Dialogues

• challenge between church and state

  • Lords spiritual - not representative
  • half of the bank holidays are based on christian festivals
  • school holidays based on christian calendar
• challenge of religion

  • scientific view on the world rejects religious beliefs
  • reason rather than divine authority
  • ethics moved towards human reason
• challenge of secularisation

  • religious teachings and organisations are less respected
  • cohabitation is now a social norm
  • proportion of people who say they belong to a religion has fallen
  • most people have a religious belief but don’t attend church
• challenge of secular laws

  • british law has no religious basis
  • same sex marriage is legal
  • civil marriage is recognised in law
  • divorce is legal
  • arranged marriages are legal
• challenges of medical ethics

  • abortions are legal
  • passive euthanasia is legal
• examples of racism in christianity

  • crusades
  • forced conversion of south americans
  • slave owners
  • kkk
• examples of christian’s who fought against racism

  • martin luther king jr
  • desmond tutu
• arguments against euthanasia

  • doctors should preserve life
  • medical advances give more cures and better care
  • people may choose euthanasia in a poor mental state
  • legalising assisted suicide could be a slippery slope
• christian viewpoint on euthanasia

  the bible says nothing about euthanasia, however all christian’s agree that active euthanasia is wrong as “life is sacred”

  passive euthanasia may be seen as the lesser of two evils
• roman catholic view on euthanasia

  only god can make decisions over life and death, no one should try to hasten death
• church of england view on euthanasia 


  objects to active euthanasia, they want the old and ill to feel valuable to society
• hospices


  founded by christian doctors, they give good palliative care to patients and support family of terminally ill
• catholic view on abortion

  • prolife
  • absolute view
  • abortion should never be allowed
  • foetus is living from conception
  • you mustn’t destroy a god given life
• cofe view on abortion

  • situational view
  • should not be generally acceptable
  • lesser of two evils
• advantages of cloning

  • therapeutic cloning could lead to treatments
  • organ donors
  • plants and animals resistant to disease
  • reverse ageing process
  • protect endangered species
• disadvantages of cloning

  • not natural
  • underlying genetic problems
  • difficult
  • inherits problems of parents
  • devalues human life
• christian view on surrogacy

  objections due to confusion over maternity
• exclusivists

  believe salvation is only possible through faith
• exclusivist quote

  ”no one comes to the father except through me”
• pluralists

  believes in salvation through works as jesus loves all
• pluralist quote

  “there are many rooms in my fathers house”
• ecumenism

  movement to bring unity of christian churches in terms of cooperation in worship and working together to serve humanity
• faith and witness

  making people aware of christian message
• justice and service

  helping promote peace and justice in the world
• communication

  promoting tolerance and knowledge globally
• interfaith dialogue

  reduces tensions that can lead to intolerance, prejudice, and discrimination
• examples of intefaith dialogue

  • council of christian’s and jews
  • interfaith network
  • sharing of the faiths