Religious Teachings

Christian Teachings on Religion and Early Life:

Roman Catholic Church:-Absolute Pro-Life

• Abortion is NEVER acceptable-evil- life begins at conception so abortion=murder and 10 commandments- 'DO NOT MURDER'
• "For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb" Psalm 139 v13
• "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart" Jeremiah 1 v5
• "God created man in his own image"
• "The unborn human being's right to live is one of the inalienable human rights" Pope John Paul II
• RC church sees adoption and fostering as acceptable alternatives

NOT ALL CHRISTIANS FEEL THE SAME WAY: David Steel (MP) proposed legalised abortion in 1967. Some Christians have a pro-choice approach- extending feelings of compassion to the woman.

Protestant Church- Moderate Pro-Choice:

Abortion is wrong but it is sometimes acceptable for compassionate reasons

• "The lesser of two evils"- for example severe fetal disability 
• Quality of life is considered over sanctity of life
• Christians should "Love their neighbour" and show compassion and empathy towards others.
• Abortion is allowed when the mother's life is in danger
• Abortion should be considered a "last resort"

Concerned over the number of abortions which occur and oppose abortion on demand.

Some Evangelical Christians:

Abortion is NEVER acceptable- Particularly evident in the USA abortion debate

A minority of Christians would be moderate pro-choice and very few would be absolute pro-choice

Christian Teachings:

• "Do not ill-treat foreigners who are living in your land" Leviticus 19 v33
• "Love your Neighbour"
• "There is neither Jew Nor Greek, Slave nor Free, Male nor Female for you are all one in Christ Jesus" Galatians 3 v28
• Humans are created equally in the "image of God" Genesis 1 v26
• Jesus healed anyone regardless of race, gender or any other elements that may have led to them being socially outcast- e.g.- a Roman Centurion, Mary and Martha and Lepers.

Christian Teachings in Action:

Martin Luther King- Baptist minister who campaigned in a non-violent way against racial segregation in the USA during the 1950s and 1960s

Desmond Tutu: Archbishop of Capetown who used non-violent methods of campaigning against Apartheid in South Africa 

Controversial Christian Attitudes to Prejudice:

Some Christian denominations do have controversial attitudes to prejudicial issues such as the role of women and the status of homosexual relationships

• The Roman Catholic Church does not accept women as priests and does not view homosexual relationships as legitimate.
• Some may argue that their is evidence of prejudice within the bible for example:
  • Eve was the first to give into temptation in the garden of Eden
  • Women were not allowed to be educated

Other Religion's views on Prejudice:

Islam: "Of His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your tongues and colours"

 Hinduism:  "Do not do to another what you do not like to be done to yourself; that is the gist of the law - all other laws are variable."

Christian Attitudes to War:

• "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called Sons of God" Matthew 5 v9 
• "If someone slaps you on the right cheek offer him the left one also" Matthew 5 v38-9
• "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" Matthew 5 v44
• Jesus didn't physically resist and said "all who draw the sword will die by the sword" Matthew 26 v52
• Jesus went into a temple, overturned tables and drove out all who were selling and exchanging money in there- supports righteous anger when necessary
• Quakers are a group of Christians who are absolute pacifists

Holy Wars:

A holy war is a war which is fought to impose a religious view on another country or group of people. E.g.- the Crusades

Christian attitudes to Animal Rights:

• "let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth" Genesis 1.26- Some have interpreted this as Dominion- Complete power and explotation of animals for human benefit while others have interpreted this as implying humans have a duty of stewardship- to take responsibility and care for the animals
• Sancity of life- all God given life is sacred (doesn't always apply to animals)

Hinduism and Buddhism:

• ALL life is connected and dependent on each other
  • Ahimsa: principle of not harming any living being
  • Karma: Your actions lead to the success of your reincarnation

Judaism and Islam:

• Similar to Christianity but neither eat pigs and both have specifically slaughtered meats Kosher and Halal respectively

Christian Teachings:

• "Let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth" Genesis 1.26
• "The Earth is the Lord's and everything in it" Psalm 24 v1
• MOST Christians believe that God intended for them to be the stewards of the planet and there are verses to support this e.g.- "Do not destroy trees"- Deuteronomy 20
• Believe that we are accountable to God for any damage done to his planet. God gave us free will and we should use it to make the correct choices.
• Climate change is a result of greed and sinfulness- good stewardship and compassion are required to begin to remedy the issue.
• In Genesis the Garden of Eden was created as perfect by God.
• Pollution is poor stewardship and goes against the teaching "love your neighbour"
• Christians also have concern over the unfair and unequal usage of natural resources and believe it is our responsibility to sustain them for future generations.