3 reasons why Catholics believe in life after death (BJC) Bible: St Paul teaches that the body will be resurrected Jesus taught about life after death and the final judgement Parable of Sheep and Goats: those who served others in life will be rewarded with eternal life in heaven Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life, anyone who believes in me will not die but have eternal life Jesus: Jesus resurrected after he died and showed himself to his disiples Church: It is the teaching of the Church that the Soul is immortal and we will enjoy resurrected life (Apostle s creed: we believe in eternal life) Name 4 Church teachings about eternal life (soul, body, faith in Christ, what happens after death) Immortality of the soul Resurrection of the body Belief in Jesus: Sin prevents people going to heaven, so they need Jesus forgiveness (he died for us) Eternal life in heaven with God Purgatory: where souls are purified from sin before they enter heaven, helped by our prayers Hell: where those who have rejected God suffer because of their decision. Define Resurrection
The belief that after death the body stays in the grave until the end of the world, and at the final judgement, it is raised again in a new form into eternal life. What is immortality of the soul? The idea that the soul lives on after the death of the body. Name 3 ways in which belief in Life after Death affects the lives of Catholics. they will try and live good lives according to Jesus and Church teachings so they can enter heaven they will live so as to deserve eternal life (Parable Sheep & Goats) ie live helping others. Because sin prevents people from going to heaven, so Catholics will Church and Jesus teachings, because only they can guarantee that sins can be forgiven (Jesus died for us and resurrected to prove this) Belief in LAD gives Catholics meaning and purpose to their lives, which makes them happier: less likely to suffer depression or commit suicide.
What does the Parable of the Sheep and Goats teach? (3 lessons) 1. That there will be a final judgment, with Christ as the judge 2. That only those who have served others (helped the needy) will be given eternal life in heaven. Those who haven t will be rejected to hell. 3. That helping others is like helping Jesus.
Give 3 reasons why nonreligious people might believe in life after death. 1. Near-death experiences 2. Evidence of mediums 3. Evidence of reincarnation Explain how near death experiences (NDE) could be used as good evidence for life after death. Explain how someone might argue that NDE are not good evidence for life after death. Good evidence: People who have experienced NDE overwhelmingly report the same experience of light, joy, peace, purity, feeling it s not their time to die yet and having to return to life. Atheists have been converted to believe in God after experiencing NDE as an experience of being loved, and of eternal life. Bad evidence: could be the way the brain responds to approaching death. Drugs can replicate some of these experiences. People say the same things because they know that is what they should say. If people report seeing things specific to their religion eg Catholics see Mary, and Hindus see symbols of their gods, then it their experience cannot be a proof of a single LAD.
How could you counter arguments that the medium world is good evidence for life after death? The mediums have researched their clients beforehand They make open, non-specific, leading comments that are so vague they will fit most clients Experiments designed to prove mediums can access information from the spirit world have not worked. Mediums have been found out to be communicating with fictional characters. How does reincarnation prove life after death? How could you rebut such claims? Reincarnation shows that the same person can be born again into a different body, because that person has knowledge and skills from their previous life they couldn t otherwise have had. Only 3% of reincarnation accounts are solid (ie no contact between child and previous family or home, descriptions can be verified). 3% is too low to count as evidence it is anecdotal. (interesting, but not to be taken too seriously).
Why don t Catholics accept the evidence of mediums, reincarnation and near death experiences as evidence for life after death? The evidence of the paranormal does not describe eternal life as reliably as Jesus described it, or as the Church teaches it, so Catholics should not take it seriously or believe in it. Give a definition of Paranormal. Unexplained things that are thought to have spiritual causes eg ghosts, mediums.
What does Reincarnation mean? It is the belief that after death the soul is reborn into a new body. Give 3 reasons why some people do not believe in life after death? Atheists: If there is no God, and no spiritual reality, then there is no heaven or eternal life, or immortality of soul. Different religions have different ideas about eternal life: if it was true, they d have the same idea Ideas of heaven come from holy books: no way to know which to believe Soul is really just the mind: science proves that the mind can t survive without the body Souls without bodies are not the same person as when they were alive in a body: so there is no eternal life for a person as they are now Some people don t believe in life after death because they have been brought up not to believe in God.
Give a definition of Abortion. The removal of a foetus from the womb before it can survive. What does UK law say about Abortion?
Abortion can be carried out up to 24 weeks if 2 doctors agree that 1. The mother s life is at risk 2. There is a risk to the mother s physical or mental health 3. Other children in the family mental or physical health would be at risk 4. The baby would be born with a serious physical or mental handicap
When can a baby be aborted after the legal 24 week limit? If the mother s health is seriously at risk, or the baby is seriously handicapped. Give 3 reasons why some people support abortion. Mother s rights over her body and her health. Her reproductive right to do with the embryo as she pleases, because it depends on her. There may be social reasons why the mother cannot support or bring up a new child: too young, low income, no support from partner or others, already a large family. Too traumatic: the mother may have been raped or abused. Better to allow abortions legally than encourage back-street abortionists
Why are Catholics against abortion? 3 reasons. Against Sanctity of Life: only God has the right to take life away. Against the 10 Commandments. (You shall not kill.) Against Church teaching: a fetus is a human person from the moment of conception, and abortion destroys its natural right to life. Adoption is a better solution: preserves life and brings joy to another family. Women who abort suffer psychological problems eg guilt complex, mental illness. Why do Liberal Christians agree to abortion in some cases? 3 reasons.
Serious handicap of the baby: it would have no quality of life. Sanctity of Life: doesn t apply to just war, so not necessarily to some cases of abortion. Social reasons: if a woman is in a difficult situation, abortion may be the most loving thing to do (Jesus is compassionate) They believe that a human life does not begin at conception. Define Sanctity of Life. All life is holy and belongs to God, from conception to the grave. Only God has the right to take life away.
Give 2 quotes from the bible that support Sanctity of Life teaching. God made man in his own image. In His own image He created him. (Genesis 1) You shall not kill. (10 Commandments) The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. You do not belong to yourselves. You belong to God.
What is the difference between active and passive euthanasia? Active euthanasia involves directly causing the death of a terminally ill person death. Passive euthanasia involves withdrawing medical support, or food and water from a terminally ill person to hasten their death & allow them to die. What is the difference between voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia? Voluntary euthanasia is ending the life of a terminally ill person who has asked for it because they are suffering and in a lot of pain. Non-voluntary euthanasia is ending a terminally ill person s life without their consent, but where there is good reason to think that is what they would want (ie kill them for compassionate reasons).
Give a definition of assisted suicide. Assisted Suicide is providing a terminally ill person with the means to end their life. How is assisted suicide different from voluntary euthanasia?
The last act that causes death is performed by the terminally ill person themselves eg they press a button that releases the final drug.
What is the UK law on euthanasia? It is legal for doctors to switch off a life support machine, withdraw artificial nutrition and hydration, or withdraw treatment if there is little chance of improvement. They must request court s approval to switch off life support machines of anyone who is not brain dead. Why do Liberal Christians think that Voluntary Euthanasia is OK?
Accept living wills : people state how they want to be treated if they have a terminal illness It is a human right to be in control and decide when to die Jesus teaching on helping your neighbour means that assisted suicide could be the compassionate thing to do Modern medicine means that it is no longer clear when God wills for a person to die. What kind of euthanasia would Catholics agree with and in what situations? Some kinds of passive euthanasia: When it is the inevitable double-effect of giving high doses of painkillers, which are necessary to control pain When the person is brain dead on life support with no hope of recovery (so does not apply to persons in coma where brain is normal.) When the only remaining options are difficult and extraordinary medical treatments: it is ok to refuse these. Eg rare and expensive cancer drugs, cardiac resuscitation in aged and ill patients.
Why are Catholics against all forms of active euthanasia? Against Sanctity of Life: human life is holy and belongs to God: only God can decide when to take life away leave it to nature. Against the 10 Commandments: You shall not kill. If we live, we live for the Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Rom 14:8) What is the doctrine of Double Effect as applied to euthanasia?
Giving high doses of painkillers to a dying person may hasten their death. However, since the intention is to alleviate pain, and not directly to cause their death (the unintended double effect), then giving high doses of painkillers is morally acceptable.
Why should the media not criticise religions when they give opinions about abortion, euthanasia. 3 reasons. It is like criticising God, because religious attitudes are based on what God says and God is beyond human criticism. Criticising religious leaders is for some devout religious people, like criticising their religion, and close to blasphemy It could cause offence to religious believers eg when cartoons about the prophet Mohammed in a Danish paper It could stir up anti-religious feeling in a society, and this is against the Religious Hatred Act 2007. Why should the media be able to criticise religions when they give opinions about abortion, euthanasia. 3 reasons.
Freedom of expression means that the media should be allowed to criticise any opinions, even religious ones. Freedom to criticse any opinion is very important to help people make informed decisions about how to vote. A civilised and developing society is one where people are free to express their views and hold discussions about how to live in society. A multi-faith society means that many different opinions, ie both secular and religious, must have equal rights to express themselves. If religious leaders can criticise government policies on issues like abortion and euthanasia, they should also expect to have their opinions criticised. List the 6 causes of world poverty. 1. Natural disasters 2. wars 3. debt 4. unfair trade 5. lack of education 6. HIV/AIDS
What does MEDC/ LEDC stand for? Give examples More economically developing country: most of Europe (UK, Germany, France) Less economically developing country (African countries eg Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria) Explain 2 ways in which MEDCs may be responsible for LEDC poverty.
Debt: LEDCs have to borrow money from MEDCs to build up their infrastructure and begin to develop. These loans come with interest. Over time, the interest can grow to be as much as the loan itself. It also gets counted as part of the total unpaid debt, and interest in charged on it (ie these countries end up paying interest on interest) so can never get out of the poverty trap. Unfair trade: Rich countries subsidise their farmers, so cushioning them against risk of low harvests. Rich countries put high taxes on food imported from poor countries. Rich countries over-produce crops, because of their better farming technology, and end up flooding the world market with surplus food, so driving demand for it down even further. This prevents fair competition with poorer countries, who can t sell their goods so easily, and who can t afford to protect their farmers in this way, and end up going under. Poor countries also have to rely on growing cash crops for export that rich countries can t grow eg coffee, cocoa, bananas and don t grow crops that their own people need to survive. If trade is bad, then these countries don t make the income they need, and also aren t able to provide their people with the food they need. How do wars and natural disasters cause poverty? Schools, hospitals, homes are destroyed: people are ill, education is disrupted, families are broken up: the country s development, which depends on the strength of the next generation is set back, as everything has to be rebuilt. Industry and economny is disrupted: the country s income is reduced: it has to rely on loans or exploitation by other countries the poverty trap. Destroy infrastructure: no roads for transport, trade Wars and natural disasters spread disease: the workforce is reduced and needs care, which demands more resources.
What does CAFOD stand for? What work does it do? Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. It works to try and alleviate world poverty. Name and explain 3 ways in which CAFOD tries to alleviate world poverty.
1. Emergency disaster relief: a disaster fund that includes sending food, medicines, shelters 2. Long term projects/ development programmes: aimed at giving independence - training locals eg in farming techniques, new livelihoods, setting up saving schemes for locals in case of difficult times 3. Raises awareness about issues and need for development aid 4. Speaks out for social justice on behalf of poor communities in public and international debate Give 3 religious reasons why CAFOD works to try and end world poverty. Golden Rule: Jesus taught that Christians should love their neighbour as themselves. This means helping out people to have the same basic necessities and opportunities as we have and enjoy. Parable of Sheep and Goats: Christians will be judged by Jesus at the Final Judgment and receive eternal life depending on whether or not they helped those in need. Helping those in need is like serving Jesus himself in them. Sermon on the Mount: Jesus taught that we should use money to help the poor and those in need. Teaching of the Church: Christians have a duty to help the poor and suffering by sharing with them their own time and possessions.