theme b

Christian beliefs about the Origins of the universe

• God created all things ex nihilo - out of nothing

• anthropic principle: god planned a universe where we could live

  • the universe is finely tuned for the creation of life

  • without the intricate laws of physics on our planet life would not be possible

  • this cannot be the result of chance as there are too many coincidences

• ‘‘in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth’’

Reform Jews Belief on the Origin of the Universe

• may interperet God to have encouraged the Big Bang

• rapid expansion of the universe

• the universe began as just a single point, then expanded and stretched to grow as large as it is right now

• the red shift is proof for the Big Bang - Vesto Slipher

• ‘‘let there be light’’

• Big Bang was a big explosion of light

Christians beliefs about the value of the world

• the natural world is an extension of the creative work of God that he provided for humans existance

• therefore Christians need to take care of it

• Mankind is called to excersise dominion and mankind is made in the image of God - Genesis 1:26 ‘‘Christians are to excersise their dominion as representitives of God on Earth’’

• they must be responsible stewards with what God has entrusted them.

• ‘‘have dominion over… every living thing that moves upon the earth’’ Gen 1:28

• ‘‘ the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it’’ Gen 2:15

Jewish beliefs about the value of the world

‘‘The world you have made is so breathtakingly beautiful.’’

christians belief on the use and abuse of the environemnt

Genesis 9:3 - we can eat animals - God gives Noah permission

‘‘Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you’’

we also have dominion

Jewish belief on the use and abuse of the environment

Isiah 66:3 equates harming an animal with harming a human

‘‘He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man’

proverbs 12:10 - ‘‘A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast’’

air pollution

• chemicals or particles iin the air, most common being created is emissions from factories, cars, planes or aerosol cans, damaging to humans, plants and animals, also happens in natural ways e.g. wilffires and ash

land pollution

• the degradation of our soil by outside ontaminants, largely the result of unsustainable agriculture, improper dispoosal of waste, mining and illegal dumping and littering

water pollution

caused by dumping waste into the sea, it can have a devastating effect on marine life. e.g. the deep water horizon oil spill in 2010 resulted in the death of thousands of sea animals and birds.

christians belief on pollution

• believe the earth is the Lords as he created it and its our duty to protect it

• ‘‘till it and keep it’’’ - stewardsip

• Christian Ecology link are an organisation that work to care for the environment through prayer, living simply and campaigning

christian beleifs on the use and abuse of animals

genesis 9.2 ‘‘ every animal on this earth is yours’’

animal testing - contributes to lifesaving treatments for humans and animals e.g. insulin

Christian beliefs on the origin of human life

• god is the author of both scripture and the natural world so these cannot contradict each other

• ‘‘God created mankind in his own image’’

• story of adam and eve in Genesis, procreation between man and women

Hinduism belief on the origin of human life

• A lotus flower grew from Lord Vishnu's navel with Brahma sitting on it. Brahma separated the flower into three parts - the heavens, the Earth and the sky.

• Out of loneliness, Brahma split himself into two to create a male and a female.

• From this male and female all beings were created.

Christian beliefs about abortion

• human life is sacred and a gift from God

• the sanctity of life

• humans are created in the image of God

• ‘ I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I chose you to be a prophet to the nations’

• life begins at conception

• ‘‘you created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb’’ our souls began life long before we were actually born

Judaism beliefs about abortion

• expects every case to be considered on its own merits and the decision to be taken after consultation with a rabbi.

• permits abortion only in cases where continuing the pregnancy would put the mother’s life in serious danger

• more lenient in the first forty days due to the embryo to be relatively low.

• The Torah permits killing in self defence and they believe that the foetus is threatening the mothers life abortion is a form of self-defence. Tikkun Olam.

• Exodus 21:22 -- Life does not begin until the foetus can survive on its own

euthanasia

painless killing of a patient with compassion, suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an orreversible coma

active euthanasia

ending a life by deliberate action e.g. Lethal injection

Passive euthanasia

allowing a terminally ill person to die by withdrawing medical treatment

non-voluntary euthanasia

ending someone’s life painlessly when they are unable to ask, but you have good reason for thinking they yould want you to do so

double effect

giving a patient drugs to relieve their pain knowing that they will kill them over a period of time, the aim is to relieve pain not kill them

Christianity beliefs on euthanasia

• Humans are made in Gods image

• Suffering = part of Gods plan for the moral and ethical development of humanity

• The deliberate killing of another is a sin against God and strictly forbidden

• ''whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God has God made man'' genesis 9:6

• ''once you accept killing as a solution for a single problem, you will find tomorrow hundreds of problems for which killing can be seen as a solution''

Jewish belief on Euthanasia

• Lesser of two evils, may help the patient and their family.

• Matthew 5:7 -- blessed are the merciful

• ‘‘love your neighbour’'

• "Whosoever destroys one soul, it is as though he had destroyed the entire world. And whosoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved the entire world."

assisted suicide

helping someone commiting suicide, but the patient/person has to administer the suicide

Christian belief about death and the afterlife

General Protestants: When you die your soul immediately goes before God to be judged.

• Judgement:

  • Good Christians go to heaven.

  • (Some believe) bad Christians and non-Christians go to hell.

  • (Many others believe) there is an afterlife for everyone of all religions, and their afterlife is affected on how they lived their earthly life.

• ‘‘we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens’’

Jewish belief about death and the afterlife

- Jews do not believe in eternal punishment, Sheol is a place of waiting for souls to be cleansed for those who do not immediately enter Gan Eden.

- Most Orthodox Jews believe if they follow their faith properly, they will go to Gan Eden (paradise) when they die.

○ "Some [awake] to eternal life" Daniel 12:2

○ Gan Eden is considered to be a place with God.