MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH

• Matters of Life and Death

  Origins of the Universe

  • Creation- God created the Universe in 6 days, rested on the 7th,

  God said ' let there be light '

  • Big Bang- Universe began in an explosion of matter and energy

  which became stars, planets - evident because the Universe is still expanding (seen with telescopes)

  • Design- A Christian response to Big Bang theory - the explosion did

  happen, however it was perfected by God to sustain human life (e.g. gravity)
• Matters of Life and Death

  Origins of Human Life

  • Evolution- Charles Darwin argues that life evolves from single cells

  over millions of years, humans evolved from apes not Adam and Eve

  • Christian response to Evolution- God created everyone in his own

  image - claims that there is a lack of evidence because fossils don't show the full evolution process - they believe the Bible gives a literal account for what happened
• Matters of Life and Death

  Sanctity of Life

  • Reasons- life is holy and sacred, a miracle God gifted, therefore

  Christians should appreciate life by not taking it

  • Exceptions- Christians can participate in wars (Just War theory),

  accept abortion if there are valid reasons for procedure

  Quality of Life

  • Life needs to have benefits to be worthy of living, a poor quality of

  life can justify Euthanasia
• Matters of Life and Death

  Abortion- legal before 24 weeks of pregnancy

  • Law- the removal of a fetus from the womb before it can survive,

  only carried out if the child will be born with a disability or if it will be

  dangerous physically, mentally for the mother or existing children

  • Roman Catholic- unless mother's or child's life is at risk, it is not

  allowed - the 10 commandments say ' do not kill '

  • Liberal- accepts because it is loving and they interpret the words

  of the Bible differently
• Matters of Life and Death

  Euthanasia- the ending of an ill person's life

  • Literal- it goes against the 10 commandments - ' do not kill ', only

  God can decide when a life ends because he gave it (sanctity of life)

  • Liberal- If the dying person chooses it for themselves then death

  can be considered a blessing, it's unloving to force them to suffer, quality of life should be considered

  • Palliative care- reassuring a person with a terminal illness that

  they are worthy of living
• Matters of Life and Death

  Stewardship, the Natural world

  • Pollution- too much of something unhealthy for the environment
  • Use of natural resources- e.g. lead to deforestation if overused

  Christians try to take care of the world God created because it is a gift,

  ' God made the world and gave the duty of Stewardship to humans '

  Christians have power to dominate and rule (dominion) the world,

  ' Rule over the fish in the sea and birds in the sky '
• Matters of Life and Death

  Life after death

  • Christians- Heaven or Hell - God judges their actions and how they

  lived according to Christian teachings, if they received God's grace, they go to Heaven

  • Paranormal- after a person dies their soul attaches to important

  places to them (ghosts, spirits)

  Arguments against- There is no evidence for afterlife so it is nonexistent, seems unrealistic so people may not believe in it
• Matters of Life and Death

  Animal rights

  • Experimentation- used in experiments for products we use for

  cosmetics and medical purposes, some view as cruel, utilitarianism weighs out arguments because animal testing has benefits

  • Animal uses (food)- Dominion gives the right to eat animals ' Rule

  over the fish in the sea and birds in the sky ',

  Stewardship means that Christians should make sure the animals they eat were cared for before being slaughtered, ' God made the world and gave the duty of Stewardship to humans ' and care for them