THEME B - Relgion and Life

Sanctity of life

• The belief that all human life is sacred, holy, and given by God

• Should be protected and valued at every stage from conception to natural death.

• “So God created mankind in his own image…” Genesis 1:27

Quality of Life

• Refers to how fulfilling, meaningful, and comfortable a person’s life is. 

• It asks whether someone’s life is worth living based on its condition and experiences.

• ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  John 10

Sanctity of Life and Abortion

• Life is gods gift and only he has the authority to end it

• Abortion is viewed as destroying something sacred and holy (gods image)

Quality of life and Abortion

• Prevents unnecessary suffering if child wouldve been born in extreme poverty,disability etc.

• Pregnancy causes unbearable suffering to mother and baby it might protect QOL

• Mother physical emotional and social wellbeing might be the most compassionate choice

Roman Catholic and Conservative Protestants - Abortion

• Pro life and believe abortion is wrong whatever the circumstances, DCE and natural law to abortion

• P1 - Life holy and belongs to God and thus god can take life away

• P2 - Person hood beings at conception, in the womb “you knit me together in my mothers womb”

• P3 - Right to natural life due to Imago dei and Natural Law

• P4 - Unborn child and mother have equal rights both have a soul

• P5 - “Thou shall not commit murder” + Purpose to preserve life and species abortion prevents this telos

Law of double effect

• "ectopic pregnancies that occur in fallopian tubes are treated as “unnatural pregnancy” and therefore termeated is allowed

• “double effect” - given action there are series of effects with are intention and unintentional

• intent - save mothers life unintent - embroy destroyed but allowed as not on purpose

Anglicans and Liberal Protestants- Abortion

• pro choice and believe that abortion is undesirable but it permissible is certain circumstances Situation ethics, do the most loving thing

• P1 - Situations where sanctity of life principles doesnt apply

• P2 - “ Love thy neightbour as thyself” abortion may be the most loving thing and the lesser evil

• P3 - Personhood does not begin at conception

• P4 - Mother has more right than unborn child 

• P5 - Concerned with justice if abortions are banned than poor women with resort to back street ones

Peter singer - Utilitarian and Humanist- Abortion

• Unborn/Newborn children lack essential characteristics of personhood

• Only a person has rights so killing a newborn isnt equal to killing a person

• Life support switches off when no brain activity why not newborns

Islam- Abortion

• pro choice abortion is undesirable but permissble sometimes

• 1. Life is sacred yet foetus receives it soul from Allah 4 months in

• 4 months in abortion only can happen if mother life in danger

• Shariah law suggests choosing the lesser of two evil should occur

• mother is origin of foetus and life is well established and is also a pillar of the family

• Woman considered “ original source of life”

Euthanasia

• Act of intentionally ending a persons live to relieve suffering often from a terminal illness

• Can be voluntary and non-voluntary (person cannot consent) and involuntary (against will)

Active Euthanasia

• Actively terminating patients life with lethal drug

• Administering a treatment bringing about death

Passive Euthanasia

• Withdrawing treatment to allow the patient to die

• Withdrawing life support/medication

Voluntary Euthanasia

• Assisted suicide

• Patient request their life be prematurely terminated to end suffering

Nonvoluntary Euthanasia

• Patient is incapacitated and will not recover

• Doctors and family decide to terminate patients life

Argument FOR Euthanasia

• P1 - Free will and the right to choose - rational autonomous people should have the right to make the desicison

• P2 - Mercy killing is compassionate - agape/situation ethics

• P3 - Dying with dignity supports and easy death

• P4 - Minimising suffering - hedonism Quality of quantity of life

• P5 - Atheists will say there is no god and no teleology and suffering serves no purpose and should be minimised

Scriptural Quotes + Explanation for euthanasia (OPPOSE)

• “You shall not murder” - This commandment is a clear prohibition against taking inncoent human life. It is viewed as intentionally ending a life and can be seen as violation of command

• “The lord gave and the lord has taken away” - Job acknowledges life and death are in gods hands only god has the authority to give or take

• “If we life we life for the god (same for die)” - Emphasises that life and death belong to god and humans are not autonomous in making decisions about ending life

Argument AGAINST Euthanasia

• P1 - Sanctity of life and imago dei - life is god given must be protected

• P2 - Suffering has a purpose (teleological)

• P3 - Gods plan includes eschatological justice may not come in this life but next

• P4 - Euthanasia is not love we must care for terminally ill (Hospice movement porvides care to the whole person - mind body soul)

Roman Catholic - Euthanasia

• P1 - All human life is sacred becuase it is created in the image of God/imago dei

• P2 - Only God has authority to give lfie and take away (Job quote)

• P3 - Euthanasia involves intentional ending of innocent human life against 1st precept of Natural law and preserve life and the commandment (quote)

• P4 - Intentionally ending innocent life even for compassionate and hedonistic reasons is morally wrong violates eternal law (deontological not consequentialist)

• Euthanasia is morally wrong and not permissbile according to RC teaching

Anglican View - Euthanasia

• P1 - Human life is a scared gift from god and must be respected (Job quote)

• P2 - Suffering can have spiritual and relation meaning should be met with compassion (agape) not killing

• P3 - Euthanasia intentionally ends human life which undermines dignity of person and Sanctity of Life

• P4 - Proper response to suffering is palliative care (Hospice movement)

• C1 - Euthanasia is morally wrong and should not be supported according to anglican teaching

Quaker Liberal Protestant - Euthanasia

• P1 - Quaker believe in the quality of life and importance of agape (compassion,personal consicence) “ Love on another as i have loved you"

• P2 - If a person is suffering unberably and there is no prospect of recovery agape may call for an end

• P3 - Allow a peaceful death can be express as love dignity and respect for their inner light (presence of god in everyone imago dei)

• P4- Induvidual discernment and dont have fixed creeds so moral decision are guided by love and conscience

• Conclusion - In some cases euthanasia may be the most compassionate choice

Islam - Euthanasia

• P1 - All life is created by Allah and is scared “ Do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden except by right”

• P2 - Only Allah has authority to give or take life

• P3 - Euthanasia involves intentionally ending human life interferes with Allahs will

• P4 - Suffering may be a test and patience is virtue is islam

• P5 - Not included among reasosn allowed for killing in islam

• Morally wrong and not permissible in islam

• “ When their times comes they cannot delay it for a single hour nor can they bring it forward by a single hour”

Secular Humanism - Euthanasia

• P1 - Secular humanism values human well being autonomy and rational decision making

• P2 - If a person is experiencing unbearable suffering continuing life may cause more harm than good “When the quality of life is so low as to make life not worth living, ending life can be an act of mercy.”

• P3 - Competent people can make informed decision about their own life

• C1 - Euthanasia is morally permissible for a secular humanist perspective especially when it respects autonomy and reduces unncessary suffering
  

Stewardship

God has created a world in which humans have a special role as stewards of creation. Living in harmony with nature and have a responsibility to take care.

Dominion

Idea that humans are in charge of the world on behalf of god. Gives humans the right to use the worlds natural resources for their own benefit

Environmental Responsibility

• Humans should look after the world in a way so future generation can enjoy it

• Individual is responsible for their contribution to the environment like:

• recycling and reducing waste to care for the environment

• using and promoting renewable energy

• reducing their carbon footprint

Roman Catholic - Environmental

• P1 - Catholic church acknowledges humans have dominon over earth but emphasises dominion is not a license for exploitation

• P2 - Responsiblity and service, care for creation not control and destruction

• “Dominion does not mean absolute power it is a matter of responsible management”

• P1 - Stewardship is a central catholic teaching

• P2 - Protecting the environment for future generations,Using resources wisely and sustainably
  Recognising that creation has intrinsic value, not just economic utility

•  "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

Anglican - Environment

• P1 - Recognise dominion but Authority under God  not domination, A calling to rule responsibly and lovingly.

• P2 - Core concept stewardship - All creation is a gift from God,Humans are called to care for creation as stewards, not owners,It is a spiritual and moral obligation.

• “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.”

Islamic - Environment

• P1 - Dominion - Humans are created as khalifahs (viceregents) of the earth, Earth belongs to Allah not to humnas, Humans are accountable for how they use earth resources

• “The Earth is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you stewards over it.”

• P2 - Earth is a trust amanah for Allah, Muslims must use resources fairly moderately and no harm, pollution and destruction are acts of injustice

• “Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils.” (Qur’an 17:27) Waste is condemned

Atheistic Interpretation of Big bang Theory

• Stephen Hawking - Singularity arose from chance and not a deity (epicurus view) the existence of the finely tuned nature of the universe (ockhams razor)

• William Lane Criag - Suggests that n entity creating itself ex-nihlo is a contradiction it would exist before it exsited

• Multiverses - Thomas Aquinas would agrue that god could have produced them

YEC + Salafis on Big Bang

• Created universe in six days of 24 hrs as described in genesis I

• creatio ex nihilo universe is 6000-10000 yeards old and therefore religion and big bang science are incompatible contradicts the bible

• Salafi muslims hold similar views on Surah 7:54s refrence to six days

• “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth” Genesis 1.1

• “Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days,”

OEC - Roman Catholic and Protestant

• OECs believe the universe is billions of years old and often accept scientific explanations like the Big Bang and evolution, but interpret them as God’s method of creation.

• They take the “days” in Genesis as metaphorical, not literal 24-hour periods, seeing them as symbolic of long stages or epochs.

• “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8)

• Allows for relgion and science to co exists

Kalam Arugment 

• P1 - Whatever beigs to exist has a cuase

• P2 - The universe began to exist

• C1 - Therefore universe has a cause

• P3) The greatest conceivable and perfect being, must be divinely simple, indivisible, eternal and exist (i.e., tawhid)

• (P4) Divisible things come into & go out of existence

• (P5) An eternal being does not come into existence

• (P6) That which does not come into existence does not have a cause

• (C2) There is an uncaused first being of the universe

Theists suggest that this first being “is what we call God”

Evolution Athiestic Interpretation - Natural Selection

• Dawkins is a secular humanist god delusion argument suggests that creative intelligences exist at the end of evolution incosistency with OEC ..

• Crit - Inconsistency doesnt effect YEC, straw man fally conflating human and divine intellgence

YEC Interpretation - Natural Selection

• 6000-10000 years old so invalidates natural selection owing to the million of years required to produce complex life forms

OEC Interpretation - Natural Selection

• Provides a necessary but insufficient account of biology and life and requires metaphysical explanations from scriptures

• Crit - Argument of EVIL ,OOO pardoxes,