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Theme B - Religion and Life - Coggle Diagram
Theme B - Religion and Life
Life after Death
reason for belief
The Bible talks of an afterlife.
Jesus talks about it - belief in him is essential
An afterlife makes sense of this life that it is not the end and any suffering can be for a purpose.
It gives value to this life – there are reasons to what is done and rewards and punishments for actions
There is only one life so it should be valued, it comes from God, it should have a purpose and be cared for and protected.
In terms of life here and now - being a steward of the world can lead to good judgement and an afterlife. Christians should look after God’s world and not destroy it.
religious teachings
And all who dwell on earth will worship it’ – Rev 13:8 (Suggests the way into the afterlife is to look after the world not destroy it).
Christians believe that if they have not been a good steward of the world then they should expect punishment for it (suggests there will be punishment for damaging the earth including animals)
I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will have everlasting life - Jn 11-25 (suggests that belief in Jesus is the key to an afterlife)
Death is inevitable for all and all Christians believe there is an afterlife even if they disagree exactly what this is.
The body dies, is buried/cremated and the soul is raised to life with God.
Jesus sets the example that he lived, died and was resurrected and this shows the way for Christians – Jesus made life after death possible.
Some believe it is not just the soul that enters heaven - the body is physically resurrected as well.
religious attitudes
Christians believe in the physical resurrection of the body. At death the body waits for Judgement Day where each person faces God and Jesus to evaluate their actions.
If good in life they go to heaven, if not they go to hell for eternal punishment.
Hence this judgement makes sense for Christians of life here and now and gives it great value.
Some Christians believe that Jesus will come again (Parousia) and this will bring resurrection of the dead, last judgement of both the living and the dead (as per the creeds) and then God’s Kingdom will be established on earth.
Some believe is a physical place where the body goes at death – others believe it is the soul only that lives on and heaven is more of a state of being with God
Roman Catholics believe in the idea of purgatory – a state for people to wait for heaven – a time in which the soul is cleansed and prepared for heaven.
For some hell is believed to be a place of suffering, separated from God whereas others believe it is a spiritual state of separation from God.
Some Christians accept that other faiths and people of no faith but who have lived lives morally well can also access heaven whereas others believe that without belief in Jesus heaven is not possible
arguments: can life after death exist?
for
people who believe in God believe that God is outside time and morality, therefore belief in life after death is possible
the body and mind are separate. the body is physical unlike the mind and so some people believe the mind can survive the death of the body
some philosophers argue that only the concept of life after death can make sense of all the injustice and unfairness that people suffer during their lives
against
there is no empirical evidence for life after death. no one has returned from the dead to describe an afterlife
some philosophers think that the concept of life after death is the result of people being unable to bear the idea that death brings the end of personal existence forever
abortion
Abortion – ‘The expulsion of the foetus from the womb’.
illegal in UK except in 3 conditions: 1. Danger to woman’s life; 2. Foetus will be born with a disability; 3. The well-being of existing children in danger.
It must be done before 24th week by registered doctor after the agreement of two doctors that it fits the law
personhood
A key question is about when life begins – the law says when it is born but as the Abortion Act 1967 will not allow abortion after 24 weeks - does life then actually begin before birth? Some would say at conception or when its heart beats or when it is formed.
arguments
Pro-Choice defends a woman’s right to choose - it’s her body – It’s her life that could be at risk – banning it would not stop abortions happening and these are dangerous – some disabilities are cruel
Is abortion necessary? Other options – A woman might choose to carry on the pregnancy regardless of cost to herself (even death); adoption or fostering; continuing with pregnancy and overcoming the issues presented (eg counselling in case of rape etc)
Pro-life provide arguments that are centred around the rights of the foetus above all else. It cannot defend itself – life is sacred –abortion is murder – God created this life - disability does not guarantee bad life .
RCC
catechism states 'from the first moment of his(her) existence, a human being must be recognised as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life"'
artificial contraception goes against natural law
church has affirmed moral evil of all procured abortion - teaching has not changed+remains unchangeable
life starts at conception - abortion =murder
but, if abortion is a side effect of a medical procedure to save a woman's life, some will accept it (though then it isn't termed as abortion)
'contrary to moral law' catechism
'grave sin'
Church of England
approved use of artificial contraception in 1930
strong opposition to abortion but recognise that it may be morally preferable to alternatives in some situations e.g. if mothers life is endangered
life begins when a woman's egg is fertilised by male sperm - conceptions
1983 Synod - 'if continuance of a pregnancy threatens the life of the mother a termination of pregnancy may be justified, there must be a safe provision in society for such situations'
methodist church
methodist conference statement - 'abortion is always an evil to be avoided if at all possible by offering care to single mothers during pregnancy and adoption of children, if at full term, the mother cannot offer a home'
abortion is lesser evil in circumstances of fatal handicap, rape, risk of mothers health
termination as early as possible is urged
abortion must be legal or 'backstreet operations' would become the norm again
quakers
no corporate statement on abortion
'when does a person become a person?'
'that of God everyone' - God in foetus?
personal conscience is of the greatest importance
Judith Jarvis Thomson and the Violinist
argues the case of the famous violinist in her article 'a defence of abortion'
If a woman were to wake to find that a famous violinist whose kidneys had failed had been plugged into her blood supply and would continue to be so for 9 months, she would be under no moral obligation to continue the procedure
If she did agree, it would not be out of moral compulsion but out of compassion.
Thomson argues that pregnancy is an analogous situation, and women should be able to choose whether or not to carry the child to full term without the moral obligation to do so.
one could say that the donor is sacrificing their quality of life for the violinist to function in their full capacity. The woman would have to be restrained and kept in order to provide the violinist a lease of life - it is effectively murdering the donor for the sake of the violinist’s life.
Is this really morally correct?
We have to consider the quality of life of the mother, if it is severely impacted through pregnancy, as shown by this analogy, abortion would be warranted.
Is it worth risking the mental and physical health of the mother just for the life of another, especially considering according to some they haven’t even really lived yet?
quality of life
if quality of life of the child would be severely impacted abortion is reasonable - John Stott (1999) asks 'Who can presume this?' and cites Alison David, a speaker at the Hyde Park Rally in 1983, who described herself as a 'happy spina bifida adult'. She reported as saying: 'I can think of a few concepts more terrifying than saying that certain people are better off dead, and may be killed for their own good... Most handicapped people are quite contented with the quality of their life'
quality of life of mother and child must be taken into account
sanctity of life
Sanctity Of life in Bible
All life deserves respect - “God’s spirit lives in you”
All life is God given ‘imago dei’
Life should not be destroyed - “Thou shall not commit murder” Exodus
Human life is precious - “aren’t 5 sparrows sold for 2 pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God” Luke 12:6-7
God has a plan for every human life - “the days allotted (given) to me were recorded in your book” Psalm
Sanctity of life - life is given by God so only God can take it away
autonomy - a woman's right to her body
People who may be involved in the decision – the woman, the father, parents, medical staff, religious leader – the question is who has the main decision – in the UK it is the woman with her doctors as it is her body.
religious teachings
Do not kill’ – Exodus20:13 (suggests that if life begins at conception then abortion is wrong)
‘Before you were formed I knew you’ Jer. 1:5 (suggests that as God knew us we must be important even before birth so abortion would be wrong)
‘For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb’. Psalms 139:13-14 (suggests God knows us even in the womb so it would be wrong to destroy it)
‘ ‘Life must be protected with the utmost care from conception’ RCC - (suggests any act of abortion is wrong even if it endangers the life of the mother)
Creation
belief
Christians believe in creation by a God who existed before the universe did – an act which brought the universe into being
Christians believe that all persons of the Trinity were present at creation
– father (chose to design and create the earth and all life on it)
the Word, or son (active in the creation)
the Holy Spirit (active in creation)
Creationist Christians (Fundamentalists) believe in a literal understanding of creation as described in Genesis – God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th.
liberalists - most - believe in a symbolic understanding of the Genesis creation story.
not literally true but contains truths which are important – God created the world out of love for humanity and wants a relationship with them.
This is compatible with modern scientific theories (e.g., Big Bang or evolution) as God uses them as methods of creation
Most Christians believe that creation was good when God created it
influence
Gives Christians confidence that God is omnipotent – he is powerful enough to create the universe
Gives Christians confidence that God is omnibenevolent – he created the universe so that he bring about humanity whom he loved
stewardship - gives Christians reason to look after all living things and the environment
Gives Christians cause to have confidence in scientific theories about creation - not incompatible with Biblical truths about the nature of God and his relationship with humanity
Gives Christians the belief that they have a purpose in the world – as God made them intentionally and in ‘imago dei’ – so they must make the most of being alive
quotes
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis)
“...the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis)
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...Through him all things were made.” (John)
problems
fundamentalists/creationists believe Bible is literal word of God - creation literally took place as in Genesis
but the red shift, background radiation are all proof of Big Bang creating the universe - not like in Genesis
evolution and natural selection - we weren't perfect or just created as humans - plenty of fossil evidence.
genesis lacks evidence
if genesis is wrong does that unravel our entire faith in the Bible?
solution - genesis answers why not how, Big Bang+science answer how. Genesis shows stewardship+purpose of christians
religious teachings
God created the world’ – Genesis (suggest if he created it then humans should look after it)
‘God make humans s stewards’ (Genesis) (suggests as stewards humans should be looking after His creation not destroying it and its resources)
‘God looked down on His creation and said that it was good’ (Genesis) – (suggests that humans need to maintain the goodness of the creation so all the damage they do should be avoided or put right)
‘More than ever … people are responsible for the future of the planet – Pope (suggests that if humans continue with the damage to the planet there won’t be a planet or resources left).
euthanasia
Euthanasia is mercy killing – of the terminally ill or of a person with a degenerative disease.
arguments
for
Euthanasia is about too much suffering so no quality of life. quality>sanctity
The Dutch Protest Church believes all life is sacred. However for those who are terminally ill they believe that life can become very undignified and out of the human sense of compassion they believe God wants us to help the person from their suffering. They support active and passive euthanasia. God gave us the medical knowledge so it should be used.
Some Christians accept passive Euthanasia – letting someone die by refusing treatment or switching off life support to let nature takes its course. This then allows God to play His role.
against
The doctor Hippocratic oath says ‘I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked nor suggest such…’
In the UK active euthanasia is illegal – viewed as murder. Doctors do switch off life support and administer drugs to ease pain (like morphine) These are allowed.
The principle of double effect applies here – the drugs bring about an earlier death but this is a secondary effect – the first being the easing of pain to lessen suffering.
some think life is far too special to end irrespective of suffering and the person's quality of life. sanctity>quality
Most Christians generally do not agree with active euthanasia. Roman Catholics teachings suggest euthanasia is always wrong – life is sacred and it goes against Bible teaching. Euthanasia would break the Ten commandments.
All life is sacred and belongs to God – God gives life and takes it away. Sanctity of life
euthanasia is unnecessary as we have The hospice movement - provides a home for the dying of any age - adult or child.
They help with pain, provide care for the dying and their families, provide spiritual and emotional help – all these are expressions of God’s love – to care for others.
religious teachings
Do not kill’ – Exodus (suggests that life needs to be saved and euthanasia is killing so wrong)
Life is sacred’ – Gen 9:8-10 (suggests life is from God so should never be ended prematurely)
‘I your God gave life and I take it away’ – Job 1:21 – (suggests a person carrying out euthanasia would be acting like God which is not right)
‘There is a season for everything – a time to live and a time to die’ –Eccles 3:1 (suggests passive euthanasia might be ok as death occurs naturally after refusing treatment)
key terms
assisted suicide - providing a seriously ill person with the means to commit suicide
palliative care - if you have an illness that can't be cured, this attempts to make you as comfortable as possible by measuring pain and other symptoms, it is often referred to as 'end of life care'
euthanasia - an easy, good and gentle death
voluntary euthanasia - the situation where someone dying in pain asks another person to end his/her life painlessly
non voluntary euthanasia - ending someone's life painlessly when they are unable to ask, but when there is a good reason for thinking they would want death. e.g. switching off a life support machine
active euthanasia - when deliberate steps are taken to end someone's life, i.e. lethal injection
passive euthanasia - when treatment which would have helped the person to live longer is stopped, for example a patient is not resuscitated
quality of life - being free from undue pain, anxiety or stress; the extent to which life is meaningful/pleasurable
pharmacologoblivion - use of medicine inadvertently shortens your life span but primary reason is to alleviate pain - e.g. giving high doses of pain killers that as a side effect can shorten someone's life
principle of double effect - no intention to harm, simply to alleviate pain
Animal Experimentation
Key terms
Animal experimentation is using animals that are bred in captivity for this purpose to either:
Use for medical experiments and further medical knowledge.
To use to develop cosmetics
Medical – find cures for human diseases; improve surgical procedures; improve transplant techniques tests effectiveness of drugs ultimately save lives etc
Cosmetically – to test cosmetics to check they are safe for humans to use; to test toxicity of cosmetics; to develop new creams, shampoos, lotions etc
After EVERY experiment whether successful or not, the animal if it survives, will be humanely destroyed. It could not be used again as one experiment could contaminate another. They have never been free animals so cannot be released.
In the UK since 1986 there are strict laws controlling what scientists are allowed to do
People disagree with the use of animals as they are cruel, animals suffer and die, animal genetics are different to humans, other alternatives (although expensive) can now be used by scientists
Experiments are seen as for the greater good – human survival.
religious teachings
We must abandon labs of death’ RCC
(suggest that experimentation labs should be shut down inferring they are wrong)
‘Animals deserve respect and protection’ St Francis
(suggests that experiments are done without respect and as all die then experiments should not be done)
There should be ‘reasonable limits and only if they care for the saving of human life’ RCC
(suggests that experiments can be done for medical but not cosmetic reasons – to save life for cures and vaccines etc.)
Human life is more important than animals – Christian thinking (suggest animals have no soul and are inferior so can be used for the benefit of humans.
Arguments
For
Christians generally accept experiments done for medical developments are acceptable. For cosmetic purposes there are concerns as this is more about human want than human need.
Again situation ethics are involved – it is easy to say they are cruel but if a loved one needs an new treatment to be developed than they become more necessary.
human life is sacred, animal testing has led to development of medicines and technologies that improve human life e.g. vaccinations
Qur'an teaches that animals were provided to meet the needs of humans, medical animal testing is needed for human health
prevents more suffering that it causes - lesser of two evils.
humans are set aside by a divine spark, we were made in 'imago dei' which animals were not
UK law says 'manufacturing methods cannot include animal testing for cosmetics' - they can manufacture in a place w/ less regulation e.g. China
Against
RCC - ‘within reasonable limits, only if caring for human lives, human power has its limits and it is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer.'
Humans do not have total dominion(power) over nature
Where animal experiments are used for commercial profit (from greed) they are wrong as animals are not objects to be used, abused and controlled.
Some Christians believe all experiments are wrong as they go against stewardship, cruel and unnecessary, and bring suffering to God’s wonderful creation.
sanctity of life
using animals to test cosmetic products may be seen as pointless cruelty if such testing can be safely carried out on humans
modern science has now developed some other alternatives e.g. using human tissue cultures to test for toxicity
Jesus taught to be loving to those who are weaker - animals are weaker than humans, so following Jesus' teaching means not causing them harm
Mohammad taught that Muslims who harmed animals without good cause would be judged - animal testing for military/cosmetic not for a good cause
humans are not the same as animals, medical testing is unreliable. e.g. thalidomide was tested on animals but led to birth defects in humans
St Francis taught that animals were made 'of the same essence' as humans - they have souls + should not be harmed
hindu + Buddhist belief in ahimsa - non violence - no violent testing
hindu + buddhist belief in reincarnation - all souls are equal, we should treat them equally
Deforestation and natural resources
key terms
Deforestation – is the mass cutting down of forest areas in particular rainforest areas. These are the natural habitats for many species.
Earth’s natural resources – Coal, Oil and Gas which are the main energy sources used today across the world for heating, lighting, industry and technology
Deforestation occurs indirectly through pollution and directly through forest areas being chopped down. Chemicals in the air kill trees through acid rain and other areas are mass cleared to use the land in other ways.
consequences of deforestation –
animal habitats are destroyed even to the point of extinction trees produce CO2 which help fight global warming so there is less help
natural medicines found in plants are lost
Rainforest areas can never be replaced when cut down.
Pollution also leads to oil spills so marine life habitat is damaged as well. Human needs see the land use for cash crops like rubber plantations and palm oil trees and simply for building and cattle grazing. People make money through selling the wood so have a livelihood.
Coal, oil and gas usage is increasing and are non-renewable – they will run out so different sustainable methods need to be developed – like sun, wind, solar and nuclear powers which are sustainable.
They are also pollutants rather than clean energies. Humanity needs power but is at fault for ‘overuse’ of what earth provides – even some would say ‘abuse’ or irresponsible use.
religious teachings
‘God created the world’ – Genesis
(suggest if he created it then humans should look after it not destroy the rainforests or overuse or waste things like coal, oil and gas)
‘God make humans s stewards’ (Genesis)
(suggests as stewards humans should be protecting the resources God provided us with )
‘Good looked down on His creation and said that it was good’ - Genesis
(suggests that humans need to maintain the goodness of the creation all the damage they do should through pollution should be avoided or put right)
religious attitudes
All Christians believe they are stewards of the world + as God created the world they have a responsibility to look after what it provides.
They also accept that great damage has been done and that action must be taken to put the damage right. Christians have a personal and collective challenge to protect rainforests and natural resources so preserving what they produce.
Christians have a responsibility to future generations that they will be able to admire the world’s beauty (awe) + so have a duty to others to protect rainforests + to leave them with resources to use - both natural and sustainable.
Some Christians believe they have MORE of a responsibility to look after the world as they were given it as a specific duty by God, whereas others would say that we all live in the world so all have a duty irrespective of religious belief.
Roman Catholics value their relationship with God so Pope Francis has called deforestation a ‘sin’.
'We have to convert people to a type of development which knows how to respect creation… we are wrong to exploit the earth’
The Church of England has specific bishops looking at ecological mission – believing that deforestation causes more poverty for people who live in tune with these forests.
The Pope has called for the protection of resources to be high on the agenda of international leaders. These resources have been given to us –‘fill the Earth and subdue it’ BUT this has to be in a manner of responsibility.
Pollution, Global Warming and Climate Change
key terms
Pollution – to put too much toxic waste into the air, waters and land.
Global warming – the heating up of the earth’s atmosphere
Climate change – the altering of the climate, causing extreme weather patterns
Pollution = main cause of Global warming which then leads to climate change.
Our waste produces greenhouse gases which heat the earth which affects the atmosphere and weather leading to extreme floods, storms, and droughts.
Most pollution is cause by the burning of fossil fuels
consequences:
ice caps melt
sea levels rise
sea life suffers
land disappears
it’s too hot
droughts, famines
diseases spread etc.
The Earth cooling and heating up is part of nature BUT human action is speeding up the process and as many parts of the world like Africa, India, China and South America begin to develop further, the problem is only going to increase.
Religions are concerned about the environment either because they believe God created it or because we and future generations have to live in it and it sources human life. Without the environment humanity would not exist.
religious teachings
God created the world’ – Genesis
(suggest if he created it then humans should look after it not pollute it causing Global warming and therefore climate change))
‘God made humans stewards’ (Genesis) (suggests as stewards humans should be not destroying it and its resources)
‘Good looked down on His creation and said that it was good’- (Genesis)
(suggests that humans need to maintain the goodness of the creation all the damage they do should through pollution should be avoided or put right)
‘The Earth is the Lords and everything in it’- Ps 23:1
(suggests as it all belongs to God then humans if they believe in God should want to look after it so stop pollution/reduce these damages)
religious attitudes
All Christians believe they are stewards of the world and as God created the world they have a responsibility to look after it.
They also accept that great damage has been done and that action must be taken to put the damage right.
Christians have a personal and collective challenge to restore God’s world to its natural beauty.
Christians will expect punishment on Judgement Day for lack of care of the environment.
Christians have a responsibility to future generations that they will be able to admire the world’s beauty (awe) and so have a duty to others to cut pollution which would reduce Global Warming and Climate Change.
Some Christians believe they have MORE of a responsibility to look after the world as they were given it as a specific duty by God, whereas others would say that we all live in the world so all have a duty irrespective of religious belief.
Roman Catholics value their relationship with God so climate change is a spiritual, ethical and moral issue – to look after God’s children now and in the future.
The Church of England has its ‘Shrinking the Footprint’ campaign which aims to link the environment and economy, human development and global poverty.
The issue of climate change (caused by pollution and Global Warming) needs faith, practice and mission as the solutions for a better world restored to the beauty of God’s design.
Actions must change for words to have an effect.
Value of human life
key terms
the value of human life - the status of humanity is:
at the highest level of spiritual development
as such is beyond measure
as such must be cared for
as such must be protected
But:
How do we make choices about life
What happens when one life is at the expense of another e.g. abortion If there is no quality is there a value
Is ‘living’ – no matter the state of the life worth it
Sanctity of Life
belief that all life is special – for Christians sacred as God create it.
No one believes that life is worth nothing – hence it has to be protected.
This is about life itself … it does not take into account the quality of that life so…
Quality of life
describes how good or comfortable a person’s life is – how easy it is to live through each day.
It is a judgement is about whether life is worth living.
This is often a question with decisions about euthanasia, abortion and for the individual – suicide as well.
religious teachings
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them’ – Genesis (suggests if we are created in this way then there is no higher value to all life)
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (suggests God chose humans so this gives life great value)
+some of those on euthanasia/abortion
religious attitudes
All Christians believe life is sacred as it comes from God- it is therefore precious
For anything precious it deserves to be protected.
The Bible only discusses the sanctity of life – it does not discuss quality of life.
Even though death means going to heaven to be with God it should never be hastened
God has a plan for all our lives - that life will not be beyond what a person can cope with so decisions about ending it or not starting it is God’s not ours.
Roman Catholics would say sanctity of life ALWAYS takes priority because quality is only about the outside image – it might not function(abortion) or deteriorate rapidly(euthanasia) but the inside image is unaltered – a soul created by God.
Other Christians e.g. Church of England also disagree with ending life BUT do accept abortion in some cases it as a ‘necessary evil’. In the case of abortion where a procedure saves the life of the mother but the baby dies – her life is sacred too and in a way both lives here are put in the hands of God.
Some Christians would say that the existence of medical science – allowed by God-means they can interfere with life … even it sanctity and compassion means humans must concern themselves with quality
Value of the World
key terms
The world is so beautiful; it is powerful; calming,; intricately designed; works with precision that it brings a sense of ‘awe’ – in that it is so amazing that the person seeing it starts to ‘wonder’ – how, why where and these question bring them back to the idea that ‘only God could do or design such a sight.
Often believers think that nature gives humans an insight into His nature – in other words the design gives an insight into the designer!
As a result of seeing/experiencing these things people want to praise God.
Christians believe they were given the duty to ‘CARE FOR THE WORLD’ – stewardship – from the very beginning as an instruction from God. God gave them dominion (the power/right to decide what happens to the world) to coincide with a responsibility to look after it.
The Value of the world has a real meaning for religious people but Caring for the world should have a meaning for everyone – we all live on it and need it for our species survival
VALUE OF THE WORLD – All religious believers believe the world is special because it is designed and planned by God.
All life is sacred and the ‘world’ is home to that life.
As God designed it and ‘was pleased with it’ then it must have value.
religious teachings
'God gave humans dominion over the world, stewardship'.- Genesis
(suggests that humanity’s job is to care for the world as a direct instruction as we are the prime species and the ability to do it)
‘Awe and wonder’ Humans are filled with this when they look at the beauty of the earth – Christian teaching
(if they are filled with the magnificence or the beauty and design of the world, humans should want to look after it because they value it as well as praise God for it – if the world continues to be damaged then it has no value).
‘The Earth is the Lords and everything in it’- Ps 23:1
(suggests as it all belongs to God then humans if they believe in God should want to look after it).
"I want to awake in you a deep admiration for creation" St Basil
'Let us be 'protectors' of creation' Pope Francis
'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it' Genesis
'respect for life extends to the rest of creation' Pope John Paul II
'God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiple, and fill the earth and subdue it'"
religious attitudes
All Christians believe God created it so it has great value and all have a duty to care for it.
All Christians believe God will reward those who look after it
All believe that it is not about who damages it but simply trying to put that damage right
All believe that they have a duty to help people develop without that human development being at the expense of nature
Some believe Christians have more of a duty to care for it because it is ‘their God’ that created it and told them to be stewards. At the same time some Christians themselves believe it is more their job than others.
Some Christians see people’s needs as greater than the needs of the world as they were told to use creation as they are the most important species -whereas others believe we need to coexist in a far more sustainable way