Religious education: how we help ourselves

what jesus taught us to do for others and ourselves

It is telling people that they should act towards people in a way that they would want people to cat towards them.

"Do for others what you would want them to do for you" (matthew 7:12)

Advantages

• It is clearly down in writing
• It was inspired by God
• Bibles are easily available for Christians to read and retrieve answers for themselves if they have an ethical problem.

Disadvantages

• The bible is a large book and not that easy to understand
• A christian may not find an example for the same moral problem they are facing
• The Beble was first written down hundreds of years ago, therefore the wording may be misunderstood.

Advantages

• The Church has many centuries of experience and tradition to go by, which keeps Christians united
• Some Christians prefer to seek help from professional clergy
• Clear guidance can be given and Christians don;t have to worry about getting it wrong as they have heard the word of God outloud

Disadvantages

• Some Christians may not have easy access to clergy for the advice
• They may disagree with the Church's ruling
• There is no flexibility

Advantages

• Everybody has a conscience
• There is general agreement about what is right and wrong
• It is easy to consult

Disadvantages

• Some people's conscience may lead them astray
• Some issues are too complicated for people to be sure about what there conscience is telling them
• It is helpful to have outside help rather than just deciding what to do yourself

Advantages

• The rule is simple to apply
• It takes into account all aspects of a situation
• It follows jesus' teachings

Disadvantages

• People may disagree with what is the most loving thing to do in the situation
• Some moral dilemas are too complicated to be solved this way
• It can take too long to weigh everything up when a quick decision is needed