Christianity Soa’s

• Atonement


  Jesus' death and resurrection is believed to be an act of atonement
• Heaven


  Being with God
• Hell


  Absence of God
• John 11:25-26: '"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die"'
• Christians pray


  To feel the presence of God in their lives
• Feeling God's presence


  Gives them strength to continue to do God's work
• God


  Creator of the entire universe
• Genesis 1:1


  "In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth"
• Not all Christians take the story of creation in Genesis literally, however most accept God is the creator
• Main types of Christians


  • Protestants
  • Catholics
  • Orthodox
• The 3 main types of Christians all share the belief that there is 1 God (monotheism)
• Nicene Creed: '"We believe in one God"'
• God doesn't have a gender
• God is holy and worthy of worship
• Omnipotence


  "Nothing is impossible with God" [Luke 1;37]
• Omnibenevolence


  "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life"
• God is just (the perfect giver of justice)
• Jesus


  The incarnation of God, in human form
• Virgin Mary


  Jesus was not conceived sexually, but the Angel Gabriel appeared and explained to her of the immaculate conception
• John 1;4: '"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"'
• Despite Jesus' followers and 12 disciples, the Romans were concerned Jesus was a rebel and arrested and charged him with treason
• Luke 23;3: '"So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "You have said so", Jesus replied."'
• After a trial, Jesus was sent to death by crucifixion
• All 4 gospels tell the story of the crucifixion
• Luke 23:34: '"Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing"'
• God is omnipotent


  But he gives us free will, shown in creation story
• "God cannot be omnibenevolent because there is too much suffering"
• Letting people suffer is cruel


  It is not a justified reason for innocent tragedies
• If God constantly interfered to prevent suffering

  It would remove free will
• Euthanasia


  The deliberate administering of the ending medication by a third party to end a person's life
• Euthanasia is legal in the UK
• Types of euthanasia


  • Voluntary euthanasia
  • Non-voluntary euthanasia
• Voluntary euthanasia


  When a person's life is ended painlessly at their own request
• Non-voluntary euthanasia


  When a person's life is ended painlessly because there are reasonable grounds for doing so, but they are unable to ask for it themselves
• Euthanasia is sometimes described as 'active euthanasia' because it involves deliberate steps by a third party to end a person's life
• Doctors can decide to withhold or withdraw medical treatment that is keeping a person alive if they believe the person cannot recover or if the person asks them to. This is called a Non-Treatment Decision and it is legal in the UK
• Religious reasons for opposing euthanasia


  • It goes against the principle of the sanctity of life
  • Only God has the authority to end a person's life
  • It is viewed as murder which is forbidden in the Bible
  • Terminally ill patients can still worship God and show people God's love
  • God made all people to be equal therefore all people should be treated with dignity
• Job: '"Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die?" He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.'
• A minority of Christians disagree and argue that Job had the potential to recover from his illness, so the story is not really about euthanasia
• Ways Christians who oppose euthanasia can show respect and compassion


  • Providing them with hospice care if this is suitable and possible
  • Making sure they have access to good-quality pain relief
  • Respecting any decision they make to cease having medical treatment that is merely prolonging their life
  • Supporting them and those close to them as they prepare for death
  • Trusting their future to God