Religious Studies (Unit 1)

Religious

Studies (Unit 1)

- By following by example of your parents, and going with your parents to Church or Mosque.

- By going to a religious school. You will be educated and persuaded into following the specific religion.

- By your community. To feel apart of a particular community, you may follow and practice the religion that everybody else does.

- By going to Sunday school to learn about Jesus, God and the Church. You only understand and can learn about one religion, and one religion only.

1) Numinous experiences:

An outter body experience before death. This makes you feel greater than yourself.

2) Conversion:

A religious vision or sighting, that leads you to believe in God as you may feel chosen to be persuaded.

3) Prayer:

A method to communicate with God. If God "answers their prayers" then they believe he is real.

4) Miracles:

An act of God, which scientifically is impossible. This makes you feel God is real.

- Design is the result of an intelligent thought.

- The universe shows evidence of being designed.

- This suggests that a being with such intelligence, designed the universe.

- This design couldn't of happened by chance.

- The only being intelligent enough to do such a thing, is God.

- Therefore, God exists.

Against:

- The existance of God cannot be proved.

- Evolution could be the cause.

- Nothing happens by itself.

- Everything must be caused by something else.

- The universe couldn't have happened by itself.

- A powerful cause was needed to do so.

- This cause can be no other than God.

- Therefore, God exists.

Against:

- There are other possible causes. For example the Big Bang Theory.

- It cannot be proved.

- If everything has a cause, then what cause God.

Christian views:

- The do not have enough faith that God will answer their prayers.

- They are not answered in the ways in which you expect them to be answered.

- God is not listening to them because of the sins they have commited.

- What they are praying for, is not apart of Gods divine plan.

Christian views:

- God gave people free will, which gives them the ability to do anything.

- It is a test from God, to see whether they deserve to live on in heaven or hell, and is the majority of the say on judgement day.

- It is all apart of God's plan, as he is all knowing.

- It allows Christians to follow Jesus' example in the Bible to live the agreed lifestyle.

- Jesus once told a thief, that he would go to heaven that day.

- Jesus said his father's house has many rooms.

- The Church teaches that all Christians, dead or alive, belong to the Church.

- Paranomal activity proves afterlife.

- After death, the angel of death will take your soul to barzakh (place between death and face of Judgment.

- Allah will judge each individual on how they lived their lifes.

- On judgement day, the body will be resurrected.

- They open the book of records.

- Heaven= If your name is written in the Holy book on the right hand-side

Hell= If your name is written in the Holy book on the left hand-side

For:

- Evidence (nothing)

- Humans are mortal

- Science

- Religion is outdated

For:

- We cannot be sure if life begins at conception.

- In cases of sexual assult or incest, it is the most loving thing to do.

- Medical tech allows us to see problems with foetus' and this is the most loving technique.

- If the mother is at risk.

Against:

- It is viewed as murder.

- Life is a sacred gift from God.

- God has a plan for every human.

- Life begins at conception.

For:

- If the foetus is known to be suffering.

- In the cases of sexual assult or incest.

- If the mothers life is in danger.

- Women should be able to choose what happens to their body.

Against:

- If the parents feel they cannot care for the child.

- Unplanned pregnancy.

- Ensolement.

- Quality of life.

For:
- Quality of life

Against:

- Goes against the sanctity of life.

- Seen as murder.

- Only God has the right to take away someones life.

- Could be used for evil purposes.

AGAINST:

- Human life is sacred because it is given by Allah.

- All human life is valuable, even if a person is suffering.

- Seen as suicide, which is not permitted.

- We shouldn't interfere with Allah's plans.

- Suffering is a test of faith and part of life.

- It is a Muslims duty to care for the elderly and sick.

- Allah decides how long people live.

Christians:

- Bible says sex is for marriage partners.

- Children born outside of marriage have a less stable family life.

- sex unites a married couples.

- adultery breaks the marriage vow made before God.

Muslims:

- Sex should be kept special for marriage.

- Adultery is a sin.

- Main purpose of sex is to have children.

- The ideal marriage partner, is one who loves Allah.

For:

- Jesus allows divorce in the case of adultery.

- Divorced people can sometimes remarry in the Church.

- People make mistakes and this is the test of life.

- God is ready to forgive sins.

Against:

- Divorce is not recognised by the Church because marriage is for life.

- Jesus said divorce is wrong.

- Marriage is a contract with God and this is breaking it.

For:

- Marriage is a contract with Islam, not Allah.

- The Qur'an allows Muslims to divorce.

- Islam has rules in which there are ways of going out divorces.

- Living with hatred and bitterness in the family is worse than divorce.

Against:

- Muhammad did not divorce.

- Muhammad said divorce was the most hated thing by Allah.

- Divorce may damage the lifes of children.

- Divorce shows disrespect for the family.

- The family helps to keep a stable society of mutual respect.

- The Bible teaches that children should honour and respect their parents.

- Parents have the responsibilities to care and teach their children about God.

- The Church is seen as the family of Christians.

- Christian communities can support families.

- Children can attend Sunday school, to be educated about their families faiths.

- The family is where many religious activites take place.

- The family provides a healthy and loving environment for children.

- Family is the first level of community.

- Children are taught to show love, kindness, mercy and compassion to another in the family.

- The mother and father have a responsibility to raise their child as a Muslim.

- There is a worldwide Muslim family called ummah.

Christian:

- Marriage was intended by God to be between a man and a woman.

- Same-sex partners cannot have children naturally which is a purpose of Christian marriage.

- The Bible teaches homosexuality is wrong.

- Homosexuality is seen to undermine the family unit.

Muslim:

- Homosexuality is forbidden in the Qur'an.

- It is punishable by death according to Islamic Shari'ah Laws.

- Homosexuals cannot produce the family life needed in Islam.

- Homosexuality is seen as a threat to the stability of Islamic society.

For:

- The main purpose of marriage is to have children.

- Every sexual act should be open to the possibilities of having a child.

- Sex is a gift from God.

- Contraception could encourage having sex with a number of partners, without commitment.

Against:

- Using contraception is not a sin.

- It can be used for family planning.

- Sex is not just for making a new life.

- If you are in financial difficulty or ill health, its acceptable.

For:

- Muslim authorities allow it, if it preserves the life of the mother.

- Muhammad supported the withdrawal method of contraception.

- It is taught in leaflets and posters for economical reasons.

- All non-permanent methods of contraception are acceptable.

Against:

- Only natural forms of contraception are allowed.

- Permanent methods are forbidden.

- Methods that cause early abortion, are not acceptable.

- Having children is an important part of being a Muslim and this stops it.

Christians:

For:

- "God created men and women in his own image."

- Jesus did not discriminate. He talked and taught to both.

- Women were first to see Jesus at his resurrection.

- The Golden rule.

Against:

- The Bible says women should obey their husbands.

- The Bible says women should be silent in the Church and just listen.

- All Jesus' disciples were men. 

- Women were regarded as inferior because of Adam and Eve (she was sinful).

- Different communities living together.

- Appreciating and valuing differences between people.

- Making strong and positive relationships between people.

- Ensuring equal opportunities for all.

- Sharing a common vision or sense of belonging.

- "Britishness" test, to understand British life.

Christian:

- Throught the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus taught that people follow God's command and love one another.

- The Golden rule.

- They are putting their beliefs into practice.

Muslim:

- Allah created all humans.

- All Muslims come from different parts of the world.

- The Qur'an teaches that no race is better than any other.

- All races are loved by Allah.

- Interfaith marriages= When two members of different religions get married.

- Conversion= One group of religious people try to convert another into their faith.

- Raising children= Within the interfaith marriage (both parents may want their children raised within their own faiths.) This leads to confusion.

- Working together to open discussions and heal divisions between faiths.

- Sharing basic understandings that God created all humans equal.

- Celebrations of festivals and worship with several different faiths present, to show unity and respect.

- Taking active role in the UK society and not being isolated as a faith group.