Religous Studies

 CONVERSION - when your life is changed by giving yourself to God/changing from not believing to believing

FREE WILL - the idea that humans are free to make their own choices

MIRACLE - something which seems to break a law of science and therefore makes you think that only God could have done it

MORAL EVIL - actions done by humans which causes suffering

NATURAL EVIL - things that cause suffering but has nothing to do with humans

PRAYER - an action to contact God usally through words

MORAL EVIL - actions done by humans which causes suffering FrontBack

NATURAL EVIL - things that cause suffering but have nothing to do with humans moral evil  

Prayers - an attempt to contact God usally through words

Conversion - when your life is changed by giving yourself to God e.g gangster to preache because they feel that God is calling them to do something for him therefore it leads to a belief in God

Numinous - when you feel you are in the presence of something greater than yourself they feel god is real "the presence" is real so it leads to a belief in God

Miracle - an event that happens to break the laws of science only God could have done it as it has no explanation so it leads to a belief in God as only he could have done it 

• reading/watching the bible - could convince them that the events are true
• going to church of an independent christian school - taught from a religous viewpoint as being factual
• praying as a family before eating/going to bed - parents wouldnt pray if they thought it wasnt real
• celebrating reeligous festivals as a family - explaining meaning and importance suggests factual events
• going to church or sunday school - worshipping god becomes a naturally acceptable event
• family members telling you about their belife in god - child accepts parents words as truth

Cosmological

St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

• Everything has to come from something. You cannot make something out of nothing.
• Therefore there must have been a ‘First Cause’ that created the ‘something’ (the universe). That First Cause is God.

Teleological

William Paley (1734-1805)

• Because the universe is also ordered and complicated, someone must have designed that too. That 'someone' is GodIf you were walking on a heath and saw a watch on the ground you would assume that its parts had not come together by chance because it is too ordered and complicated. Therefore someone must have designed it or it would not work.

Big Bang - some scientist belive te universe started as a result of a huge concentration of energy causing a massive explosion they call the big bang.Genesis starts by 'let there be light' this culd indicate the big bang. sone see that god caused the Big Bang. The seven day creation may have gone on by a much longer time

Evolution &Natural Selection - Charles Darwin belived in order to survuv, life forms must adapt to their chaning enviroment.Survival of the fittest. Humanity is speacially made to be able to connect spiritually wiht god. A although they would not normally belive i evolution they wouls accept we have developed in skills , thinking and ecven posture.Thy point out that thetre are far too many missing links i the chain of evolutionary theroires to be acceptable

Unanswered Prayers - evidence that ogd doesnt exist or pople would get answers especially ones that are fot the benefit of others in tragic sitauations.Chrisitains say that they are down to our motives or what we are asking for.If Gods answer tot he prayers id not its still a replyGod allows suffereing in the worlds and nature for people to learn and grow ( god cares more on building your character)

Christians say that god gave humanity free will.This means ability and right to choose.If god has not given free will then people would have no choice but to belive and follow Him, which is not trure freedom.

God didnt make people as robots, they can choose to bekive in God, or not they can achoos to do what is rigjt and wrong.

Chritians belive evil is a not a result og god but of chouces humanity makes.For gof to intervene and stop  evil it epuld mean taking abway our free will and imposing His will.

• A program on the Discovery channel has and episode on why evolutions and natarual selection disproves the religous idea of the creation of the world.
• Dawkins uses his program to discredit the religous argument that the univers shows evidence of design and an intellegent designer. The programme being presented by a unvierity professor and produced by the well respected discovery sciecne channel this may convince some people to accept Dawkins argument.
• Some may not see things as a  one sided point of view and be persuaded that there is no God
• the programme 'Jesus the true story' used state of the art computer generated imagery and interviews with respected academics, theologians, sciencts ans archaeologists, along with dramatisations to present a historical portrait of Jesus.
• As the documentary was made by both the BBC and the Discoivery Channel commited to accuracy and unbiased reporting.This may lead to Christians to accept the accury of the bible and lead them to futher beliving in god rather than drifting away.

Sanctity Of Life: the belife that life is holy belongs to/comes from God

Abortion: the removal of a foetus from the womb before it can survive

Quality Of Life: the idea that life must feel like its worth living

Euthsnsisa: ending life painlessly when someone is in great pain requests death

Non Voluntary Ethanasia: ending somes life painlessly in their best intrest when they are incapable of requesting death themselves

Assisted Suicide: helping a seriously ill person to commit suicide

Near-Death Experience: when somone is about to die has an outer body experience

Paranormal: unexplained things which are thought to have spiritual causes e.g ghosts, mediums

Reincarnation: when souls, after death are reborn in a new body

Ressurection: when souls, after death, the body stays in the grave untill the end of the world when it is raised

Immortality Of The Soul: the idea that the soul lives in after death

Life is precious because God gave it, therefore only God can

take it.

'GOD CREATED HUMANS IN HIS IMAGE'

'THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN ANS BREATHED LIFE INTO HIM'

HUMANS ARE MADE LIKE GOS SO WHOEVER SHEDS THE BLOOD OF MAN, BY MAN WILL HIS BLOOD BE SHED'

'DONT YOU KNOW YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO LIVES IN YOU.YOUD DO NOT BELING TO YOURSLEVES BUT TO GOD'

CONCEPTION: when the sperm meets the egg resulting in a pregnancy

HEART BEAT: when the heart tarts to beat around 9 weeks of the pregnancy

VIABLE: when the baby is able to survive outside of the womb.Around 24 weeks of the pregnacny

BIRTH: when the baby is born

It is accptable to turn off life support because the life Allah planned for the person is over if they are brain dead

Euthaniasia is killing and is forbidden in the Qur'an

Only Allah can decide

Hadith shows that any person who ends there life earlier than intended will not go to heaven

Life is a test that should not be ended prematurely

Life is holy and belongs to God

                      Akhirah: Life after death                      Hadith: the sayings of the prophet

                           Al'Jannah: Heaven                              Johannam: Hell      

'Your good actions will benfit you'

'In paradide Allah prepares for the righteous belivers'

After death, the angles of death will take a person's soul to barzakh

two angles will open the book which contains the record of what a person has done in their lifetimem

Allah will judge each indiviual on the way they lived their life

on the day of judgement the body will be ressurrected

If their name is on the right side they will be sent to jannah vice versa

Reasons why atheists belive in life after death

    REINCARNATION ¦ NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE ¦ GHOSTS ¦ MEDIUMS

Some dont because:

• There is no evidence
• When a person dies there body deacays how can they live again?
• The after life is inconsitent with what it means to be human
• There is nowhere for life after death to take place
• When you die you die thats it
• Ther is no sould our personalities come from out brain activity

Agression - attacking without being provoked

Bullying - Frightening people who are weaker than yourself

Conflict Resoultion - bring a fight/struggle to a peacefull conclusion

Forgiveness - stopping blaming somone or/and pardoning them for what they have done wrong

Exploitation - taking advantage of a weaker group

Just War -  a war fought for the right reason in the right way

Pacifism - the belife that all disputes should be settles by peaceful means

Reconcilitaion - bringing people together who were once opposed to each other

Respect - treating a person or their belifes or feeling with consideration and understanding

The United Nations - an internation group of countires set up to promote world peace and understanding

Weapons of Mass Destruction - weapons that can destroy a large area / people

World Peace - the ending of war throughtout the world (aim of the UN)

THE UN

• set up 1945
• 5 permanent members (U.K, CHINA, RUSSIA, USA, FRANCE)

can impose sanctions and authroise the use of force on reigons threating world peace

WAR AND PEACE

• Religous organisations:
• public debate of horros of war
• anti-war protest ans demonstrations
• interfaith confrences
• mainting dialouge about religon and horros of war

Why wars occur:

religon/economics/nationalism/idologies/poltical differences/

• remove form of injustice
• attempt to restore peace
• last resort
• avoid kiling civilians
• remove evil
• resonable chance of sucsses

Christian attitudes to war:

• 'turn the other cheek'
• 'love your enemies'
• 'those who live by sword die by the sword'
• 'thou shall not kill'
• Saint Paul said 'the authoristies that exist have been esabloshed by God
• Jesus never condemned the soliders that he ment

Islamic attitudes to war

• dont belive in pacifism or 'turning the other cheek'
• Greater Jihad - inner struggles
• Lesser  Jihad - struggle with other through war
• Qur'an says muslims must fight if attacked
• Muhammed said muslims must fight just wars
• if a muslims dies in just war they will go straight to heaven

Attitudes to bullying

• 'control your anger then forgive your' 'do not harm your self or others'

Religous conflict within families

• children no longer want to be apart of parents religon
• parents worry they wont go heaven with them or become immoral
• children want to marry outside there faith
• children become more religous than there parents
• disagreement over moral issues

Forgiveness and Reconcillitaion

• Jesus died for our sins
• God forgives those who ask so we should
• All churches teach christians these ideas
• St Paul - 'live peacefully with all men'
• Allah is compassionate to sinners so muslims should also be
• Qur'an says muslims should show forgiveness speake for justice and avoid ignorance
• The Hadith show muhammed forgiving people and reconcilitating after battles
• muslims can only ask Allah for forgiveness if they have been forgiven on earth

• Artifical Insemination - injecting semen into the uterus by art. means
• Conservation - protecting and preserving  natural resources and enviroment
• Creation - the act of creating the universe or the universe that has been created
• Embryo - a fertilsed  egg in the eight weeks after conception
• Global Warming - the increase in the  temperature of the earths atmosphere
• Infertillity - not being able to have children
• In-vitro Fertilization - the method of fertilising a human egg in a test tube
• Natural Resources - Naturally occuring materials such as oil, fertile land
• Organ Donation - giving organs to be used in transplant surgery
• Stewardship - looking after something so it can be passed on to the next generation
• Surrogacy - An arrangment whereby a women bears a child on behalf of another woman

Natural Climate Change:the warmest times in the last 10,000 years have come before humans were burning fossil fuels.Nature produces C02 than we do ie volcanoes and animals

Solar Activity:radiation from the sun is warming the earth beacuse buring fossils fuels doesnt seem to fit with the green house effect theory . the earth got cooler after WW2 when lots of CO2 was released

Forms of pollutions

• acid rain
• human waste
• excessive sewage and rubbish can lead to disease
• recyle more, process waste efficently, use sewage to produce electricity

Eutrophication

• excess nitrates and phosfates in rivers can be caused by fertilisers and sewage can lead to lack of oxygen because theyre are more plants in the water this excess kiss fish and will posion the water supply
• have better sewage treatments and use less nitrates and fertilisers in farming
• radio active polution
• nuclear power stations produce nuclear waste
• nuclear takes thousand of years to become safe and is buried to protect the environment 7
• nuclar waste can cause cancer
• invest in reprocessing nuclear waste and to send it to sellafield to be reprocessed 97% can be reused to produce electricity/energy

Christians will try to

reduce polution and leave the world in a better state then when they found it

try to help ledcs meaning resources are shared fairly

support conservation groups as they know god will judge

it is only by being a responsible steward that a christian can demonstrate obdience to the message of the bible

A Kalifa has responsibilty to be a steward for Allah

being gods kalifa means muslim should try to reduce polution

muslims should help ledcs because the Shriah says that muslims should share resources fairly

The belief in Akhirah and judgment day means that muslims will help to conserve resources, as they want to reach paradise

teachings on the unity and balance of creation means muslims will try to preserve the environment

Why its important:

• 12.5% og UK couples have fertility problems
• 1.5mil men in the UK have fertilly problems
• it is human nature to want children
• childless couples can go into deppresion

Christians

• IVFdiscards some eggs catholis see this as abortion.Mastubration is a sin
• ivf uses gametes from the husband ans wife to the offspring is biologically theres.The purpose of a christian marrage is to have children

Islam

• all married muslims are expected to have children like Muhammed. Offspring is theirs
• donated eggs are not allowed because it doesnt permit child to know ther father which is not allowed
• egg and sperm donation is seen as adultery.

Why its important:

• 12.5% og UK couples have fertility problems
• 1.5mil men in the UK have fertilly problems
• it is human nature to want children
• childless couples can go into deppresion

Christians

• IVFdiscards some eggs catholis see this as abortion.Mastubration is a sin
• ivf uses gametes from the husband ans wife to the offspring is biologically theres.The purpose of a christian marrage is to have children

Islam

• all married muslims are expected to have children like Muhammed. Offspring is theirs
• donated eggs are not allowed because it doesnt permit child to know ther father which is not allowed
• egg and sperm donation is seen as adultery.

Why tranplant surgery is important:

• cures life threatening disease
• save 4000 extra people each year
• 8% more people need it every year
• allows people to help other after death

Christian 

• agree but object to rich buying from poor for money
• immortality of the soul doesnt need all body parts
• 'love thy neighbour'

However some belive:

• The heart is the center of a person and that is who God created
• taking things from the dead can be 'playing God'
• goes against sanctity of life

Islam

• Belief in physical ressurection on the last day.Shari'ah law says you must have all your organs
• Seen as acthing like Allah which is Shirk (most serious sin)

However some agree because:

• some muslim lawyers have said it is acceptable
• aims to do good and not burden people

'EVERY MUSLIM IS A BROTHER TO EVERY MUSLIM'

'ALLAH HAS APPOINTED YOU HIS STEWARD'

'GOD LOVES NOT WASTERS'

Addiction - a recurring compuksion to engage in an activity regardless of its bad effects

Capital Punishment - the death penalty for a crime or offence

Crime - an act against the law

Deterrence - The idea that punishments should go of such a nature that they would put people off from commiting crimes

Judgment - the act of judging people and their actions

Justice - The due allocation of reward and punishment - the maintance of what is right

Law - rules made by Pariliament and enforced by police and courts

Reform - the idea that punishments should ty to change the criminals so that they will not commit crimes again

Rehabilitation - restore to normal life

Responsibility - Being responsible for one's actions

Retribution- the idea that punishment should make criminals pay for what they have done wrong 

Laws:

• in business make sure we are treated and paid fairly
• protect the weak from the strong
• keeps things organised in advanced societies (UK)

the connection between law and injustice

• if law is unjust then people will feel that is right to break it
• if some laws are unjust somepople may think that all laws are unjust
• if laws dont maintain justice people may take the law into their own hands
• if people think the legal system is not working it may lead to a civil war (Kosovo)

Retribution - Punishment in proportion to the crime. i.e killing those that kill.staes that tbe guilty should suffer for what they have done wrong.

Deterrance - the offender should be persuaded not to re-offend due to punishment

Reform - this aims to educate offenders so they gain qualifications and dont have to return to crime

Protection - keep offenders in prison for so long that hen they are released they are no longer a danger

Christian

• 'the Lord is a God of justice'
• Jesus said the rich should share with the poor 'share with everyone who asks you'
• do unto others as you would have them do unto you'

Islam

• Allah commands justice for all
• the last day in concerned with justice
• as khalifas muslims should share the earth resources equally
• islam teaches all people should have equal rights

Atheist argument in favour of C.P

• deter crimes like murder and terrorism
• murderes are a threat to socirty.This should be permantly removed
• the only compensation/retribution for murder is death

Athiest argument against

• innocent people could be wrongly convicted
• countries without ounishment have lower murder rates
• executed terrorists become martys and inspire other to act similarly

Christian  and Islamic attitudes:

• jesus came to reform sinnners.we cant reform the dead
• human life is sacred only god can take it away (sanctity of life)
• jesus banned 'an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth'
• 'turn the other cheek'
•  for murder adultey and apostasy(working against islam) capital punishment is allowed
• C.P is a punishment set down by Allah
• phub himself sentanced people to death
• Shari'ah law lays down the crimes to be perscribed death and all muslims should try to follow this
• Qur'an promotes justice (retribution)
• however some are against this because the Qur'an propagates forgiveness

UK Laws

• tobacco adverts are banned
• supervised under 16s can go anywhere in a pub
• over 16s can have an alcoholic drink with a meal accompaines by an adult
• 18 can purchase and drink alcohol
• class A drugs (ie crack cocaine,cocaine, ecstasy, Heroin) in possesion 7 years in prison and or unlimited fine. Dealing life in prison and /or unlimited fine
• Class B drugs (ritalin, amphetamines) in possesion 5 years in prison and/or unlimited fine.Dealing 14 years and/or unlimited fine
• Class C drugs (cannabis, anabolic steroids some tranquillisers) in possesion 2 years ans/or unlimited fine.Dealing 5 years in prison and/or unlimited prison

Christian Attitudes:

• all against illegal drugs because St Paul said a Christians body is a temple and should not be abused
• drugs have mental affecs which makes it hard to worship God

Some Christians believe alcohol and tabacco are ok if used un moderation because

• jesus' first mircales was turning water into wine
• St Paul said Christians could drink in moderation
• Jesus drank wine at the Last Supper
• Some Christiand practife abstinence
• the bible warns against drunkeness ie Noahs brought shame to him family
• The bible notes alcohol impairs judgment, inflames passion and invites violence

Muslim attitudes:

• Qur'an says satan uses them to keep people from God
• Muhammed calls Khamr (wine) haram
• seen as suicide by Muslims lawyers which is banned
• phub says that a number of times that muslims should have nothing to so with alcohol
• tobacco is said to be makruh (extreamly disliked but not haram)

"IF TWO MEN AMONG YOU COMMIT INDECENCY, PUNISH THEM BOTH"

                  FOR

• sex is an enjoybale past time
• not all people want to get married - may not want to remain celibate
• try it before you buy it
• contraceptioon is available
• expression of love

               AGAINST

• child should b brought up in a secure enviroment
• can be cheapened
• special so it should be saved
• sex is a complex issue and if youb sleep around too much you can get hurt

'YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE'

'DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'

'GOD WANTS YOU TO BE FREE FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY'

Most Christians

• it is wrong
• children born out of wedlock have aless stable family

Some Christians

• the couple love each other
• longterm relationship
• intent on getting married

Other Christians

• cohabitaion is acceptable as it helps couples see if they are compatable
• step towards marriage and children(Christian goal)

'BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY'

• strongly forbidden with serious consequesnces for those who break the law.It is seen as a crime against the whole community
• boys and girls no longer mix after puberty
• unmarriege people should not induldge in pre-marital intimacy
• all muslims must dress mudestly

when husband and wife share initmacy is it rewarded and is a blessing from Allah.

ADULTERY can lead to the break up of a family unit and children havethe right ti be brought up in a stable home with perants

MUSLIMS ARE EXPCECTED TO MARRY BECAUSE:

• Muhammed was married
• marriage increases the value of ones prayer and bring blessing form God
• sexual desire is natural and God given and should not be suppresed 
• spread the muslim faith
• some muslims have arranged marriages for their family

• strongly forbidden with serious consequesnces for those who break the law.It is seen as a crime against the whole community
• boys and girls no longer mix after puberty
• unmarriege people should not induldge in pre-marital intimacy
• all muslims must dress mudestly

when husband and wife share initmacy is it rewarded and is a blessing from Allah.

ADULTERY can lead to the break up of a family unit and children havethe right ti be brought up in a stable home with perants

MUSLIMS ARE EXPCECTED TO MARRY BECAUSE:

• Muhammed was married
• marriage increases the value of ones prayer and bring blessing form God
• sexual desire is natural and God given and should not be suppresed 
• spread the muslim faith
• some muslims have arranged marriages for their family

MUSLIM PROCESS FOR DIVORCE

the husband says i divource you

(IDAHH BEGINS)the couple go for counselling at the mosque

if they are expexting a baby the marriage is postponed as the baby may change there minds

the husband is still unhappy (Iddah ends) abd sauys i divorce you the couple are then officaly divorces

'THE MOST HATED THING ALLOWED'