Religion and Life - Theme A

• Abortion


  The deliberate ending of a pregnancy
• Afterlife


  Beliefs about what happens to the soul after the body has died, often relating to life after death or immortality
• Animal experimentation


  The use of animals for medical research and product testing
• Awe and wonder


  A sense of wonderment at nature, often linked to the feeling that God is involved or revealed through it
• Big Bang Theory


  The scientific theory about the origins of the universe, involving the reaction of particles from a singularity followed by inflation and expansion
• Death


  The end of physical bodily life
• Dominion


  The belief that humans have been given control and charge of the world
• Environment


  The world around us, made up of natural or artificial surroundings
• Euthanasia


  Assisting with the end of life for a person who is terminally ill or has a degenerative illness with no chance of recovery
• Evolution


  The scientific theory of the development of species through natural selection and survival of the fittest
• Natural resources


  Resources found in nature, such as fossil fuels and plants
• Pollution


  Contamination of an environment with harmful substances
• Quality of life


  The standard of health, comfort, happiness or fulfillment experienced by a person or group
• Responsibility


  Having a duty or obligation to act in a certain way
• Sanctity of life


  The belief that life is sacred and special because it was created by God or because we are each unique individuals created by Him
• Scientific knowledge


  Knowledge based on empirical observation and experimentation
• Stewardship


  The duty given by God for humankind to look after the created world and all life within it
• In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth (Christian belief)
• Literalist Christians


  • Believe God created the universe in six days followed by a day of rest, based on the Genesis 1 account which they see as literally true and infallible
  • Reject scientific explanations like the Big Bang as incompatible with Genesis
• Liberal Christians


  • See Genesis as metaphorical and spiritual rather than literal truth, written in a pre-scientific era
  • Believe science can explain how God created the universe through the Big Bang, while Genesis explains the why and provides moral truths
• Pope Francis said the Big Bang Theory does not contradict belief in God, but actually requires it
• God is the creator of all things (Islamic belief from Quran 39)
• Literalist Muslims


  • Believe the Quran's account of God creating the universe in six days must be literally true, rejecting the Big Bang Theory as inconsistent
• Liberal Muslims


  • Believe there is no conflict between religion and science, and that the Big Bang Theory can be seen as consistent with the Quran's teachings about expansion
• Stewardship (Christian)


  The responsibility to look after the world, based on Genesis 2 and Psalm 24
• Dominion (Christian)


  The belief that humans have been given control and authority over the world and its creatures, based on Genesis
• Stewardship (Islamic)


  The responsibility to look after the world as God's khalifas (successors) appointed to care for creation, based on the Hadith
• Dominion (Islamic)


  The belief that humans have been made successors on the Earth, with the responsibility to look after it rather than abuse it
• 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year, 80 billion land animals are killed for food every year, and 2 trillion fish are killed for human consumption every year
• Theists may try to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, use renewable energy, support environmental campaigns, and raise awareness about recycling to address environmental issues
• natural resources for example dependence on fossil fuels for energy
• you could talk about littering
• 15.3 billion trees are chopped down every year
• 80 billion land animals were killed for food every year
• 2 trillion fish are killed for human consumption every year
• they're not sustainable methods of farming and food production
• Theist


  May try to reduce their Reliance on fossil fuels, reduce the amount of pollution, use renewable energy sources, support environmental campaigns and Charities, campaign and raise awareness about the importance of recycling
• the use and abuse of animals is a key contrasting beliefs topic, with a focus on animal experimentation
• Christian beliefs on support for animal experimentation


  God created everything for man, Humanity can use animals because in life they're for us to use in ways advantages to us and then in death for example as food, Preservation of human life is one of the primary precepts, so if an experiment will help preserve human life it can be justified
• Christian beliefs on opposition to animal experimentation


  It is wrong to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly, testing for cosmetic products is wrong as it is simply for profit