Life and Death

• God created the world and everything in it ex nihilo (from nothing)
• Chapters 1 and 2 of Book of Genesis narrate the Creation Story. God created all things through his Own Divine word alone.
• a literal understanding of Genesis:

  • factual account. (example: Adam was made out of clay)
  • do not accept scientific theories like the Big Bang and Theory of Evolution
  • often referred to as Creationism (Young Earth - 7 24 hour periods, less than 10,000 years ago) (Old Earth - 7 days are actually long periods of time over millions of years)
• non-literal understanding of Genesis:

  • writing in 'myth genre' that sets out basic truths about God and the purpose of human life.
  • accept scientific theories
  • Theistic Guided Evolution: world began with the Big Bang and life began through evolution, but these processes were guided by the direct intervention of God.
  • Natural Law: God put down these laws of nature before the universe existed.
• liberal christians believe Genesis explains WHY and science explains HOW
• basic truths about God are:

  • God alone created the world out of nothing
  • God made humans in His Own Divine Image to be his friends
  • God gave humans souls and free will
  • God gave the world and its creatures in stewardship to humans
• cosmology - study of the origins of the universe
• The Big Bang theory: universe began from a singularity (infinitely tiny point of matter)
• support for the Big Bang theory:

  • discovery of background radiation
  • Stephen Hawking discovered that the universe is expanding and that this can be traced back to the Big Bang. 'An expanding universe does not preclude a creator, but it does place limits on when he might have carried out his job.'
  • scientists say it is just a brute fact.
• criticism for the Big Bang theory:

  • it is a theory - no absolute proof
  • questions like where did the singularity come from? why did it expand?
  • Professor Fred Hoyle: 'the chances of a single cell emerging by random chance was as likely as a tornado sweeping through a junkyard and assembling a Boeing 747'
• many scientists say we just don't know the answers to everything, but in time we will. This could be seen as similar to the idea of God being a Divine Mystery
• Theory of Evolution - 1859:

  • Charles Darwin published the 'Origin of Species' and proposed the idea of natural selection and species evolving over thousands of years to adapt better to their environment.
  • does not have a controlling intelligence or sense of purpose
• Richard Dawkins is a modern supporter of Darwin's theory. Published 'The Selfish Gene' in 1989. said the human body is just a survival suit for our genes. we only do what our genes tell us - no real free will. so nobody is responsible for their actions - good or bad. Also said that the closer scientists come to an understanding about the universe, the less religion is needed.
• Dawkins said the world gives off the illusion of being designed, but it wasn't.
• Intelligent Design - Michael Behe

  • the view that the existence of the universe and the features of different things within the universe are best explained if it is accepted that there is an intelligent being who designed it all.
  • proposed as a scientific theory
  • claims there are serious flaws in Darwin's theory, and trying to a better, more complicated explanation is useless - it is better to just accept there is an intelligent designer.
• Behe published 'Darwin's Black Box' which says we now have modern technology Darwin didn't have, and can now find significant flaws.
• Irreducible Complexity - Behe

  • for something to evolve it needs all its functioning parts to begin with.
  • example of a mousetrap - needs all its simple parts to work.
  • even Darwin wrote about the eye and the problems it created for his theory
  • Behe said that life at a molecular level is so complex it could not have come about by small incremental changes like Darwin suggested. While there is good evidence that the human eye has evolved from less complex eyes, the fact remains that it has the functioning parts in the first place
• Humanist attitudes to creation:

  • we can understand the world through science, not religious texts or ideas.
  • evolution can help us understand the way species are related to each other.
• Humans for a Better World:

  • 2011
  • aims to create networks for humanists to share ideas about the need to be active in campaigning on issues like peace, climate change, and conflict.
  • emphasis on personal responsibility
• Albert Einstein said 'the more I study science, the more I believe in God'. and 'science without religion is lame and religion without science is blind.'
• a steward is a caretaker. they are responsible for looking after someone's property while that person is not present. Humans were given that caretaking role by God.
• Christians believe that humanity has stewardship of the world because God gave Adam and Eve the task of guarding and protecting the Earth in Genesis. 'cultivate and guard it'. 'I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.'
• God gave humanity the job of being careful stewards of the environment. Psalm 24 says the Earth is the Lord's. Therefore we are the caretakers of God's earth.
• exploitation is when something or someone is used and abused without due consideration for it/them.
• Some people would argue that humanity has misunderstood its stewardship role because of how some words in Genesis were translated. For example, 'and bring it under their control' was translated with the word 'dominion', which is linked with being kings, lords, and rulers over something. Therefore people may have gotten the impression that we can use the world to our advantage because we are the rulers of it.
• Most people say that the reason humans have exploited the world is human stupidity and greed, not the words of Genesis
• environmental sustainability - using natural resources in a responsible way to allow that resource time to replenish itself. For example, sustainable cod fishing around the British Isle.
• Global Citizenship - the idea that humans should consider themselves as part of the 'world community' not just their local/national community. For example, the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest impacts the rest of the world.
• each individual person has responsibility for the planet. Everyone can ensure they do their part to be good stewards of this planet.
• Humanist attitudes to stewardship:

  • try to base their thinking on reasoning and evidence, and reject any ideas that rely on belief of a supernatural being or God.
  • most humans agree with the idea of stewardship, they say we have a responsibility to work for a more sustainable world.
  • they believe this because it makes sense, not because a God entrusted us with the duty
• God created every living thing and therefore everything that lives is God's Creation or God's Creature and therefore deserves the maximum of respect and dignity.
• God made humans and humans alone is his Own Divine Image, and put his own Spirit into Adam. Therefore only humans are special because they have souls. God gave humans freewill and created them to have a relationship with him. Human life is sacred and a gift from God. Animals are God's creatures but have no soul made in God's Divine Image.
• Humanists believe human life is special because we only live one life, not because the value of human life comes from God. They also believe that one of the central purposes of life is to make ourselves and others around us as happy as possible. Human life is importance because it is our opportunity to help others through compassion and kindness.
• Peter Singer is an atheist and believes in utilitarianism. he believes that animals should be worthy of the same respect given to humans - anyone who disagrees is 'speciesist'.
• Peter Singer compares the mental capabilities of a chimpanzee with that of a human who has some form of mental incapacity. He says that if a choice had to be made between experimenting on a clever chimpanzee and a human with poor mental capacities, the human should be used as a test subject.
• Peter Singer does not believe in the sanctity of life which means that human life is unique and special.
• Religious believers like Christians believe human life is more precious than animals because of sanctity of life, which says that humans are all created in God's Divine Image, which makes us sacred. Animals are God's Creatures and still deserve respect though.
• the idea that human life is precious will lead people to think about the quality of someone's life instead of just trying to keep them alive
• quality of life - the extent to which life is meaningful and pleasurable.
• the concept of quality of life is very subjective, so measuring it is difficult.