See how many of the questions are the same with slightly different wording.
Topic 5 – Good and Evil
From 2003 paper
(a)Describe Christian beliefs about the Devil (Satan) [8]
(b)Explain the ways in which a Christian might try to find out the right answer to a difficult moral problem. [7]
(c)‘If people suffer, it is usually their own fault’. Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
(a)Describe how Christians might try to find out the right way to behave [8]
(b)Explain how Christians might cope with suffering [7]
(c)‘If you believe in God, suffering doesn’t matter.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2005 paper
(a) Describe Christian beliefs about good and evil [8]
(b) Explain the ways in which a Christian might try to find the answer to a moral problem [7]
(c) 'When people suffer they are being punished for something they have done'. Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2006 paper
(a)Describe Christian beliefs about God and the Devil [8]
(b)Explain how these beliefs might help people who are suffering [7]
(c)‘If God was really good then people who not suffer.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
Topic 6 – Religion and Human Relationships
From 2003 paper
(a)Describe Christian beliefs about divorce [8]
(b)Explain how a Christian marriage service might guide a couple in their married life [7]
(c)‘Divorce is never the best way to solve problems with a marriage.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2005 paper
(a) Describe Christian beliefs about divorce [8]
(b) Explain how a Christian marriage service might help a couple in their married life [7]
(c) 'Divorce is never right.' Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2006 paper
(a)Describe the roles of men and women in a Christian family [8]
(b)Explain Christian attitudes towards divorce [7]
(c)‘Every Christian should get married.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. [5]
Topic 7 - Religion and Medical Ethics
From 2003 paper
(a)Describe Christian teachings about euthanasia [8]
(b)Explain why Christians might be opposed to suicide [7]
(c)‘All life is worth living.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2005 paper
(a)Describe Christian attitudes to abortion [8]
(b)Explain how a Christian might respond to someone who was thinking about suicide.
(c)‘Only God has the right to take away life.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2006 paper
(a) Describe Christian attitudes towards abortion [8]
(b) Explain why some Christians might be against fertility treatment. [7]
(c) ‘It is up to God to decide if a woman is going to have a baby.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
(c) ‘Life comes from God and only God should be allowed to take life.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
(c) ‘People who are suffering should be allowed to take their own lives.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
Topic 9 – Religion, poverty and wealth
From 2003 paper
(a) Describe the main causes of hunger in the world [8]
(b) Explain why a Christian might give money to charity [7]
(c) 'It does not matter how you earn your money, as long as you make enough to live on.' Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2005 paper
(a) Describe the main causes of hunger in the world [8]
(b) Explain why a Christian might regularly give money to charity [7]
(c) 'It does not matter how you earn your money.' Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2006 paper
(a)Describe Christian teachings about concern for the poor [8]
(b)Explain why a Christian might give money to charity [7]
(c)‘People must look after their family before they worry about the poor.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
Topic 10 – Religion, Peace and Justice
(a)Describe Christian teachings about ‘Just War’ [8]
(b)Explain Christian attitudes towards pacifism. [7]
(c)‘Violence is always wrong.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2003 paper
(a) Describe what Christians mean by a 'Just War' [8]
(b) Explain how Christians might respond if they see other people being treated very badly by a government [7]
(c) 'Sometimes using violence is the only way to solve a problem.' Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2005 paper
(a) Describe what Christians mean by a 'Just War' [8]
(b) Explain Christian atittudes to the treatment of criminals [7]
(c)'Violence is never the best way to solve a problem.' Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
From 2006 paper
(a)Describe Christian teachings about war [8]
(b) Explain why a Christian might work for peace [7]
(c) 'Violence is sometimes necessary.' Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
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19 comments:
(a)Describe how Christians might try to find out the right way to behave [8]
Christians may find the right way to behave from the bible, and the ten commandments within. Although the different testaments often present conflicting views I.e. “blessed are the peacemakers” and conversely “an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth” they are still open to interpretation. They believe that prophets wrote the bible, guided by god. They use the teachings, parables (stories with a moral) to help them with their decisions. They may look at the ‘sermon on the mount’ and the ‘beatitudes’ for guidance.
However Christians may also ask god himself for help and/or guidance through prayer. Although he may not actually speak to them directly most Christians feel that god does offer them guidance and may not ‘speak’ to them through words but still his presence is comforting.
They may also find out the right way to behave from their conscience. Although this method is only effective if the conscience is listened to - “a conscience cannot stop you from doing things, it stops you from enjoying them”. However if a person instinctively realises that something is wrong they are less likely to behave immorally.
(b)Explain how Christians might cope with suffering [7]
Christians may cope with suffering in different ways. For them, suicide isn’t an option as it can be seen as having ‘a lack of faith in god’. However they may believe that because gave us free will people have the freedom to choose to do either right or wrong; it is not god’s fault if people do wrong and they believe that they should accept their suffering and learn compassion from it.
They believe that without suffering we would not be able to develop as human beings. We would all be robots, that did not know the horrors of being poor, or danger. They might think that even though their suffering is a painful experience that they will become a better, more knowledgeable person for it.
Other Christians may believe that their suffering is a test from god (similar to the book of Job wherein his faith in god is tested by him suffering, and he learnt that he should accept it) to see if they are faithful. However other Christians disagree with this. They believe that god is ‘all-knowing’ so does not need to test their faith.
Christians maybe able to cope with their suffering because they believe that those who suffer now will later be rewarded in heaven. They believe that because god has suffered, their suffering will bring them closer to him than if they were not. They might also believe that god answers prayers when people ask for help; Jesus healed those who were sick and brought people back to life.
If they are finding it hard to cope with life then they might seek advice or help from an organisation such as ‘The Samaritans’.
(c)‘If you believe in God, suffering doesn’t matter.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
I believe that even if you believe in god, suffering still matters. Perhaps it is easier to cope with, because you can believe that this is ‘all part of god’s plans for you’ and that there is a purpose or a reason behind your suffering. If you do not believe in a god it might be harder to accept it as you might believe that it is happening for no other reason than misfortune.
As some Christians believe that suffering is a test, this might help them accept their suffering. It doesn’t meant that the suffering doesn’t matter; after all this could be considered as a test to prove their faith and love in god. If they do not ‘pass it’ as such then it could be devastating.
Some Christians find it just as difficult to believe the concept of suffering as people do who do not believe in god. They think that if god was ‘all-powerful’ and ‘all-loving’ that he would not actually allow suffering. This is why some Christians make the argument that there is a purpose to their suffering and that while god does not like to see people suffer he believes it to be necessary.
Believing in god doesn’t mean that suffering matters any less; in fact, many Christians do all they can to help stop people from suffering. Such as running charities like CAFOD, Tearfund and Christian Aid. They might also work as a part of a counselling service to help those who are suffering themselves.
Suffering is a part of everybody’s life, religious or not.
The only thing you might add to part (a) is the example of Jesus. Many Christians will try and follow the example of Jesus life, how he treated others and what he said and did. When making a decisions, they may think what would Jesus do?
(b) nothing wrong with part (b), but you should also include Christians cope with suffering knowing that God does not ignore their sufferings. Some Christians believe that God suffered when Jesus suffered on the cross. Prayer is also very important for Christians. Christians pray bringing their suffering before God and asking him for help.
part (c) answer is fantastic! You have shown different opinions and also discussed it. How long did the three answers take?
Mr Goodliff
The above questions took around twenty five minutes, the following ones only twenty. Thank you for reading. :)
(a) Describe Christian beliefs about divorce [8]
Some Christians believe that divorce is a last resort; if a marriage is not working (for any reason) and that more unhappiness is caused than anything else then they believe that divorce should be deemed okay. This could possibly be because they believe the teaching, “teach others how you want to be treated” or because of them having unconditional love for everyone “agape”. Some Christians believe that divorce is okay in different situations; this would be an example of relative morality.
If a Christian divorces they are generally allowed to re-marry. This is possibly because Christians believe in forgiveness. “Do not judge, for you in turn will be judged by the same standards” - if a Christian judges those who decides to have a divorce instead of accepting, and respecting, their decision then they are not practising unconditional love.
Christians do not promote divorce but they realise that it may happen, and it is sometimes the best way out of a difficult situation. Jesus allows divorce on the grounds of adultery though.
However, Roman Catholics believe that divorce is wrong. They think that if a man divorces his wife she will be committing adultery if she decides to re-marry. It should be noted that Roman Catholics do allow annulments; this is where the marriage is, quite simply, dissolved. Annulment is not the same as divorce; it is believed that then the marriage has never existed and that one or both of the people were ‘tricked’ into marriage. They are allowed to not live together but they are not allowed to have a sexual relationship with other people.
Christians may encourage people, or take part in, family counselling as they believe the family unit to be extremely important.
(b) Explain how a Christian marriage service might help a couple in their married life [7]
“Relate” is an example of an organisation that Christians may support. It is not connected with any religion but it does help to hold marriages together. A Christian marriage service many also work in the same manner; they want the marriage to stay together, so the family unit also remains intact. It helps them work through their problems. They might offer confidential counselling for the people involved.
The service may place a particular emphasis on believing that ‘marriage is for life’ and that the couple should work through their problems together rather than abandoning their marriage. Their marriage had been blessed by god; they promised to be faithful to the other and this means that instead of divorcing, or separating, they should respect their mutual agreement.
One of the purposes of marriage maybe for the couple to have children; at their wedding prayers are said for the couple asking for god to bless them with children. This could be part of god’s plans.
(c) 'Divorce is never right.' Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
I believe that divorce is completely subjective; it’s hard to say these things are ‘right’ or wrong. It all depends on the individuals involved in the marriage. If they do not believe that their marriage is working, for whatever reason, then it may be good for them to split. This ensures that they are both happy; and surely we should not condemn other peoples choices if it would make them happier and end their suffering? Christians may believe that this is practising unconditional love - ‘agape’.
In fact, even if I did not believe that the grounds for divorce were completely suitable I would still respect their decision or forgive them for their mistake. Jesus himself teaches that we should ‘forgive others’ and ‘love thy enemies’ - we should love everybody,. forgive them and treat them as we ourselves would want to be treated.
While I would never encourage divorce it should be acknowledged that it does happen, may be inevitable.
Divorce isn’t right or wrong. It depends on the situation, the individuals involved, and if they have a family. Their judgement should be respect, and help should be offered to see if the partners can be helped into deciding to try and work through the problems in their marriage.
While some people I.e. Roman Catholics may believe that divorce is never right (“Matthew: a man should not divorce his wife because she will be committing adultery if she remarries”), Church of England decide to take another route by respecting their actions and forgiving them.
After all - their divorcing could be all part of god’s plans.
timing sounds good.
comments on part (a) answer: It's gnerally good. I'd start with something like 'Christians have different beliefs about divorce. In the Bible Jesus himself expresses different beliefs about divorce. In one gospel he says it is not permitted and in another gospel he permits it in the case of adultery.'
you wrote: 'because of them having unconditional love for everyone “agape”.' I'd change to 'because of them having agape, which is greek for unconditional love, towards people.
You wrote: 'This is possibly because Christians believe in forgiveness.' Remove the word 'possibly'
comments on part (b): by christian marriage service they mean the wedding ceremony. the question is confusing. so you need to refer to the vows the couple make, that the ceremony is before God and blessed by God. See my possible answers on human relationship questions in post above. (If you had written what you wrote in the exam you would still have got most of the marks because the question is confusing.)
comments on part (c): good answer. I would talk about 'divorce is neither right or wrong, but it is always sad when a marriage breaks down or ends.' you're answer is weighted towards you opinion, make sure you adequately show the other point of view. Perhaps you could start by saying why some christians would agree that divorce is never right, before giving your opinion and reasons.
You answers are really good. Consider structure. work on some simple sentence starters which you can use in almost every answer.
Mr Goodliff
(a) Describe Christian beliefs about good and evil [8]
Christians believe that there are different types of evil: natural and moral evil. Examples of natural evil include natural disasters that people are not responsible for I.e. earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis. Some Christians believe that humans are, indeed, responsible for natural disasters too - they think that God created things perfectly and that when humans disobeyed God there was a ‘fall’ which upset natures balance.
Christians believe that moral evil is harm deliberately caused by humans behaving in a cruel or unkind manner; an example of this could be murder or a burglary. Both natural and moral evil can result in other peoples suffering. Christians might believe that there is a purpose to their suffering, for instance: so we can develop as humans, a test sent from God to prove their faith to him, and to improve and build a greater relationship with God.
It is thought that there might be no suffering in the world if God hadn’t given us free will; however most Christians do believe that free will is a good thing as it gives us equal opportunities of doing good and bad - it is us who choose not to.
Some Christians also believe that ‘evil’ comes from the Devil, whom is the opposite of God. Other Christians think that the Devil is more a ‘metaphor’ and a ‘symbol’ of the bad deeds rather than the real source of evil.
God represents all ‘good’ and you can only go to heaven and be near him once you are free of sin.
Commments on answer: I'd start by saying something like: 'Christians believe God is good and and that he created a good world. They would say that all goodness orginates in God. Christian views on evil are more varied...'
The stuff about 'suffering' is not needed. I'd expand a little bit more on the devil. Other stuff you might include are: a) some christians say that evil is a mystery that we cannot fully understand. b) other Christians believe that evil came into the world when adam and eve rebelled against God in the garden of eden.
Mr Goodliff
(b)Explain why a Christian might give money to charity [7]
A christian may give to charities for many reasons.Most christians belive that helping the poor is morally right and that if you ignore or neglect the poor you will be punished. Many may see giving money to charity as a way of helping the needy.
Some christians belive in the liberation theology, which is the literal selling of all your possessions and giving the money to chairties/the poor. However other christians have interpreted the bible to mean give as much as you realistically can, not all you have; ie ensure you have enough money for food and clothing.
The bible says 'blessed are those who are poor' and insists on more than one occasion that christians must not ignore the poor. Part of the greatest commandment is 'love your neighbour as yourself' this is supported by jesus in his sermon on the mount when he says 'treat those the way you would like to be treated'.
There are many different charities a christian could donate to, some religiously linked and others not. An example of a religous charity is Christian Aid or Tearfund, both of which aim to provide help in emergencies and implement long-term solutions to help. There are multiple parables that state those that look after the poor will be separated into heaven after death and be on God's side for all eternity.
Many christians may feel a responsibilty to help the poor because of their faith and therfore give to charities.
comments on part (b) charity question:
instead of 'if you ignore or neglect the poor you will be punished' I might rephrase it along the lines of 'Jesus tells a parable which suggests their eternal consequences for those who ignore helping the poor'
'liberation theology' is the belief that christians should take political action to support the poor and help the oppressed. i don't think it really works in this question.
generally this is good and 5/6 out of 7. In my attempt to answer this question I wrote:
All Christians try and follow the teachings of the Bible because they believe it contains how God wants them to live. The Bible says a lot about God’s heart for the poor. In the Bible, St. Paul says that God likes a cheerful giver and that people should set aside money on a regular basis to give to the church to help the poor. The Bible also teaches that you can’t claim to love God and ignore those in need, that loving God and loving other people are the same thing. Elsewhere Jesus teaches that God will judge people on the basis of whether they care for the poor or not.
Mr Goodliff
(a)Describe Christian attitudes to abortion [8]
Christian attitudes to abortion vary. Sometimes they believe that it is the most ‘loving’ thing to do - they follow the phrases, “treat others how you would like to be treated” and “love your neighbour”. They believe in agape which is the Greek word for ‘unconditional love’. Furthermore, they think that sometimes an abortion could be the right solution for a difficult situation. They think that a person should consider all other options first; some Christians even work as apart of a support group for mothers who are considering it.
Roman Catholics believe that only God has the right to give and take life. They think that abortion is wrong in all circumstances except when having the baby would damage the mothers health: for instance if the mother had cancer in the uterus then they think that terminating the baby would be an acceptable thing to do.
Other Christians think that abortion is wrong as everyone is made in the image of God - “you are made in God’s image”. The think that God has a plan for everyone - “before you were formed in the womb, I knew you” - and that these plans should not be tampered with. God is ‘all-knowing’ and knows what is best for all of us. They also think that life is scared and that it isn’t our place to take it. They also see abortion as being very similar to murder. This is known as the ‘sanctity of life’.
(b)Explain how a Christian might respond to someone who was thinking about suicide.
Some Christians might consider a person who is thinking about committing suicide as having a lack of faith in God. Generally, however, they do not see this person as being ‘wicked’ or ‘evil’ - they simply believe that they are in a very unhappy place and need help to become happy again. One example of a charity that helps people who are depressed or considering suicide is ‘The Samaritans’. Christians do not believe that these people should be judged for their thoughts, just loved unconditionally and given all the help and support that they need.
It should be noted that they do believe that suicide is ‘interfering with God’s plans’. Like many people, Christians believe that ‘everyone and every thing has a time to die’. By committing suicide you are interfering with God’s plans and not accepting, and learning, from your suffering. They might also think that God is the only person who can give and take life as it is sacred.
(c)‘Only God has the right to take away life.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
Many Christians would agree with this statement as they believe that only God has the right to give and take life. They believe that we were made in the ‘image of God’ - he planned us this way and he is ‘all knowing’ and ‘all powerful’ we should accept his plans and not meddle with them.
However, other Christians believe that ending a life can sometimes be the most considerate and loving thing to do for them in their suffering. Jesus said, “treat others how you want to be treated” - sometimes a person is not living, just existing, and it might be considered unfair to preserve their life unnecessarily if the person is ready to die.
I think that it should be remembered that God does forgive people for their sins; and this would include taking a life. If a person feels that suicide, euthanasia, or abortion is the best option for them I believe that he would forgive them.
Amber,
part (a) comments: excellent, you wrote 'scared' instead of 'sacred'
part (b) comments: excellent, you might want to take about how christians would see their life as a gift from God to be respected and precious
part (c) comments: you might want to include the Roman Catholic principle of 'double effect' in the second to last paragraph.
Mr Goodliff
(a) Describe what Christians mean by a 'Just War' [8]
Most Christians accept that war is sometimes a necessary action, however if war must occur they believe they should be ‘just’. Thomas Aquinas first came up with the just war theory, Just war meaning that the war is fair.
In order for a war to be deemed Just it must meet 5 requirements, these are;
1- The war must be started by the proper authority, for example the government, not individual groups.
2- There must be a Just cause for going to war, not greed or revenge
3-Good, rather than evil must be the outcome of war and when the war has ended peace must be restored
4-proportionate force must be used, and those that do not pose threats like elderly or sick must not be targeted.
5- The war must be a last resort, and other ways to resolve the conflict have already been tried.
Some refuse to fight in wars, these are called ‘conscientious objectors’ and do not fight or make weapons because their conscience tells them not to.
However, even if the just war requirements are met, some Christians will never think war is acceptable. The Religious Society of Friends, often known as the Quakers, is a Christian church which is against violence of any sort. People that are against violence are called pacifists, and they will try to resolve issues in non-violent ways such as boycotts or non-violent demonstrations.
Most Christians will try to avoid violence, but whilst some cannot ever accept it others see it as necessary to overcome greater evil.
(b) Explain Christian attitudes to the treatment of criminals [7]
Most Christians believe in forgiveness and therefore think that criminals should be dealt with humanly. They do mostly agree, however, that a person should be punished for committing a crime. There are 4 main aims of punishment;
1- deterrence- acts as a warning to others so they will not commit the crime
2-protection- protect society from the criminal
3- reformation- the criminal has a chance to become a better person
4- retribution- the victim can see the criminal has paid for the crime committed
Christians have divided views over capital punishment (being sentenced to death) and the bible supports both sides of the debate.
Some Christians believe the Bible supports war and violence on many occasions and says ‘life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth’; meaning if a criminal had committed murder he should pay with his life.
Other Christians say human life is sacred, and should not be destroyed. Jesus said that people should ‘turn the other cheek’ instead of retaliating, which capital punishment can be seen as. The Bible also promotes forgiveness and says that people should not point out others faults unless they themselves are sin-free.
Most Christians also believe the treatment of criminals in jail should be humane. Elizabeth Fry, a Quaker, was a prison reformer that fought for human rights for prisoners.
Most Christians agree that criminals should be punished in some way, but differ on whether they should be dealt with through capital punishment.
(c)'Violence is never the best way to solve a problem.' Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
Some Christians would say that violence is never the answer. They would argue that Jesus said ‘blessed are the peacemakers’ and taught for people to ‘love their neighbour’. There is a group of people who believe violence is never needed, which are called pacifists. These Christians would say a problem can always be solved non-violently.
However other Christians support the view violence is sometimes needed to prevent evil from defeating good. They back up this opinion with teachings from the Bible; Jesus himself resorts to violence when he sees people misusing a temple. They may try other ways of diffusing conflicts but accept sometimes there is no alternative.
I personally believe that violence is sometimes necessary, but used excessively in today’s society.
comments on (a): excellent answer. because the question is specifically about 'just war' you probably do not need all the extra stuff about pacifism at the end, but definitely include that if you the question asked is 'describe christian attitudes to war'
comments on (b): really good answer. you wrote: 'Christians have divided views over capital punishment (being sentenced to death) and the bible supports both sides of the debate.
Some Christians believe the Bible supports war and violence on many occasions....'. Slight changes I wold make: 'Christians have different views on capitial punishment (being sentenced to death) and the Bible can be used to support both sides of the debate. Some Christians believe the Bible supports a violent form of retribution ....'
comments on (c): again good. I might change 'These Christians would say a problem can always be solved non-violently', to something like 'These Christians would say that conflict must always try and be solved using non-violent methods'.
and if you're going to use the example of Jesus in the temple, I would talk about controlled anger. That is Jesus' actions were controlled, they did not harm any people. So the use of violence must be controlled and proportionate.
In my opinion, when I look at war and violence today it is out of control and inproportionate and therefore unjust. I guess the question is can violence ever be controlled, will it not always breed more violence or the misuse of violence (torture, civilian deaths, friendly fire deaths, terrorism)
Mr Goodliff
(a)Describe the roles of men and women in a Christian family [8]
Some Christians think within a family, men and women were created for different purposes.
Some Christians look at the genesis story of creation and say that Eve was created as a companion for Adam and was made from Adams’ lung. This leads some Christians to believe that a women’s purpose is to be a companion for their husband. Further on in the genesis story, Eve was the first one to sin and then tempts Adam to also sin. Some Christians say that this means women should follow their husband’s decisions as they are less likely to make the right decisions. They also think it is a women’s place to support the husband in any way they can; for example staying at home and looking after the children.
Other Christians, however, see these views as outdated and believe that God created both men and women ‘in his own image’ therefore making them equal. They believe that both men and women deserve equal opportunities and responsibilities in modern day society. These Christians would share care of children and workloads equally.
Christians have differing views upon the roles men and women should take within family; some support traditional values and say it is a women’s place at home, others believe men and women are completely equal so share responsibilities (looking after children, work etc.)
(b)Explain Christian attitudes towards divorce [7]
The Bible is not completely clear on its’ views on divorce; in one part it says divorce is only acceptable if the wife has been unfaithful to the husband, but in another it says divorce is unacceptable. It is up to individual Christians to interpret this and decide which they agree with.
Roman Catholic Churches are against divorce as they see marriage as a sacrament that can never be broken unless one of the partners dies. They believe marriage to be for life but do let partners live apart as long as they don’t have sexual relation with anyone else. The church does accept annulments in serious circumstances, which means the marriage never existed in the first place. A Roman catholic that wanted to get divorced would have to choose between staying married and getting divorced without the recognition of the church.
Church of England churches take a different stance upon the issue of divorce. They think that if a marriage is not working at all then divorce should be permitted. They believe this to be consistent with the principle of Agape, which means unconditional love, as you should love ‘you neighbour’ no matter what. However, if someone that had got divorced wanted to re-marry in church it would be up to the vicar/minister to decide whether or not they were taking marriage seriously enough.
Most Christians agree that if a couple is having problems they should try marriage counseling to try and sort it out.
(c) ‘Every Christian should get married.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. [5]
Some Christians will argue that every Christians should get married as God originally made Eve for Adam to ensure he had companionship. They may say that marriage is the best context for children and for creating a loving family which is important.
Other Christians may say that God has a plan for everyone, and for some people this may not include marriage. People may prefer to live together in a committed loving relationship than get married.
I personally believe that you cannot generalize by saying every Christian should get married. I think marriage should only be undertaken if wanted so by both partners. In today’s society perhaps people should take more consideration before getting married as more marriages are ending in divorce.
How would you answer the question that says:
"Explain how Christians may respond if they see other people being treated hardly by the government?"
I wouldn't know what to say, because parts A and C to that question are relatively easy (well the ones I have revised so far)
(Describe Christian beliefs on Euthansia)
Euthansia can be classified into four things and they are, passive euthansia, active euthansia, voluntary euthansia and involuntary euthanisa. Passive euthansia is when something is passed down to the paitent (to keep them alive) is stopped. Fot example if a person was living on a life support machine and it was turned off. Active euthansia is when something physical is done to stop their life, such as a lethal injection. Voluntary Euthansia is when the paitent asks to die themselves, whereas involuntary euthansia is when someone else makes the decision for the person because they can't. For example if they were babies, because they cannot communicate.
Some Christians maybe for euthansia because if it relieves pain, it is the most loving way to behave. Jesus said "treat others as you would want to be treated" so if you belive that you would want to be killed if you were in pain, they they have the right to ask for death.
Other Christians maybe against euthansia because they belive God gave you life and that it is sacred and therefore its only right for God to take your life. If euthansia was legalised then people may take advantage of it. For example, elderly people may take advantage of euthansia, so they don't have to pay for the care at a home or so their daughters/sons can inherit the money. Also people could gett away with murder as classing it as euthansia and in court it would be hard to tackle whether it as murder or euthansia. This is called the slippery slope, and would be difficult to conclude in court.
Roman Catholics teach the term of double-effec. This is when a treatment given to a person helps the paitent from pain but brings death closer. It is usually allowed/accepted because it is a kind of side effect to treatment that is mean't to help.
I only did the one part, but i got the timing right, and I wanted to see if all the detail, was included?
Thanks.
Ok these are some comments on the family, divorce and marriage answers.
comments on (a). it was Adam's rib not lung. THe Genesis story says Woman (or Eve) is made to be a helper for (man) Adam.
you might want to say that Christians who see the role of men and women as equal see marriage as a 'shared partnership'. And the Bible quote by St. Paul which says 'there is no male and female in Christ Jesus', which basically means the old hierarchy which saw men above women is done away with through Jesus.
comments on part (b) : brilliant!
comments on part (c): good. the opposite to 'every christian should get married' might be that God calls someone people to be celibate and dedicate their lives to him (Roman Catholic priests, also monks and nuns).
Mr Goodliff
"Explain how Christians may respond if they see other people being treated hardly by the government?" - I'll write a separate post on this and put it on the website.
comments on euthanasia answer:
the focus of the question is Christian beliefs on euthanasia, so don't worry too much about explaining the different kinds of euthanasia.
when describing Christian beliefs, I started with why most Christians are against it (which basically means explaining what sanctity of life means and that it might show a lack of trust in God and also the idea of the hospice)
some Christians might see passive euthanasia as acceptable, because as you've said its the most compassionate thing to do when someone is terminally ill and in a lot of pain. Then you can include the Roman Catholic belief in the principle of 'double effect', which is a type of passive euthanasia.
Mr Goodliff.
(a)Describe how Christians might try to find out the right way to behave [8]
Christians can look at multiple things when trying to find the best way to act.
The Bible is often said to be guidelines on how a person should act, more specifically the Ten Commandments give direct instructions about what is right and wrong. Some parts of the Bible are now outdated as it was written so long ago, other parts are timeless and they mean now exactly what they did when written.
Many Christians also believe a person’s conscience helps them decide what is right. They say it is God speaking to them and helping them to decide what is morally correct and incorrect. However, your conscience can be ignored but may cause guilt if you have done something you know is wrong. Other people do not believe your conscience to be the voice of God but due to how a person is brought up, i.e. if your parents have constantly told you something is wrong, inside you trust them so won’t do it.
Other Christians also use Jesus as an example, and try to think what he would do in the specific situation. They believe that because Jesus was the son of god the way he acted was right. Jesus also told parables, stories with a moral; these could be used to help show Christians how to act. At the Sermon on the Mount he also gave more guidelines on how you should live.
Most Christians use a mixture of all the above ways to know the right way they should live.
(b)Explain how Christians might cope with suffering [7]
Christians cope with suffering in different ways, all of which still supporting God is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving.
There are two types of evil, moral evil and natural evil. Moral evil is suffering caused by humanity, for example cruelty or greed. Natural evil is suffering which is not deliberately caused by anyone, for example a flood or disease.
Some Christians blame all evil and suffering in the world upon the devil, or Satan. They say he tries to tempt good people into doing bad things and he must be resisted. He even tried to tempt Jesus, but he resisted this. He lives in hell and is said to be the enemy of God. However, other Christians say that the devil is not literally a real person, as this would mean god was not all-powerful.
Other Christians say suffering is a test from God to prove their faith in him. In the Bible, the story of Job is about a man that loses everything but keeps his faith in God and it is restored.
Some Christians say that evil entered into the world at the first sin, committed by Adam and Eve (genesis). After ‘their fall’ they ruined Gods’ perfect world by tainting it with evil.
Free will is another cause for suffering in the world; Christians argue that without this we would be little more than robots. They say that if we didn’t have to choose between right and wrong then we are not really sinless as there is no other thing we can be.
Other Christians say that suffering is necessary and doesn’t mean God doesn’t care, his son Jesus suffered greatly whilst on earth. They say we should just accept suffering as we may not be able to see the bigger picture. Praying helps many Christians overcome suffering.
(c)‘If you believe in God, suffering doesn’t matter.’ Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer. [5]
Some Christians may agree with the statement because even if God does not stop the suffering he still cares. The suffering may be a test from God to prove your faith, or showing you know how to make the right choice. Suffering can be important, and can teach many lessons. Many Christians do not see suffering as a mistake of the omnipotent God but a part of life.
Other people may say how can God be all-powerful and let innocent people, like babies suffer, when they couldn’t possibly learn anything from it. They argue that if God was truly as powerful as is said surely he could prevent all the unnecessary pain that occurs in the world.
I personally believe that a certain amount of suffering can be a good thing as without it we would not realise the importance of the good times. I think some suffering is inevitable in a persons’ life.
Could you post an example answer to the following question, it has come up more than once and I am unsure as how to best answer it
(a) Describe the main causes of hunger in the world [8]
thankyou.
Oh right okay, I understand more of how to answer the question now. But when I explained the different types of euthansia, i thought that would help because it relates to things that i need to include!? Dont i?
But thank you! and I will wait for the "government" question
Thanks!
comments on good and evil questions:
(a) a good answer. I rephrased the Bible bit:
'Christians believe the Bible contains guidelines on how a person should act ... Some Christians believe parts of the Bible are outdated, but other Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God and should be followed in every way'
(b)not bad. I'd focus the answer on the Christian belief that God knows about human suffering because Jesus suffered and does not ignored it and the importance of prayer. 'Job' is a good example to use.
(c)absolutely fine. good answer.
Mr Goodliff
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