Themes

• Adultery


  When a married person chooses to have sex with someone they’re not married to
• Commitment


  The making and keeping of a promise for example wedding vows
• Contraception

  Methods used to prevent a woman from becoming pregnant during or following sexual intercourse for example artificial methods
• Cohabitation

  To live together in a sexual relationship without being married or in a civil partnership
• Divorce


  The legal ending of a marriage
• Gender equality


  When people of all genders enjoy the same rights and opportunities in all aspects of their lives
• Responsibilities


  Actions or duties you are expected to carry out, such as looking after family members
• Rules


  The position of a person, e.g. a police officer, as well as the characteristics expected of them, e.g. to obey the law
• Afterlife

  Life after death, the belief that existence continues after physical death
• Environmental sustainability


  Ensuring that natural resources are used but protected so that all people, animals and plant life can live well now and in the future
• Euthanasia


  The act of killing or permitting the death of a person who is suffering from a serious illness
• Evolution

  The process by which different creatures are believed to have developed from earlier less complex forms during the history of the earth
• Abortion


  The ending of a pregnancy so that it does not result in the birth of a child
• Quality of life


  The extent to which life is meaningful and pleasurable
• Sanctity of life


  The belief that life is precious, or sacred; for many religious believers, only human life holds this special status
• Soul


  The spiritual aspect of a being, which some religions believe connects a person to God; also often being seen as non-physical and as living after physical death in an afterlife
• Good

  That which is considered morally right, beneficial and to our advantage
• Evil


  That which is considered extremely immoral, wicked and wrong
• Forgiveness


  To grant pardon for a wrong doing; to give up resentment and the desire to seek revenge against a wrongdoer
• Free will


  The ability to make choices voluntarily and independently. The belief that nothing is predetermined
• Justice


  Fairness; where everyone has equal provisions and opportunity
• Morality


  Principles and standards determining which actions are right or wrong
• Punishment

  A penalty given to someone for a crime or wrong they have done
• Sin

  Deliberate immoral action, breaking a religious or moral law
• Suffering

  Pain or distress caused by injury, illness or loss. Suffering can be physical, emotional and psychological or spiritual
• Absolute morality - when something is always wrong to steal, and will be wrong in all circumstances
• Relative morality - when something may be wrong, but adapts to the circumstances
• Censorship

  The practice of suppressing and limiting access to materials considered to be obscene, offensive or a threat to security. People may also be restricted in their speech by censorship laws
• Discrimination

  Acts of treating groups of people, or individuals differently, based on prejudice
• Extremism

  Believing in and supporting ideas that are very far from what most people consider correct or reasonable
• Human rights

  The basic entitlements of all human beings afforded to them simply because they are human. An example of human rights as stated in the Declaration of Human Rights is that all people should receive an education
• Personal conviction

  Something a person strongly feels or believes in
• Prejudice

  Pre-judging, judging people to be inferior or superior without evidence
• Relative poverty

  A standard of poverty measured in relation to the standards of a society in which a person lives, for example, living on less than a certain percentage of average UK income
• Absolute poverty

  An acute state of deprivation, whereby a person cannot access the most basic of human needs
• Social justice

  Promoting a fair society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity. Ensuring that everyone has equal access to provisions, equal opportunities and rights