Unit 1

1
Harmony is a sense of unity and togetherness, a
genuine sense of wanting to be together.
CHRISTIAN AND JEWISH TEACHING ON FORGIVENESS
An eye for an eye will make the whole world
blind. GHANDI
What causes conflict in a relationship? Lying
Committing adultery Losing trust Being
dishonest Physical harm being placed on another
person Financial problems
Secualr groups The UN and G8
CHRISTIAN JEWISH
The teachings of Jesus from The Beatitudes his words from the cross The actions of Jesus with Zacchaeus Examples of Christians forgiving e.g. Martin Luther King The Lords Prayer Teachings from the Tenakh e.g. treatment of enemies Importance of repentance(teshuvah) Role of Rosh Hashanah and the ten days of returning Only the victim can forgive
Neve Shalom, Oasis of Peace, also known as Wahat
as-Salam is a cooperative village jointly founded
by Israeli Arabs and Jews in an attempt to show
that the two peoples can live side by side
peacefully, as well as to conduct educational
work for peace, equality and understanding
between the two peoples.
Corrymeela is in Northern Ireland. Where people
of all ages and Christian traditions, (Catholics
and Protestants) who individually and together
are committed to the healing of Social, Religious
and Political divisions that exist in Northern
Ireland and throughout the World.
MARTIN LUTHER KING LEONARD BIRD LEO BAECK
GHANDI
Christian and Jewish teachings on forgiveness
Individuals and groups who work for peace
Unit 1 Religion and Conflict
? Do to others what you would have them do to
you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets
Golden rule
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Judaism
PACIFISM
Peace is the ideal
A holy war is a war fought on behalf of God and
supported by God.
Pacifism is the belief that ALL war and violence
is wrong
? Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs
you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let
him slap your left cheek also. (Matthew 539)
JUST WAR PRINCIPLES 1.PROPER AUTHORITY - war
should be declared by a proper authority e.g. a
government or king 2. JUST the war must be
started for a good reason e.g. self-defense,
and not because of greed, etc.. 3. ESTABLISH GOOD
the war must be fought to establish good, or
fight evil 4. REASONABLE CHANCE OF SUCCESS it
should be possible to win the war 5. LAST RESORT
it must be a last resort, when everything else
has been tried, e.g. diplomacy 6. SUFFICIENT
FORCE the amount of force used must be only
enough to succeed - no more 7. CIVILIANS - no
civilians should be involved, and no deliberate
unnecessary cruelty.
?Ahisma - term meaning to do no harm (literally
the avoidance of violence)
If a war is declared, they are called up,
they become CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS, as killing
people is against their conscience
Blessed are the peacemakers for they are Gods
children (Matthew 59)
? You shall not slay them 2 Kings 622
SANCTITY OF LIFE
? neither shall there be war anymore. Micah 43
War is sometimes necessary
? The kshatriyas are a group of warriors within
Hinduism. They are considered important people.
QUAKERS This is the most famous Christian
pacifist denomination
? Greater love has no man than this, that a man
lay down his life for his friends. (John 1513)
Tolerance is being able to get along by making
allowances, being able to forgive when necessary.
2
Jesus showed in his teaching that all people
should be valued "Love your neighbour as
yourself " Mark 1231
Hindus believe that all life is sacred as we all
have a part of the divine soul THE ATMAN in
us. This is a part of Brahman therefore to take
life is against Brahman. This would also create
bad karma.
God has a plan for every human life
? The Hindu way is to choose the action that will
do least harm to all involved the mother and
father, the foetus and society. Hinduism is
therefore generally opposed to abortion except
where it is necessary to save the mother's life.

• Roman Catholics only to preserve the life of
  the mother life is sacred starts on
  conception Thou shall not kill.
• Church of England should not be encouraged but
  sometimes is necessary - In situations where the
  continuance of a pregnancy threatens the life of
  the mother a termination of pregnancy may be
  justified. Church Synod

Christians believe that life is a gift from God.
The purpose of life is to serve God and so we
must treat all people as equal, as they are all
in the image of God.
It is allowed to preserve the mothers life
rape disability mother too young. 2 doctors
must agree foetus cant be viable.
The word sanctity means purity or holiness. When
it is used to describe life itself it expressed
the idea of a preciousness worthy of the highest
respect.
No actual Bible teaching mentions the word
abortion
Abortion became legal in 1967 no later than 28
weeks. In 1990 it was changed to 24 weeks.
ABORTION
Human life is precious
Abortion is the artificial ending of the life of
a foetus in the womb
Unit 2 Religion and Medicine
Sanctity of Life
Artificial insemination In vitro fertilisation
(IVF) Egg donation Embryo donation
Surrogacy Cloning Genetic Engineering Stem
cell controversy
Dont you know that you yourselves are Gods
temple and that Gods Spirit lives in you? If
anyone destroys Gods temple, God will destroy
him for Gods temple is sacred, and you are
that temple. (1 Corinthians 316-17)
Embryology
? Not all Christians think the same thing about
fertility treatment. Some think that it is a form
of mechanical adultery and so it is morally
wrong. Roman Catholics think this. They also
think that if God didnt want you to have a baby
then you shouldnt try to interfere with his
wishes. Quite often there are spare embryos
formed when IVF is used some think it is wrong to
destroy this life as it is a person from the
moment of conception. Other Christians say that
as Jesus healed people it is not wrong to try to
heal people of their infertility. They say that
it is an act of love and Jesus said love your
neighbour as yourself.

• ? Law of Manu (one of their sacred texts)
  encourages infertile couples to adopt a relative
• AIH and IVF are acceptable as they use sperm and
  egg from husband and wife
• The discarded embryos are not foetuses as no
  soul (atman) has been transferred to them
• AID and embryo donations are not allowed as
  caste is passed down through the father

All life deserves respect
Other ways of keeping people alive
The phrase life support refers to the
medications and equipment used to keep people
alive in medical situations.
DNRs are Do Not Resuscitate orders. A DNR order
on a patient means that a doctor is not required
to resuscitate that patient.
Organ Transplants/Removal



To remove a body organ and replace in a different
body.
Life should not be destroyed
Life is God-given
3
AIMS OF PUNISHMENT

• Protection of the public e.g. prison
• Retribution (revenge)
• Deterrence
• Reformation to change a criminals ways e.g.
  community service
• Vindication people must respect the law or
  their will be a consequence
• Reparation chance to pay for the crime

RELIGIOUS VIEWS ON PUNISHMENT CHRISTIANITY It
is right to obey the government and uphold the
law (St Paul). Punishment and forgiveness can
go together but there must be reform in order to
reconcile the criminal and society. Punishment
should rehabilitate offender and change their
behaviour. Prison acceptable but other forms of
punishment preferred. Christians would turn to
the Bible for support and guidance. HINDUISM
Any form of sin is an act against dharma (duty).
For the Hindu their dharma includes self-control,
religious and social duty and customs in
religious ceremonies and worship, good conduct,
and their keeping to the law. The rules for
varnashramadharma are contained in the holy texts
and there are punishments or danda. This
includes retribution, restraint and reformation.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL organization for human
rights attempting to end capital punishment and
release political prisoners. Over 3000 executed
in 2001 in 31 countries. It campaigns through
letters, petitions and emails sent to governments
to protest.

• Declaration of Human Rights
• Article 1.
• All human beings are born free and equal in
  dignity and
• Article 2.
• Everyone is entitled to all the rights and
  freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without
  distinction of any kind, such as race, colour,
  sex, language, religion, political or other
  opinion, national or social origin, property,
  birth or other status.

Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass
against us

• WHAT IS CRIME?
• Breaking the law of the country

Religious people who have argued with the
state ?Oscar Romero El Salvador ?Mahatma
Ghandi - India
Unit 3 Religion and State

• CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Abolished in Britain in 1970
• Hanging, firing squad, stoning, electric chair or
  lethal injection

RELIGIOUS VIEWS ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT CHRISTIANIT
Y Some support it as a deterrent but others
believe that other forms of punishment are
preferable. Quakers believe reform is always
possible.
The Suffragettes
In 1903 Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters
Christabel and Sylvia founded the Womens Social
and Political Union. They wanted women to have
the right to vote and they were not prepared to
wait. The Union became known as the Suffragettes.
They harassed politicians, burned churches,
chained themselves to the railings outside
Buckingham Palace, shouted abuse outside
Parliament and refused to pay taxes.


They were imprisoned but
went on hunger strike. Still women did not get
the vote. In 1913 Emily Davison died after trying
to grab the reins of the kings horse in the
Derby. in 1918 the full vote was given to women
of age 30 and older.

• AGAINST
• Innocent people have been executed
• No evidence of it being a deterrent
• Other alternatives e.g. prison also protects
  society
• Life is sacred
• Only God can judge others
• Barbaric mentally and physically
• FOR
• Deterrent
• An eye for an eye certain criminals deserve
  to die
• Protects the public and stops re-offending
• Many criminals in prison are allowed parole
• Cheaper than prison

HINSUISM "An eye for an eye ends up making the
whole world blind" Gandhi There is no official
Hindu line on capital punishment. However,
Hinduism opposes killing, violence and revenge,
in line with the principle of ahimsa
(non-violence). At present more than 100 people
are on death row in India, although the number of
executions in that country is actually very low
and the Indian Supreme Court has ruled that the
death penalty should only be used in the rarest
of rare cases.
Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars
and to God the things that are Gods. Mark 12
17
How many times do I have to forgive him? Jesus
replied, Seventy times seven.
4
He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ
and the glories that would follow.. I Peter
110-11
Some Christians believe the devil is a fallen
angel who tries to fight against God and tempt
humans.
References to Satan/The Devil can be found in the
Bible in Genesis 3 The story of Adam and Eve.
The serpent who led them astray is understood to
have been the Devil in disguise The Book of Job
The story of a good man Job, tested by the Devil
to see if he would give up his faith when
everything in his life went disastrously
wrong Matthew Chapter 4 Jesus is tested by the
Devil
Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary
for the Christ to suffer. Luke 24 46
Other Christians believe the devil is not real
but symbolises all the evil in the world.
What is Karma? It is believed by Hindus that if
something bad happens to you it is because you
have done something bad, either recently or in a
previous life you have bad karma. Similarly, if
something good happens to you, you have good
karma. If humans have lived a bad life overall,
they will probably be born as a less favourable
being, possibly an animal or a human in a lower
caste. Similarly if a human has created good
karma throughout their life, they will probably
be born as a more favourable being, possibly a
wealthier person or a guru (religious teacher).
In Christianity, the suffering of Jesus on the
cross is seen as a great example, as an innocent
man is put to death in a most cruel way. His
death is followed by the resurrection, which
gives hope to all who suffer.
Moral Evil- suffering caused by Humans like
murder Natural Evil- suffering caused by nature
like earthquakes
Love suffers longand is kind. I Corinthians 134
Theist believer Atheist non-believer Agnostic
- unsure
Benevolent- All Loving Omnipotent- All
Powerful Omniscient- All Knowing Omnipresent
Everywhere
Unit 4 Suffering and Evil
How can such a God allow evil and suffering to
take place in the world that he created?
Reincarnation Rebirth of the soul Samsara is
the cycle of rebirth and that after we are
reborn into a new body. Moksha is achieved
when we realise our i dentity with God. Moksha
means the destruction of delusion. Atman The
soul
Jesus and suffering Jesus taught that his
followers should overcome suffering with
goodness. This meant turning the other cheek
in the face of hostility or unkindness. He told
many stories to illustrate this idea, such as the
Good Samaritan. By continually doing good in the
face of evil and wrongdoing, Christians believe
it will be overcome. To do this requires Gods
help through the Holy Spirit.
Freewill?
When God made humans he did not want us to be
like puppets on strings, only doing what he
wanted. So instead he made humans to have a
choice to chose how we want to behave. Basically
he wanted us to have the FREEDOM to be Good or
Bad.

• Christian response to suffering and evil
• All suffering both natural and man made is mans
  fault.
• The story of the fall of man (when Adam and Eve
  ate the Apple) explains that suffering and evil
  came into Gods perfect creation because of human
  disobedience.
• All suffering came out of humans free choice.
• Evil and suffering is a test from God. Without
  bad we would not be able to judge who and what
  is good.

CAFOD Catholic Fund For Overseas Development
raises funds to support projects with the poor.
Example of one of its schemes is THE COMMUNITY
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS CHILDREN in
Brazil. SEWA established in 1972 in India to
help poor, self-employed women.
Every Hindu should do their dharma (duty).
And if one member suffers, all the members
suffer. I Corinthians 1226
5
Holy ?Something to be revered or respected above
other things ?Deriving from God or
religion ?Something special and sacred

• Rules of Behaviour in a Church
• No talking during the sermon or Bible reading
• No smoking inside
• Men remove caps or hats on entering
• Avoid eating in the main sanctuary
• Make sure mobile phones are off

Music
Images
Ornate decorations
Why do people need a place of worship?


? The
building has a feeling of holiness its
sacred. ? Its a religious duty to attend a place
of worship. ? Its good to meet with others to
worship. ? People feel close to God in it. ?
Theres a sense of community spirit there.
Symbolism Objects/actions that have special
meaning
Holy Communion / Eucharist Bread Jesus
body Wine Jesus blood Catholics
literal Others - symbolism
Symbols/artefacts
?Church The five main features of a Church
are ALTAR PUPLITLECTERNFONT STAINED GLASS
WINDOWS
For people of a religious faith, one way of
expressing their faith is by going to a place of
worship. The purpose of a building is likely to
show in the way it is designed.

• The Mandir Hindu temple
• Incense purify aer and for gods
• No shoes - respect
• No chairs evryone equal
• Mahamandapa main prayer hall
• Garbagriha altar for the gods
• Bhagavad Gita holy book
• Bottle of water from the Ganges
• Aum sacred symbol
• Swastika good fortune symbol
• Sikhara above the altar, symbol of the many
  Hindu temples
• Murtis statues of the gods

Unit 5 Religious Expression
Religious Buildings
Sacred Something special that should be
respected Set apart and dedicated to God

• Rules of behaviour in a Mandir
• Removing shoes before entering
• Partaking of prashad
• Treating murtis with respect

Places of Pilgrimage
Puja is the act of showing reverence to a
god. Arti is the ceremony of lighting the lamp
during Puja

• PILGRIMAGE Every religion has a special place
  which
• means a lot to the followers of that particular
  religion because
• Of their connection with the founder or an
  important person
• within that religion,
• An important event or experience,
• They go there to show their devotion to the
  religion,
• To be a witness to the religion,
• To grow spiritually through the experience.

Mission, Evangelism and Interfaith Dialogue
MISSION The word means The act of sending or
the duty on which a person is sent. In religion
it is referred to act of going out to preach the
faith to others. EVANGELISM The word means
good tidings or the gospel. In religion it
means the way religions spread their beliefs to
others. INTERFAITH DIALOGUE Discussion between
members of different religious groups.
Within some religions, there is an expectation or
an emphasis on making an effort to tell other
people about the faith. This may take many
forms Interactive Activity Group e.g. holding
vigils School assemblies Street Evangelists
Council of Faiths in cities groups like
Corrymeela Literature tracts.

• The Holy Land Connection with Jesus e.g. The
  Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Golgotha
  (crucifixion) Garden tomb in Jerusalem.
• Lourdes St. Bernadette visions of the Virgin
  Mary spring of water with healing properties.

"In whatever way men come to me, so I accept
them. For many are the paths of men, but they all
in the end come to me. Bhagavad Gita, Chapter
4,Verse 11
? Ganges/Varanasi River Ganges people get
cremated here. Brings spiritual fulfilment and
helps bring good karma. 2, 000 temples here.
Dialogue is an indispensable step along the path
towards human self-realization. (Letter of John
Paul II, 1995).