Matters of Life and Death
Keywords
Paranormal
Near death experience
Immortality of the Soul
Resurrection
Reincarnation
Abortion
Assisted suicide
Euthanasia
Non-voluntary euthanasia
Voluntary euthanasia
Quality of Life
Sanctity of life
Unexplained things which are thought to have
spiritual causes, e.g. ghosts, mediums
When somebody about to die has an out-of-body
experience
the idea the soul lives on after the death of the
body
the belief that, after death, the body stays in the
grave until the end of the world when it is raised
The belief that after death souls are reborn in a
new body
the removal of a foetus from the womb before it
can survive
providing a seriously ill person with the means to
commit suicide
the painless killing of someone dying from a painful
disease
ending someone’s life painlessly when they are
unable to ask, but you have good reason for
thinking they would want you to do so, e.g.
switching off life support machines
ending life painlessly when someone in great pain
asks for death
the idea that life must have some benefits for it
to be worth living
the belief that life is holy and belongs to God
The Sanctity of Life
Christians believe that God created everything and humans were created in God’s own image. This
makes life holy or sanctified and only God can decide when each life should begin and end. Christians
believe life should be cherished and preserved because of the example of Jesus who accepted his
suffering and never tried to escape from it.
 ‘None of us lives for himself only, none of us dies for himself only. If we live, it is for
the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die.’ (Romans 14: 7-8)
 ‘Do not commit murder’ (1 Exodus 20: 13)
Life after Death
Evidence of reincarnation
Experience of ghosts
Must be a point to suffering
Non
religio
us
Can all believers be wrong?
Near Death experiences
Mediums contacting the dead
Provides Comfort
for the bereaved
If it were true all religions
would believe the same
but they have different
ideas
Illogical – death means
the end of life
Non
religio
us
Plants/Animals don’t have
Life after death
No proof
There is nowhere for it to take place.
Heaven is not up in the sky
I
wan
t
evid
ence
!!
Christian attitudes to Life after Death
All Christians believe in life after death and that we will all be judged on our actions in
this life because that’s what Jesus taught. Their beliefs differ in their beliefs about
what form life after death will take.
Resurrection
Some Evangelical Protestants
believe that after death he
body stays in the grave until
The body
of Jesus
was
raised
from the
dead
The Bible says
‘When the body is
buried, it is mortal;
when raised, it will
be immortal (1
Corinthians 15: 42)
The
Apostle’s
Creed says
‘I believe
in the
resurrection
of the body
and the life
everlasting
Purgatory
Catholics believe that after
death the souls of those who
have led blameless lives will go
straight to heaven. Those who
The Apostle’s
Creed states
that Jesus rose
again on he third
day and is now in
heaven but ‘will
come again to
judge the living
and the dead’
Jesus
rose
from the
dead
The Bible says
‘For God loved
the world so
much that he
gave his only
Son, so that
everyone who
believes in him
Immortality of the Soul
Other Protestants believe that
after death the soul will be
taken straight to God to be
Jesus told
those
crucified with
him, ‘I promise
you that today
you will be in
Paradise with
me’ (Luke
23:43)
How
The Apostle’s
Creed states
that ‘I believe in
the Communion
of Saints … and
the life
everlasting’.
This means
there is a bond
between all
Christians alive
affect and
the
lives of
dead.
Near death
experiences
with a
tunnel and
bright light
is the soul
do beliefs about lifeapproaching
after death
Christians?
heaven
1 – They believe that they will have to live a good Christian life to get into heaven.
They try and follow the teachings of the Bible and the Church.
2 – They need to follow the teachings of Jesus. He taught the most important
commandments are to love God and Love thy neighbour. Loving God is shown
through attendance at services.
3 – The Parable of the Sheep and Goats says that only people who help others (love
their neighbour) will be allowed into heaven, those who ignore the needs of others
will go to hell.
4 – The Good Samaritan shows loving your neighbour means helping anyone who
needs it. Christians have set up many charities, such as Christian Aid to do this.
5 – Sin can prevent or delay entrance to heaven, especially if unforgiven.
Christians all want to go to heaven and so will try and live without committing sins
6 – Their beliefs give their life meaning and purpose, there is better to come.
Christians tend to suffer less from depression and are less likely to commit
suicide.
Abortion
Abortion became legal in the UK in 1967. In order for a woman to be able to
have an abortion two doctors must agree that:
1.
The mother’s life is at risk
2.
The mother’s physical or mental health is at risk
3.
the child is likely to be born severely handicapped
4.
There would be a serious effect on other children in the family
Why is abortion controversial?







Some believe life begins at conception and abortion is therefore murder
Some believe life begins when a foetus gets a soul
Some believe that life begins when a foetus is capable of surviving outside of the womb and so not
murder.
Some people believe that a woman has the right to do as she wishes with her body
Some believe that the unborn child and father have rights as well as the mother
Some people believe that the time limit for abortions should be reduced to 18 or 20 weeks
Should medical staff have to carry out abortions?
Non-Religious Attitudes to Abortion
Support
 A woman has the right
to choose what
happens to her body
 A woman’s health and
welfare are more
important than that
of the foetus
 Any child has the
right to a quality of
life – if this will be
lacking Catholics
then
WHO
and
abortion may be
Protestants
kinder
Christianity and Abortion
many Evangelical
WHAT Believe abortion is ALWAYS wrong
WHY
Against
 Abortion is a
form of murder
 Everyone has a
right to life and
to fulfil their
potential
 All life has
value
 A foetus has
rights and as it
defend
Other Protestants, e.g.cannot
Church
of England &
itself the law
Methodists
should protect
Disagree with abortion itbut believe in certain
 Life begins at conception so
abortion is murder – Thou shalt not
kill
 Believe in the sanctity of life
 God has created the life so against
God’s will to abort
circumstances it can be the lesser of two evils so
should be permitted
 Do not believe life begins at conception
 Believe in loving thy neighbour
 Believe it is a Christian duty to remove
suffering
 When there is a difficult moral decision
Christians should choose the lesser of two evils
Euthanasia
Euthanasia is illegal in the UK as it is classified as
murder. Improvements in medical skills and
technology means that the issue is being discussed
more and more. ‘Improvements’ can mean a
person’s life can be extended but there are questions
Why is euthanasia a controversial issue?
Support change in
law
 If an animal is
suffering we put
it down as it is
kinder
 Everyone should
have the right to
choose when
their life ends
 People should be
able to die with
dignity and a
decent quality of
life
 Can cost a lot of
money to keep
somebody alive
Christianity
when there is no
hope of survival
 Switching off a ALL CHRISTIANS oppose
life support
machine can
already happen
Sanctity
and
judges can
of
Life
Sixth
withdraw
– only
Comma
God
can
treatment
ndment
decide
causing people to
– Thou
when
a
die. Voluntary
shalt not
life
euthanasia is the
kill
ends.
next logical step
and
Against change in
law
 Drugs can be
used to control
pain
 Euthanasia is
murder
 Many considering
Euthanasia are
not in the right
state of mind to
make such an
important
decision and may
change their
minds
 Medicine might
find a cure
Euthanasia
 Some people may
feel pressurised
into Euthanasia
by family
 Who would
decide
It iswhen
the
euthanasia
duty of is
acceptable
doctors or
to
not?prolong
What
lifestop
not to
would
end
it
people taking
advantage and
abusing the
system?
However there are some different attitudes to non-voluntary Euthanasia
WHO
Most Christians
Some Christians
A few Christians
WHAT It is acceptable to switch It is never acceptable to Accept very limited
off the life support
switch off life support
euthanasia, they agree with
machine of someone who
machines or to give large living wills which state what
is brain dead or to give
doses of painkillers that
forms of treatment they will
dying people painkillers
could prove fatal.
or won’t accept and how they
which may shorten their
Doctors should strive to
want to die if they have a
life if the intention is to
keep alive.
terminal illness.
end suffering rather than
to kill.
WHY
 If somebody is brain Do not believe that a
 Modern medical science
dead then they have
brain-dead person is
means we don’t know what
already died and so
dead and so switching
God’s wishes about
switching off the
off the machine is
someone’s death actually
machines is not murder
murder
are.
 Believe in the doctrine
 Even if the intention is
 Loving your neighbour
of double effect.
not to kill giving a fatal
could justify assisted
level of drugs is still
suicide
murder
 Living wills give people a
chance to be in control of
what doctors do to them
which is a basic human right
Arguments for and against the media being able to criticise what religions teach
about matters of life and death
Against
1 – Criticising what religions teach about issues like abortion and euthanasia is a way of stirring up religious hatred,
which is banned by the Racial and Religious Hatred Act of 2007.
Eg – The media cast the Catholic Church in a negative light when it withdrew support for Amnesty International when
they supported the rights of women who have been raped to have an abortion. The media highlighted women in
Darfur who had been gang raped and expected to raise any resulting pregnancies.
2 - Many believe there should be some restrictions as criticism of their beliefs can offend believers
Eg – There was a huge amount of offence taken when cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad were published in Denmark.
This led to riots.
3 – Criticism can come close to blasphemy, essentially criticisng the teachings of a religion or denomination on issues
like abortion is like condemning the religion or denomination itself
4 – Some religious believers think that their beliefs are God’s Will and should not be criticised as God is beyond
human criticism.
Supporting
1 – All democratic societies claim to believe in freedom of expression. The electorate needs to make informed
choices, a free media is necessary in order for them to know what is happening in the world and what needs putting
right. They can then work out who would be best to put it right. If the media have freedom of expression this
should apply to all things and so be free to criticise religious attitudes to matters life and death.
2 – Many religious figures use the media to criticise government policies on matters of life and death, eg stem cell
research. If they are prepared to use the media to criticise they must be prepared to have their views criticised in
the same manner.
3 – In a multi-faith society there must be complete freedom of religious belief and expression. The media therefore
have the right to question not only religious belief but also what they have to say on issues.
4 – A free media allows people to understand what various arguments are with regard to matters of life and death
and allows them to make informed decisions. This would not be possible if religious opinions were not able to be
criticised.
5 – Society progresses more quickly if there is debate on issues, ideas are scrutinised to find out which arguments
stand up and which fall down. The media has an important role in this.
Test Yourself
(a) What is immortality of the soul? (2)
(b) Do you believe in life after death? (4)
Give 2 reasons for your point of view
(c) Explain why there are different attitudes to euthanasia in Christianity.
(8)
(d) ‘No religious person should ever have an abortion.’
i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3)
ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3)
(Total 20 marks)
(a) What is meant by quality of life?
(2)
(b)Do you believe the media should be free to criticise religion on matters of life
and death?
(4)
Give 2 reasons for your opinion.
(c) Explain how Christian belief in life after death affects the lives of its
followers.
(8)
(d) ‘Euthanasia stops people from suffering, so religious people should agree with
it.’
i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3)
ii) Give reasons why
some people may
disagree with you. (3)
(Total 20 marks)
Remember in all sections you will have
a choice of two questions to answer.
Read ALL parts to a question before
you decide which one to answer.
Choose the one you think you can pick
up most marks on. Pay attention to the
number of marks given per part – c and
d questions have the most marks.
Don’t make a decision based on
whether you can answer part a!!