Religious Education > Key Stage 4 >Matters of Life and Death

EDEXCEL GCSE RS                  RELIGION AND LIFE

UNIT TITLE:           MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH

AIM:     To consider the key issues relating to Matters of life and death as outlined in the syllabus. This section is based on a study of Christianity and Islam.

KEY ISSUES AS OUTLINED IN THE SYLLABUS:

• Christian teachings on life after death, including resurrection and immortality of the soul;
• Muslim teachings on life after death;
• Reasons for Christian and Muslim beliefs about life after death;
• Reasons for belief in life after death not specific to any religion, including near-death experiences and the paranormal;
• Reasons why some people do not believe in life after death;
• The nature of abortion, including current British legislation and non-religious arguments concerning abortion;
• Christian and Muslim teaching on sanctity of life and abortion.
• The nature of euthanasia (assisted suicide, voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia) including current British legislation and non-religious arguments concerning euthanasia;
• Christian and Muslim teaching on euthanasia.

TECHNICAL TERMS:

Resurrection – the belief that after death the body stays in the grave until the end of the world when it is raised.

Immortality of the Soul – the idea that the soul lives on after the death of the body.

Paranormal – the study of unexplained things like ghosts and mediums who say they can contact dead spirits.

Abortion – the removal of a foetus from the womb before it can survive.

Sanctity of life – the belief that life is holy and belongs to God.

Euthanasia – an easy and gentle death.

Assisted suicide – providing a person with a means to commit suicide.

Voluntary euthanasia – the situation where someone dying in pain asks a doctor to end his/her life painlessly.

Non-voluntary euthanasia – ending someone’s life painlessly when they are not able to ask, but you have good reason for believing they would want you to do so (e.g. switching off a life-support machine).