Section 1: Believing in God
Key Terms Agnosticism = not being sure whether God exists
Atheism = believing that God does not exist
Causation = the idea that everything has been caused or started off by something else
Conversion = when your life is changed by giving yourself to God
Design = when things are connected and seem to have a purpose e.g. the eye is designed for seeing
Free will = the idea that human beings are free to make their own choices
Miracle = something which seems to break a law of science and makes you think only God could have done it
Moral evil = actions done by humans which cause suffering
Natural evil = things which cause suffering but have nothing to do with humans
Numinous = the …show more content…
These beliefs affect their lives because Muslims will try to follow the 5 Pillars and the teachings of the Shari’ah so that they go to heaven and not hell.
3. Non-religious reasons for believing in life after death (near-death experiences, ghosts, mediums, the evidence of reincarnation).
Key Point
Some people believe in life after death for non-religious reasons, such as:
• Near death some people believe in life after death because there is evidence of the paranormal - ghosts, contacts with the dead through mediums, séances, Ouija boards etc.
Some people believe in life after death because there is evidence of post or near death experiences:
• People have died or nearly died in heart attacks, operating theatres and who have been resuscitated.
• About 70% of these cases talk about being aware of being out of their bodies, a presence of light, a tunnel of light and having visions of dead relatives and/or God.
4. Why some people do not believe in life after death.
Key …show more content…
• The NHS cannot afford to keep people alive on life support machines, which could be used to save the life of someone who has a chance of recovery
• Some people think it is a human right to have control about when they die.
9. Christian attitudes to euthanasia.
All Christians agree that euthanasia is wrong, because:
1. The Bible says decisions about life and death belong to God. of the 10 Commandments says Christians should not murder.
There are 3 views about surrounding issues:
Catholics and many liberal Christians believe that switching off life support machines is NOT euthanasia IF brain death has been confirmed by doctors.
They also believe that it is not wrong to allow death by NOT giving extraordinary medical treatment.
Nor is it wrong to giving dying people painkillers which may shorten their life.
They believe this because:
• it is up to doctors to determine when death has occurred
• the doctrine of double