The A question – The simplest form of knowledge appears in the (a) part of the question and ask you to give the
meaning of a keyword. That is easy!!! Check your knowledge of these keywords that you have already learnt
Bible
Decalogue
Church
Situation Ethics
Conscience
Golden Rule
Now mark your answer
Partially Correct
Fully Correct
One Mark
Two Marks
The B question – Here is a typical (b) question which asks for your opinion and two reasons to support it
“Do you think it is always best to do exactly what the Church says?”
Do you agree? Give two reasons for your point of view (4)
Use the marking scheme below to mark your answer
Level
Level
Level
Level
1
2
3
4
*Your
*Your
*Your
*Your
opinion
opinion
opinion
opinion
and
and
and
and
brief reason
two brief reasons
ONE brief reason and ONE expanded reason
TWO expanded reasons
1
2
3
4
mark
marks
marks
marks
The C question – This question carries the most marks on the paper. Here is a typical question you might expect
to see on the exam paper.
Explain why Christians think human rights are important. (8)
Here is how the examiner will be looking to mark your answer. Have a go!
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
*One brief reason that describes the issue
*Two brief reasons
*One expanded reason
*One fully developed reason
*Two reasons with ONE fully developed
*Two expanded reasons
*Three reasons with ONE fully developed
1 – 2 marks
3 – 4 marks
5 – 6 marks
7 – 8 marks
The D question – Here you are asked about something and then what people who disagree with you think. Have a
go at the one below!
“The Golden Rule only applies to Christians”
(i)
(ii)
Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion (3)
Explain why some people may disagree with you (3)
This is how the examiner will be looking to mark your answer for both parts (i) and (ii)
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
One brief reason
One expanded reason
Or Two brief reasons
Two expanded reasons
Three brief reasons
1 mark
2 marks
3 marks
The marking grid shows that it is worth giving at least
two reasons to support your view, and the more you can
explain them the better
Remember to refer to at least one religion in your
answer
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Rights and Responsibilities
Key Words
Bible
Church
Conscience
The Decalogue
Democratic
Processes
Electoral Processes
The Golden Rule
Human Rights
Political Party
Pressure Group
Situation Ethics
Social Change
Topic
The Holy book of Christians
The community of Christians (with a small c it means a
Christian place of worship)
An inner feeling of the rightness or wrongness of an
action
The Ten Commandments
The ways in which all citizens can take part in
government (usually through elections)
The ways in which voting is organized
The teaching of Jesus that you should treat others as
you would like them to treat you
The rights and freedoms to which everyone is entitled
A group which tries to be elected into power on the
basis of its policies (e.g. Labour, Conservative)
A group government policy on a particular issue
The idea that Christians should base moral decisions on
what is the most loving thing to do
The way in which society has changed and is changing
(and also the possibilities for future change)
Details
Catholic Upbringing
The Church, Reading the Bible, Praying, Parental
Influence
Religious Experience Numinous Experience, Miracles, Conversion Experience,
Prayer
Design Argument
Paley’s Watch, The Big Bang, DNA, Evolution
Causation
Domino Effect, There must have been a first cause
Science and nonbelief
Agnosticism, Atheism, Big Bang, Evolution, Bible, God
Unanswered Prayer
Prayer, God’s Presence, No-one Listening, Existence
Evil and Suffering
Omni Benevolent, Omnipotent, Omniscient, God
The Media
Songs of Praise, Soaps, Films, Critical of Religion,
Supportive of Religion
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The Bible
The laws of God
The word of God
The teachings of Jesus
The leaders of the Early
Church
1.
There are three different
attitudes towards the
authority of the Bible. Can
you name them??
2.
After each one, write down
what they believe!
3.
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Church
How the Church guides Christians
How the Christian Churches decide how moral issues should be resolved
* The CoE has an assembly which contains elected members from the community.
The assembly will debate the issue and come to a decision on how members
should respond
 In the RCC the leaders of the Church make the moral decisions. The Pope and the
Council of Bishops make up the MAGISTERIUM, which means the teaching
authority of the Church. They offer moral guidance to all Catholics
throughout the world through the Catechism or from letters from the Pope
Why does the Church have authority?
 Christians believe that God continues to speak to them and the world today,
and that God does this through the Church. Christians should follow the
Church’s teachings as they are inspired by God
 The Church is the Body of Christ.
This means that through the Church,
Jesus continues to act in the world today.
 The Church is a community of believers in God.
Therefore, Christians
believe that God guides the Church in its moral teachings
 Priests have had training and studied the teachings of the Bible and Church
for many years. This means that members of their churches trust that
what their leaders are telling them in God’s will.
 The teachings of the Church are important because it means that Christians
are sure of how to behave in certain situations. This way means that
everyone knows what the rules are.
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What is conscience?
 It is a way in which people, both religious and non-religious can judge their moral actions
 It makes us feel guilty of we do things that are wrong
 It is the inner part of a person where the sense of what is right and wrong is developed
 It is a kind of guardian, prompting the believer to respond rightly or wrongly to their moral code
 Some say it is the voice of God
Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience
and desire to live honourably in every way. HEBREWS
13:18
Why some Christians would follow their
Why some Christians thing they should not
conscience
always follow their conscience
Christians believe that God speaks to Christians.
People have been mistaken about the voice of God,
The voice of the conscience seems to be the voice for example the Yorkshire Ripper claimed that God
of God
had told him to kill prostitutes
The Church says that Christians should follow
If Christians follow the teachings of the Bible
their conscience as if it were the voice of God.
they are doing what all Christians agree is the
Christian thing to do
St Paul and St Thomas Aquinas taught that
If Christians follow the teaching of the Church,
Christians should use their conscience as the final
then they know other Christians will think that
part of moral decision making process
what they do is right.
The teachings of the Bible and the Church do not
If everyone followed their conscience rather than
come directly from God. The bible has been
laws, life would become chaotic and no one would
translated and often needs interpreting. The
know what sort of behaviour to expect from each
teachings of the Church come through the Pope,
other. Society needs to have agreement on what is
bishops, ministers, conferences etc. However,
right and wrong to work properly.
conscience is God speaking directly to individuals
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and so should be followed
A human being must always
obey the certain judgement
of his conscience
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
Situation Ethics
What is Situation Ethics?
 Christian approach to moral decision making; theory by Joseph Fletcher
 He suggested that:
1.
Love should be the only principal upon which to make moral choices
2.
A good action is one which aims to do the most loving thing. It is based on the
teaching of Jesus, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you”
3.
A person should obey the rules in the Bible or of the Church if that teaching
results in the most loving thing to do.
Quotes:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with your soul, and with all your strength and
with all your mind; and love your neighbour as
yourself
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay
down his life for his friends
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his
Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us
Why do some Christians use only Situation
What are the disadvantages of Situation
Ethics?
Ethics?
6
Advantages
Disadvantages
Advantages
Disadvantages
Advantages
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Disadvantages
Human Rights in the UK
Parable of the Good Samaritan
List FIVE of the rights we have in the UK
Make notes on the Parable here!! Just remember
the main points
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Why are Human Rights important to Christians?
From one human being he created all races
on earth and made them live throughout the
whole world ACTS 17:26
What do the Commandments have in common with Human
Rights? DP they support human rights?
What does this parable teach about Human Rights?
Explain what this Bible quote teaches about
Human Rights
“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners
and those who are maltreated as if you yourself were suffering”
“Love your neighbour as yourself”
What does this bible quote teach about the
importance of Human Rights?
You know what to do!!!!!
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“Do unto others what you would have them do to you”
Democratic and Electoral Processes
Democracy in the UK
 The UK is a representative democracy, this means the government is elected by the people every five years.
 Participating in the democratic process is important; the people that we vote for will be responsible for the
country over the next five years and they will make important decisions that affect everyone’s lives.
Why it is important to vote
 People over the age of 18 can vote.
 Politics affects every single person in the UK.
 The policies made by the national and local governments rule our lives. They decide how much tax people will
pay; how much people get in benefits; how often the rubbish is collected etc
Ways to get involved
 You could write to your local MP or arrange an appointment to meet with them to speak about issues you
would like them to address
 Lobbying means trying to influence decisions made by the government. This could be done in a variety of
ways either privately, such as writing or publicly, such as taking part in a demonstration or signing a
petition
 People become members of political parties and work and campaign for them without necessarily wanting to
become MPS themselves
Explain why it is important to take part in democratic and electoral processes (8)
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Christian teachings on moral duties and responsibilities
You will have to become confident in some Bible teachings, take some time to read through the teachings and
the explanations
The Parable of the Sheep and Goats
Jesus’ teaching on welfare is shown in this parable. He tells the story of how God will, at the end of the world,
separate his people into those who have helped others (the sheep) and those who have not (the goats!).
Jesus taught that it is the moral duty of a Christian to feed those who are hungry, give clothes to the naked, give
drink to the thirsty, visit the sick and help those who are in prison.
If Christians do these things for people in need, then they are doing them for Jesus
“I tell you the truth, whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”
My brother’s keeper
St Paul taught that Christians must not stand by while others are in need. Earlier, the Bible tells the story of
Cain, a jealous man who killed his brother Abel. Cain then denied that he had anything to do with it and
declared that it was not up to him to care for others. He asked “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Paul used this example of warn Christians that it is their moral duty actively to care for others. “If anyone
has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has not pity on him, how can the love of God be in
him? Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth
Love One Another
“Rich people who see a brother or sister in need, yet close their hearts against them, cannot claim that they love
God. My children, our love should not be just words and talk: it must be true love, which shows itself in action”
What does this mean?
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Christian Moral Duties and Responsibilities
The bible teaches that all Christians have moral duties and responsibilities. The most well-known of these are
the Ten Commandments some of which require believers to undertake the following moral duties
 Honour your mother and father
 Do not murder
 Do not steal
 Do not commit adultery
 Do not lie
 Do not covet (be jealous of) others possessions
Jesus taught his followers to:
1. Love your enemies
2. Give to the needy
3. Do not store up treasure in heaven
4. Do not judge others
5. Treat everyone how you would like to be treated
The nature of genetic engineering
What is genetic engineering?
 This is the process where the structure and characteristics of genes are changed.
 This means that genes can be added, replaced or taken away, which means that genes that cause disorders
can be removed or genes that cause ‘improvements’ can be added
1. Gene therapy is where cells are taken away from an organism and grown in a lab where missing genes are
inserted and the cells allowed to develop. Then these are put back into the bloodstream to cure genetic
disorders
2. Genes can also be used to produce hormones and proteins.
3. Genes can be inserted so that animals can grow human parts
4. Genetic engineering could also be used to change the genes in an embryo.
What is cloning?
 A clone is an exact copy of something
 Reproductive cloning is a technology that is used to create an animal or plant with an identical genetic makeup to another asexual reproduction - where a foetus is created from one person’s or mammal’s cells
rather than two. (for example Dolly the Sheep!)
 It could be used to clone animals that were particularly good at something such as a brilliant racehorse
 Another type of cloning is therapeutic cloning is the cloning of embryos to use in research on human
development and disease. It is used to harvest stem cells
 Stem cells are cells which are developed in an embryo to form many different cells in the body.
What are the issues?
 Nature is very complex and nobody knows exactly what the effects might be. It is still early days in all of
these developments and nobody yet knows whether they can have a negative effect on the planet or
humans
 In the wrong hands, these technologies could be very dangerous.
 Who decides what is defective and what is not?
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 Could this all lead to designer babies??
Christian reasons to AGREE with genetic engineering (these are mainly LIBERAL PROTESTANTS AND
SOME CATHOLICS)
 God has given Christians dominion over all living things on the earth. Some Christians believe that this would
also include the genes of all living things.
 The Golden Rule of Jesus is to “do to others what you would have them do to you” For some Christians this
would mean that genetic engineering is acceptable when it is for the cure of incurable diseases and
disorders
 Jesus healed many people, which suggests that Christians should do all that they can to heal and improve the
health of human beings
 Jesus told his disciples “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick
who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you’”.
CATHOLICS agree with some types of genetic engineering as long as it is only for curing disease and
does not use embryos
 Life begins at the moment of conception whether in the womb or in a glass dish
 Killing an embryo is killing human life, which is banned by the Church and the Bible
 Embryos that are used for research are produced by methods (masturbation) that the RCC does not agree
with
Some Christians are opposed to any form of genetic research at all!!!!
 They believe that God has created the genetic make-up of each human being at the moment of conception and
people have no right to interfere with God’s will
 They believe that genetic engineering is ‘playing God’ and that is a great sin
 They believe that it is wrong to try to make the earth perfect as only heaven is perfect. This life is a
preparation for heaven and should not be used to try to make heaven in earth
Explain why some Christians allow genetic engineering but some do not (8)
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Right and Responsibilities
Self-evaluation checklist
How well have you understood the topics in this section? In the first column of the table
below use the following code to rate your understanding:
Green – I understand this fully
Amber– I am confident I can answer most questions on this
Red – I need to do a lot more work on this topic
Self-Assessment Checklist
My
understanding
is red/
amber/green
Can I give
my
opinion?
Can I give
an
alternative
opinion?
Why some Christians use only the Bible as a basis for making
moral decisions
The authority of the Church for Christians and why some
Christians use only the Church’s teachings as a basis for making
moral decisions
The role of conscience and why some Christians believe conscience
is the most important guide when making moral decisions
Situation Ethics and why some Christians use only Situation Ethics
as a guide when making moral decisions
Human Rights in the UK
Why human rights are important for Christians
Why it is important to take part in democratic and electoral
processes
Christian teachings on moral duties and responsibilities, the
Golden Rule, the parable of the Sheep and Goats, Am I my
brother’s keeper?
The nature of genetic engineering, including cloning
Different attitudes to
genetic
engineering and cloning in
Christianity and the reasons for them
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