Issues of Life and Death

• Survival of the fittest


  Key feature of Darwin and Dawkins' theory of evolution
• Lucky mutations of genes


  Key feature of Darwin and Dawkins' theory of evolution
• Simple to complex


  Key feature of Darwin and Dawkins' theory of evolution
• Fossil evidence


  Key feature of Darwin and Dawkins' theory of evolution
• Millions of years


  Key feature of Darwin and Dawkins' theory of evolution
• Five key words to sum up Darwin and Dawkins' theory of evolution


  • Survival of the fittest
  • Lucky mutations of genes
  • Simple to complex
  • Fossil evidence
  • Millions of years
• Reasons liberal Christians tolerate abortion


  • Situation ethics-most loving thing to do
  • Update bible-society and the law has accepted it
  • To withhold compassion is a greater evil than abortion. Jesus never withheld compassion
• Reasons Catholic Christians do not allow abortion


  • Humans created in God's image
  • I knit you in your mother's womb
  • If we die, we die to the lord
  • Life starts at conception
  • You shall not kill
• Reasons Buddhists are against abortion


  • Unskilful - from ignorance
  • Bad karma for the baby
  • Goes against first precept
  • Do not wish harm upon another
• Reasons Buddhists support abortion


  • Karuna and metta
  • First precept
  • Mindfulness-be aware of the mother and her situation
• Reasons some liberal Christians tolerate euthanasia


  • Situation ethics-most loving thing to do
  • Treat others as you would like to be treated
  • Love your neighbour
  • To withhold compassion is a greater evil than euthnasia
  • Jesus never withheld compassion and always helped the sick
• Reasons most Christians do not allow euthanasia


  • Humans created in God's image
  • All the days allotted to me are recorded in your book
  • If we die, we die to the lord
  • You shall not kill
  • Your body is a temple of the Holy spirit
• Reasons Buddhists are against euthanasia


  • Unskilful-from ignorance
  • Bad karma for the doctor/patient
  • Goes against first precept
• Reasons Buddhists support euthanasia


  • Karuna and metta
  • First precept
  • Buddha-I teach suffering and the end of suffering
• Reasons Humanists support euthanasia


  • Humans deserve the right to a dignified death
  • The law is unfair-penalises Dr's for trying to end suffering
  • Humans have reason and intelligence and should have the right to choose-no God to choose for them
• Reasons Humanists support abortion


  • Mother's rights are more important-her body
  • Quality of life matters
  • Life is not a creation of God
  • Life begins after conception
  • Must stop back street abortions
• The most loving thing may be not to allow an abortion. Cannot know long term impact on the mother
• Mother's rights not more important if life starts at conception
• Bible is the word of God-should not be updated/ignored (evangelical Christians)
• The most loving may be to allow a person to live and come to terms with their suffering or it may be to allow them to shorten their lives. Euthanasia may not be loving for the Doctors who carry it out and swear an oath to preserve life
• The law is not unfair-it is there to protect the rights of all people involved, not just the dying person who may be coerced otherwise, also doctors and the family
• Reasons Christians believe humans are sacred


  • Humans are made in the image of God
  • I knit you in your mother's womb
  • Your body is a temple of the Holy spirit
  • If we live, we live to the Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord
• Reasons Humanists believe humans are sacred


  • We have reason and intelligence and so can live by a moral code
  • We have a shared humanity and so should always help others to live a good life
• Reasons Christians believe animals are important


  • In Genesis 1, God creates all living beings including life in the water and on the land
  • Animals are a creation of God
  • Isaiah says they will be in the kingdom of God
  • Jesus says to look at the birds of the air "they neither sow nor reap, yet your heavenly father feeds them"
• Evangelical Christians stress passages to do with dominion so animals not so important-not made in the image of God
• Reasons Humanists believe animals are important


  • They have feelings and suffer pain
  • They have preferences e.g. prefer not to feel pain and scream when in pain
  • Singer-we would not exploit a human who lacks reason (severely disabled or a baby) why do we allow exploitation of animals? This is speciesism
• Reasons Buddhists believe animals are important


  • On their journey to nirvana
  • Buddha taught it-First precept-non harm and loving kindness to all living beings
  • 8 fold path-right livelihood, right action and mindfulness all would be linked to not harming animals and being mindful of them
• The Bible rarely teaches about animals so can't be as important as humans e.g.all Jesus' teachings are to do with humans
• Reasons liberal Christians believe in soul immortality, judgement all the time and heaven and hell are not literal places


  • Evidence of near death experiences
  • "today you will be with me in paradise" Jesus to thief so has been judged now
  • Bible needs updating and science shows physical resurrection after death is impossible for the body. Soul immortality is more likely
  • God is loving-would never send someone to a literal hell for eternity
  • Bible is full of symbolism-heaven and hell should be read this way
  • We only live one life
• Reasons evangelical Christians believe the body and soul are resurrected, judgement is at the end of time on faith and heaven and hell are literal places

  • Jesus' tomb was found empty
  • St Paul-we sow a physical body and reap a spiritual body. Spiritual body could be reference to a body
  • Sheep and goats-judged at the end of time
  • Revelations refers to hell as a lake of fire-a place
  • In John's gospel, Jesus says -No one can get to the Father except through me
  • Jesus said "The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?
• Reasons Humanists believe there is no life after death

  • Science shows that once the brain is dead, it ceases to exist
  • No God to bring about an after life
  • They are materialists i.e we are just a physical being, nothing more-no soul
• Jesus' tomb may have been empty because his body was stolen
• No evidence that we are just a physical being. A soul is not something that could be tested
• Revelations-lake of fire may not have been intended to be read literally but symbolically (liberal)
• Four features of a Christian funeral and what they stand for

  • Before Death a priest will give the last rites and confession-allows the person to ask for forgiveness and to be atoned
  • Candles are lit-to show the hope in Jesus' resurrection
  • Readings-"I am the resurrection.." reminder that Jesus died and resurrected so believers can go to heaven
  • The Lord is my shepherd is read-to show God is by the side of the believer always
  • Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. To show that man was made from dust (Adam) and will return to it
  • Burial so that the body can be reformed in the resurrection. Many now have cremation as they believe in soul immortality instead
• Four features of a humanist funeral and what they stand for

  • Eulogy-remember the person's life as that life was important and had they lived it
  • Non religious readings and poetry-don't believe in the after life and God
  • A personal favourite song/poem-to show the uniqueness of the person who has died
  • Special coffin to show the interests of the person
• Creation in Genesis Chapter 1

  1. God creates from nothing

  2. In 6 days, God separates the light form the dark, heaven from earth, land from sea, sea creatures, then land creatures and finally humans

  3. He rests on the 7th day
• Creation in Genesis Chapter 2

  1. God creates Adam first before the animals

  2. Adam is formed from the dust of the ground

  3. Eve is created from Adam's rib

  4. Adam is commanded not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
• Differences between Genesis 1 and 2

  • In the first account God creates ex nihilo-from nothing but this is not stated in the second account
  • In the first account God looks at what he creates and God saw that it was good. Not mentioned in the second account
  • Adam was created last in Genesis 1 as the pinnacle of creation and given dominion but in Genesis 2 he was created first
  • In the first account Adam is given dominion over creation as he is told to rule the earth but in the second account he names everything and is commanded to till the earth
• Evangelical Christian (young earth creationist) beliefs about the origins of the universe

  • The earth was created by God in 6 days
  • The universe was created 10,000 years ago
  • Humans were created separately from apes in Genesis 1