death of unborn child is lesser than the death of the mother
• Shariah says that the mothers life must always take priority

Some Muslims allow abortions up to 120 days into pregnancy if there are problems with baby or Mothers health

• Hadith state that after 120 days the foetus gets its soul
• Shariah says that Mothers life must always take priority
• the foetus is not a human so it shouldn't affect the family that much

• Relieving someone from their suffering of a disease that has little quality of life.
• British law euthanasia = murder but withdrawing artificial nutrition and hydration is not.
• withholding treatment from patients with little or no chance of survival is not murder

It should be legal because:

• people are alive because of medical advances but they have a bad quality of life
• life support machines are a form of euthanasia because family can agree to switch it off
• doctors can switch it off
• you should be able to decide if you want to die or stay alive if your in pain.
• Human right = own right about ending life

It should be illegal because:

• there's doubt if the patient wants to a possibility of money involvement
• a cure might be found for the disease
• doctors would take lives not save lives

Some Christians:

• Euthanasia is wrong but Life support machine isn't so extraordinary treatments are wrong because
• sanctity of life
• murder is forbidden
• switching off life machine means God has decided their death
• if you give painkillers its not wrong because your intentions were to relieve them from their pain
• Church teaches no extra ordinary treatments

Some Christians believe:

• Every type of euthanasia is wrong  because
• bible teaches murder is wrong
• switching off life machine means human ending life
• sanctity of life

A few Christians believe limited use of euthanasia is acceptable living wills mean that people can decide,loving your neighbour as yourself means that helping them.

• The media should not be able to criticise what religions say about abortion and genetic engineering because it causes religious hatred.
• They could cause serious offence
• criticising religious leaders is the crime of blasphemy
• their attitudes towards God shouldn't be criticised

Media should be free about what they say:

• freedom of expression
• religious leaders criticise government they should therefore be ready to be criticised about their attitudes
• freedom of religious belief and expression
• Life and death are important issues so everyone should know about that