Religious Studies Matters of Life and Death

Why Christians Believe:

• The resurrection of Jesus proves that there is life after death
• Jesus tells Chrisitians that they will be brought back to life
• St Paul teaches about life after death and how the body will be transformed from a physical body, to a spiritual one when it is raised

How these beliefs affect their lives:

• Living purposeful life, avoiding sin, loving their neighbours, living a meaningful life

Why Muslims believe in life after death:

• The Qur'an and Muhammed state
• it is one of the 6 fundamental beliefs of Islam

How these beliefs affect their lives:

• living a purposeful life, following the Shari'ah law, and following the 5 pillars

Non-religious reasons for believing in life after death:

• Near death experiences
• Existence of the spiritual world
• Reincarntion.. people claim they remember past lives

The case AGAINST:

• Scientific evidence shows that when the body dies, everything decays
• No one has returned from the dead to tell us
• It is illogical to speak about it
• Life support machines show that the brain dies before the body

The Law - 1967 Abortion Act:

• 2 doctors must agree that the mothers life is at risk, or the life of already living children is at risk, or the baby is severely disabled
• Can't take place after 24 weeks of pregnancy

Non-religious arguments in FAVOUR:

• A woman has the right to choose
• A child's quality of life is important
• There are too many people on the planet

Non-religious arguments AGAINST:

• It is a form of murder
• Everyone has the right to be born so they can reach their full potential
• All life has value

Christian teaching:

• Roman Catholics believe that life begins at conception so abortion is murder
• Christian teachings in the sanctity of life means every human has the right to live
• Liberal Christians believe that it is sometimes the most loving thing to do

Muslim teaching:

• Some allow it up to 120 days, this is when Hadith says the baby gets its soul
• Some say it is always wrong because the Qur'an condemns murder
• Some say it is ok if the mothers life is at risk. Shari'ah says her life is more important

Non-religious arguments in FAVOUR:

• Suicide is legal, so why not help someone out
• We put down animals if they are suffering, it is the most humane thing to do
• It is their life, so they should have the choice to end it
• It is not fair for relatives to watch their loved ones dying painfully

Non-religious arguments AGAINST:

• Drugs can be used for pain control
• It is just a fancy word for murder
• Doctors take an oath to save life, so should save people when possible
• People can get better
• Medical science might find a cure for them

Christian Teachings
1. Wrong but do not want people to suffer

• God told us not to kill in the 10 Commandments
• Life is holy, sanctity of life
• Jesus taught Christians to love and cherish life

2. Evangelical Protestants believe it is WRONG in every circumstance

• Bible condemns suicide and they follow it literally
• God says not to kill in the 10 Commandments

3. Liberal Protestants allows LIMITED use of it

• Jesus said 'love thy neighbour' and helping someone die may be the most loving thing

Muslim teachings:

ALL are AGAINST but two attitudes exist...

1. Switching off life support is NOT euthanasia

• if they are brain dead, God has already taken them

2. Switching off life support IS euthanasia

• See it as suicide which is condemned in the Qur'an
• View voluntary euthanasia as suicide as well
• See life as a test, only God can decide when we die

Media should NOT criticise religious beliefs on life after death because:

• Might stir up religious hatred
• Might be offensive to religious believers
• Criticising what the Pope says could be seen as blasphemy
• God is beyond criticism

Media SHOULD be allowed to criticise religious attitudes because:

• A free media is a key part of democracy
• If religions want to be free to say what they like then the media should have that right
• Life and death is an important topic that all people should be made aware of
• Freedom of expression is essential for society to make progres (Karl Popper)

Abortion - the removal of a foetus from the womb before it can survive
Assisited Suicide - providing a seriously ill person with the means to commit suicide
Euthanasia - an easy and gentle death
Heaven - a place of paradise where God rules
Hell - a place of horrors where Satan rules
Immortality of the soul - the idea that the soul lives on after the death of the body
Near-death experience - when someone about to die has an out of body experience
Non-voluntary euthanasia - ending someones life painlessly when you are unable to ask, but have good reason for thinking they would want you to
Paranormal - unexplained things which are thought to have spiritual causes
Purgatory - a place Catholics believe you go to work off sins before going to heaven
Quality of Life - the idea that life must have some benefits to be worth living
Resurrection - the belief that, after death, the body stays in the ground until the end of the world when it is raised
Reincarnation - the belief that after death souls are reborn in a new body
Sanctity of Life - the belief that life is holy and belongs to God