Module 3 A Living Faith:
This module follows a thematic approach. It focuses on sets of moral
issues and asks students to explore religious teachings in relation to
them. The views and values of the students are juxtaposed with the
moral visions of two religious traditions on the issue. Students will be
asked to explore moral dilemmas and observe or participate in a
religious service relevant to the issue under examination.
This module aims:
• to guide the students in the identification of values
in moral issues
• to introduce students to a process for moral decision making
• to explore issues of Christian morality
• to recognise the potential for growth in moral values
and decision making
• to compare and contrast the moral visions of a variety of
religious traditions.
This module follows a thematic approach. The following themes
should be studied:
• Life Issues
• Relationship Issues
• Justice and Peace
• Morality in the Workplace.
Teachers will choose four issues from each theme.
The focus is to examine the current reality of each issue in society today.
Then the views and values of the students are juxtaposed with the teachings of two
religious traditions on the issue.
Students will be asked to explore moral dilemmas and observe or participate
in a religious service relevant to the issue under examination.
It is important to stress that the religious dimension of
each issue is to be studied.
How to teach Module 3:
Learning
Outcomes
Teacher Guidelines
The Students will be
able to:
Exploration of the theme to
identify the main issues
involved.
Use webbing exercise to
achieve this.
1. state the current
reality of each
moral issue studied
2. compare and
contrast the teaching
of two religious
traditions on
various moral issues
3. apply a moral
decision making
process in solving
moral dilemmas
4. participate in or
observe a religious
service on each
theme.
Teaching Suggestions
Good idea to start with a
look at “what is
morality?” worksheet
with dilemmas:
1. You are given
change of a 20
euro note when
Choose four issues from each
you handed in 10
theme and study them in detail.
euros. Would you
give back the
Fact file: information gathering
money?
exercise to establish the current
2. Hospital in a rural
reality in relation to these
town has one
issues. This can be done through
ventilator. Two
interviews, questionnaires,
teenagers after a
surveys, newspaper articles,
car crash require
videos, television programmes,
it.The father of
films etc.
one boy is a big $
supporter of the
Students identify their own
hospital .Who gets
values in relation to the issues
the ventilator?
and try to examine influences on
3. Boss goes golfing
their moral growth.
you take a half
day.
Examine the teaching of two
4. You work for a
religious traditions on these
stationary
issues.
company. You
help yourself to
Outline a process for moral
paper pens etc on
decision making.
a regular basis. Is
this stealing?
Examine case studies/dilemmas Ask 3 questions for each
on the issues. Apply a process
dilemma
of decision making to each
moral dilemma.
1.What would you do?
2.What would be the
Hold a religious service on each right thing to do/
theme.
3.How do you know it’s
the right thing to do?
The Inner Place Tom
Gunning Veritas 2006.
Good dilemmas
The teacher guidelines
apply to each of the 4
themes to be studies
1. Life Issues
2. Relationship
Issues
3. Justice and Peace
4. Morality in the
Workplace
Choose themes that are
current and relevant to
student needs, interests
and ability.
Conducting a vox pop in
the school corridors/main
shopping area etc. is a
good way of establishing
current reality of any
issue. Collate and display
main findings.
Class discussion/debate
on each issue “what do we
think?”
Exploration of these
issues in two religious
traditions. Guest speaker
opportunity or internet
research.
How do we make moral
decisions? Handout for
this ?
Dilemma worksheet
would be good here?????
See Module 1 Unit 6
The Inner Place Tom
Gunning Veritas 2006
THE THEMES
LIFE ISSUES
• Sanctity of human life
• Respect for persons, physical/sexual
abuse. stereotyping
• Abortion
• Suicide
• Family planning
• Euthanasia
• Birth Technologies
• Violence
• War
• Terrorism
• Capital punishment.
• Drugs/alcohol/smoking.
Comments
Life issues could be done using video
and worksheet.
For suicide: an RTE documentary
Where those left behind talk about
coping after a suicide. Also an article
by Brian Darcy for those who have
been bereaved by suicide. Follow these
with a worksheet all the time focusing
on how those left behind cope rather
than on the mechanics of suicide.
The old Radharc video “Dying for a
Drink” is still the best. The students
can laugh at the clothes and music but
the stories are still real.
With these issues it can be useful to try
to see how does my behaviour affect or
hurt others rather than just looking at
facts.
RELATIONSHIP ISSUES
• Human relationships
• Sexuality
• Family planning
• Marriage
• Divorce
• Sexual orientation
• Aids
• Rape
• Sexual abuse
• Pornography.
JUSTICE AND PEACE
• Human dignity and equality
• Global solidarity
• Social justice
• Discrimination
• Civil Rights
• Homelessness
• Poverty in Ireland and the Third World
• Distribution of wealth
• Institutional structures Personal
experience of being wronged
• Human Rights
• Peacemaking
• Social teaching of the Churches.
Comments
This section could be done over a day.
Perhaps invite Womens aid/Teach
Tearmann/Accord/Aids Alliance/Curahas new name now. A Gov body
chaired by Olive Braiden.
There are groups that still do retreat
type days on relationships
Could easily cover 4 of these in one day
We had a drama group in our school
last year. They worked with each
group in the school for 1 hour on
theme of relationships.
Comments
A good opportunity here for a project.
Do a survey as part of it as a Key
Assignment.
Perhaps do brief classwork on 4 of
these and then divide class onto 4
groups to work on agreed projects .
All the usual suspects here for
resources. Trocaire Combat Poverty
Amnesty etc.
Hunger Pack Trocaire 2006
With good readers you could examine
church documents on these issues
See resources
MORALITY IN THE
WORKPLACE
• Why work?
• Work and a job
• Work and young people
• Values and work
• Rights/responsibilities of the worker
• Rights/responsibilities of the employer
• Women’s work/Men’s work
• Work and technology
• Work and the environment
• Work and leisure
• Unemployment
• Honesty
• Fraud
• Trade Unions.
Comments
Perhaps invite a representative of a
trade union to speak
Again a good opportunity for a project
and a survey.
Combat Poverty has good resources on
this. Also a book “Sugar and Spice”
National Youth Coucil
KEY ASSIGNMENTS
I participated in or observed a religious service
on a moral theme and reported on it to my class/group
I surveyed people in my local area on their attitudes
to one moral issue that I have studied
I made a presentation on the religious perspective
of two religious traditions I have studied
I kept a journal for the duration of the module and
recorded my own experience, thoughts and feelings.
Module 3:A Living Faith
Units:
1.Life Issues
2.Relationships Issues
3.Justice and Peace
4.Morality in the Workplace