GCSE Religious Studies - Thematic Studies (AQA) Flashcards
(10 cards)
Relationships and Families
Which one of the following means an unmarried couple living together?
A Procreation
B Cohabitation
C Divorce
D Polygamy
1 mark
B Cohabitation
Relationships and Families
Give two reasons why many religious believers accept remarriage.
2 marks
Remarriage to a new partner gives a second chance at happiness / forgiveness / want to live in marriage not co-habit / didn’t choose to get divorced / God wants people to live in marriage / share your life with someone you love / love your neighbour / want to have children / want a parent for their children / been widowed / religious duty to marry / start a new life / previous marriage failed e.g. abusive, adultery / financial support / company / may want to remarry the same person e.g. reconciled after getting divorce, etc.
Relationships and Families
Explain two contrasting religious beliefs about gender equality.
In your answer you must refer to one or more religious traditions.
4 marks
Religions teach that male and female are of equal value / men and women have different roles and responsibilities in society / the roles and responsibilities may be interpreted as being unequal / differing attitudes to gender identification and reassignment / some religious teachings make women subordinate to male authority / some religious practices may nowadays be seen as gender discrimination, etc.
Buddhism
The practice of Buddhism is the same for men and women / showing no inequality of demand on either side / ‘The things which separate and divide people - race, religion, gender and social position are all illusory.’ (Dhammapada 6) / in 2015 the Dalai Lama said that he saw no reason why a future Dalai Lama could not be a woman / the Lotus Sutra teaches that men and women are equal in their ability to practise Buddhism and attain enlightenment / Mahayana Buddhism has had nuns for many centuries / however the tradition has died out in the Theravada tradition / some Buddhists argue that women can therefore no longer be ordained within the Theravada tradition / the Aparimitayur Sutra suggests that women must be reborn as men before they can achieve enlightenment / many Theravada societies are male orientated and dominate leadership, etc.
Christianity
Jesus treated women with respect and welcomed them as disciples / examples of Mary and Martha / some of the earliest converts to Christianity were women and many became leaders for example Dorcas in Joppa, Priscilla in Ephesus and Phoebe in Cenchraea / within the Church of England the first women bishops were appointed in 2015 / however within the Roman Catholic church only men may be ordained / many non-conformist traditions, such as Methodists, have had women ministers for many years / Genesis 1:27 teaches that all humans were created in the image of God / so all humans should be treated equally / Galatians 3:27 emphasises this, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ Some traditional Christians believe that men are the head of the family and women should mainly stay at home and care for the children / ‘Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is head of the wife.’ (Ephesians 5:22) / some traditional Christians believe that this difference in roles is not gender inequality / but that men and women have different but complementary roles / many Christians today see marriage as an equal partnership where the different gifts of the couple strengthen family life, etc.
Hinduism
There is no difference between men and women on a spiritual level / the differences exist only at a physical level due to past lives / ‘I look upon all creatures equally.’ (Bhagavad Gita 9:29) / good treatment of women is seen as a blessing / Hindu scriptures say a woman passes through three stages in life / when she is supported by her father / when she is supported by her husband / and when she is supported by her son / this would suggest inequality as the woman is dependent on the males in her family / Manusmirti says, ‘Where women are honoured the gods are pleased.’ / all Brahmin priests are male with the exception of in the Hare Krishna movement / increasing numbers of female priests in the whole range of Hinduism, etc.
Islam
Qur’an 49:13 says, ‘People we created you all from a single man and a single woman and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognise one another.’ / all people are created equal by Allah / men and women have the same spiritual nature / Muhammad said, ‘I command you to be kind to women.’ / Qur’an 3:195 ‘I shall not lose sight of the labour of any of you who labours in my way, be it man or woman, each of you is equal to the other.’ / ‘Men are protectors and maintainers of women.’ Qur’an 4:34 / men are expected to provide for their families / women have an important role in looking after the home and raising children and making decisions about the household / a Muslim mother commands great respect and obedience from her children / ‘Heaven is under the feet of the mothers.’ (Hadith) / in Islam all religious leaders are male / women do not pray at the front of the mosque, etc.
Judaism
‘So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female.’ (Genesis 1:27) / everyone is created by God / in God’s image so everyone is equal in God’s sight / Tenakh tells stories of important women who are greatly respected for example, Deborah, Abigail, Ruth et al. / Orthodox Judaism sees the roles of men and women as separate but equal / men are expected to work to support the family / women are to care for the children and home / mother’s role is crucial in Judaism and Judaism passes down the maternal line / at the synagogue women do not play a part in the service and sit separately from the men / in Reformed and Liberal Judaism women are able to be rabbis / sit with men in the synagogue / handle the Torah Scrolls, etc.
Sikhism
‘All men and women are equal. We are the children of one God’ (Guru Granth Sahib 611) / ‘Man is born of woman and woman is born of woman; without women there would be no world at all’. (GGS) / Waheguru is neither male nor female / Sikh marriage is described as ‘two bodies, one spirit’ emphasising the equality of the partners / baptised Sikh women use the name ‘Kaur’ (meaning princess) which frees them from having to take their husband’s name at marriage / when a Sikh woman gives birth she usually takes on the main role of raising the child / however the father will usually take on other household duties so that the family’s work is shared evenly / many married couples now both work to support their family and so will also share domestic responsibilities, etc.
Relationships and Families
Explain two religious beliefs about the role of children within the family.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.
5 marks
Generally, all religions see children as having a duty to obey their parents which is part of showing respect to them / respect should be shown in return for their parents’ love and commitment to them / many religions see children has having roles within the family such as helping out with chores / looking after siblings / learning about their religious faith / participating in religious practices eg. being taught their religion, taking part in worship / they continue the family and traditions / care for parents (in old age) / bring joy and happiness to parents, etc.
Buddhism
The Sigalovada Sutta lists five traditional duties children have / children expected to be obedient / respect parents and other relatives / children should deserve their inheritance / preserve the traditions of the family / honour their parents after they have died / in caring for parents they can repay their parents for bringing them up / support parents when in old age / illness becomes an issue, etc.
Christianity
Children told to ‘Honour your father and mother’ (Exodus 20:12) / applies to children of all ages / includes giving care / respect to the elderly member of the family / ‘Children obey your parents in everything for this pleases the Lord.’ (Colossians 3:20) / children bring joy to parents - ‘Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children’ (Proverbs 17:6), etc.
Hinduism
Children are to learn the traditions of the faith / taught to conduct puja / respect elders / care for the elders / fulfilling their duty in this way builds good karma/ sons have specific duties to help parents in the afterlife by performing funeral rites when the parents die / sons should perform the shradda ceremony at regular intervals / if there is more than one son then the eldest lights the funeral pyre of the father and the youngest lights the pyre of the mother / ‘By honouring his mother he gains the world, by honouring his father, the middle sphere but by obedience to his teacher, the world of Brahman. All duties have been fulfilled by him who honours those three.’ (Upanishads 3:28) etc.
Islam
Muslims have a duty to respect and care for their parents as they get older / the Qur’an says being unkind or disrespectful to one’s parents is a great sin, (Qur’an 17:23-24) / ‘It is one of the greatest sins that a man should curse his parents’. (Hadith) / ‘Heaven is under the feet of the mothers.’ (Hadith), etc.
Judaism
Jews are taught to ‘Honour your father and mother’ (Exodus 20:12) / ‘Listen to your father who gave you life and do not despise your mother when she is old’ (Proverbs 23:22) / ‘Grandchildren are the crown of their elders and the glory of children is their parents.’ (Proverbs 17:6) / The Talmud teaches that honouring parents involves much more than just giving them food and drink, clothes and shoes, if they wish to go out then they should be able to go out and return home safely, implying children have a responsibility for their parent’s wider welfare, etc.
Sikhism
Children are to respect their parents and elders / care for them as they get older / parents supported the children when they were young so children should support when relatives are elderly / help with domestic chores / children trained in Sikh virtues such as practising sewa / learn the traditions of the religion / ‘If you honour your parents, your children will honour you’. (Guru Granth Sahib) etc.
Relationships and Families
‘Married couples should not use contraception.’
Evaluate this statement.
In your answer you:
* should give reasoned arguments in support of this statement
* should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
* should refer to religious arguments
* may refer to non-religious arguments
* should reach a justified conclusion.
12 marks [Plus SPaG 3 marks]
Arguments in support
- Expectation that children will be born in a marriage, contraception prevents this.
- Contraception goes against natural law.
- Contraception may encourage infidelity.
- Contraception prevents people from carrying out their religious duty.
- Some contraception acts by expelling a fertilised egg / so goes against sanctity of life, etc.
Arguments in support of other views
- Contraception is useful to plan a family, eg a couple newly married and may not be able to afford children straightaway / most religious believers agree with family planning
- Natural methods are fine to use as they work with the woman’s natural cycle and so cause no harm.
- Artificial contraception more reliable than natural methods so people are better able to plan families by using it.
- Contraception may prevent the passing on of sexually transmitted infections.
- Contraception prevents serious genetic disorders from being passed on and so prevents pain and suffering.
- Contraception may help to prevent mother’s health and life being put at risk.
- Contraception helps to limit population size, etc.
Buddhism
Most Buddhists allow contraception that prevents fertilisation from taking place / other methods such as morning after pill may be seen as less acceptable as it can be seen as a form of killing / goes against the first moral precept / teaching suggests Buddhists should plan their families and bring them up in a happy and safe environment / rebirth takes place at conception, contraception makes this impossible / contraception prevents pain for couples who do not want children / unwanted children, etc.
Christianity
All denominations permit birth control / some (eg Roman Catholic) do not permit artificial forms of contraception / against natural law / ‘Every sexual act should have the possibility of creating new life.’ (Humanae vitae 1968) / for other denominations it is a matter of individual conscience / some Christians have reservations about the morning after pill considering it to be abortion rather than contraception, etc.
Hinduism
No objection to birth control / family planning seen as a good thing / any method can be used provided it is non-harming / some Hindus do not use contraception until a son has been born as it is the eldest son who carries out the funeral rites for his parents / many couples will use natural methods / there are many days when couples should avoid sex such as festivals, full or new moon and holy days, these can add up to around 208 holy days when sex should be avoided, etc.
Islam
Allah controls when birth takes place / contraception is welcomed but should not be used to prevent having children altogether / many Muslims prefer natural methods / believing Allah will give couples the strength to cope with any number of children / artificial contraception accepted if the woman’s health is at risk / to space out pregnancies / to avoid serious financial difficulty / Qur’an 4:28 ‘God wishes to lighten your burden; man was created weak’ is used by some scholars to support family planning / ‘Do not kill your children for fear of poverty, we shall provide for them and you, killing them is a great sin’ (Qur’an 17:31) is used by some against contraception to argue that it interferes with God’s plans and God will give them the strength to cope with the children, etc.
Judaism
Family planning is seen as helpful provided it is not used to prevent children altogether / many Orthodox Jews will only allow contraception in order to prevent risk to the mother’s health / delay having children / to space them out / limit the number of children if this is thought to benefit the family / some Orthodox Jews do not believe in contraception at all, believing God will decide the size of their family / Reform Jews allow contraception for other reasons such as social / financial reasons / Orthodox Jews prefer to use the contraceptive pill as this does not interfere with the sexual act / or destroy semen / sterilisation is forbidden as it damages the body God created, etc.
Sikhism
No opposition to artificial methods of contraception / though sterilisation should only be used if medically necessary / primary purpose of sexual intercourse is the union of man and woman not procreation / no specific guidance given in Sikh holy books / scriptures teach that God does not intend humans to suffer so contraception is seen as a positive way of helping a couple to plan their family / some Sikhs consider the morning after pill to be killing life and so would not support its use, etc.
Religion and Life
Which one of the following terms may be used when describing the general well-being of a person?
A Length of life
B Purpose of life
C Quality of life
D Sanctity of life
1 mark
C Quality of life
Religion and Life
Give two reasons why some religious people are against experimenting on animals.
2 marks
Animals are God’s creation / some animals are regarded as sacred / sanctity of life in some religious traditions / against animal rights / involves cruelty / it harms animals / it kills animals / humans given the responsibility of stewardship / the results of testing drugs obtained may not be reliable as humans are different from animals / cosmetic testing is especially seen as unnecessary / there are other methods of testing which can be used which do not involve cruelty to animals / creates bad karma / idea of ahimsa / have to answer on Judgement Day concerning the way animals have been treated, etc.
Religion and Life
Explain two contrasting religious beliefs about an afterlife.
In your answer you must refer to one or more religious traditions.
4 marks
General Heaven and hell / heaven reward for good / hell for eternal punishment / period of waiting / judgement day / resurrection / reincarnation / rebirth / live as another life form / escape from rebirth cycle, etc.
Buddhism
Many Buddhists believe that when they die their non-permanent self (anatta) transfers to a new body / the cycle of birth, death and rebirth is known as samsara / the type of world that they are reborn into (eg as a human, animal or heavenly being) depends on the quality of their actions (kamma) in their previous lives / good actions lead to a more favourable rebirth / the ultimate aim is to break free of the cycle of samsara and that is what causes suffering / Buddhists may achieve nibbana (a state of liberation, peace and happiness) / Pure Land Buddhists believe they can be reborn into Amitabha (Amida) Buddha’s Pure Land / might be reborn as Bodhisattva, etc.
Christianity
Christians believe that people have souls which live on after death / God judges whether a person will spend eternity in either heaven or hell / the Catholic Church believes in purgatory where souls undergo purification to achieve the holiness necessary to go to heaven / Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected proving the existence of life after death / heaven is indescribably wonderful / Revelation 4:2–6 describes John’s vision / no more death, mourning, crying or pain in heaven / hell was originally designed for Satan and his demons – Matthew 25:41 / a place of punishment for the unrighteous / Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31–46) and the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16: 19–31), etc.
Hinduism
After the death of the body the soul continues its journey with the ultimate aim of reaching moksha / the soul’s arrival in a new body is determined by its desires (detachment from worldly desires) and merits (achievement of good karma) / the levels on Earth are life in water; plants; insects and reptiles; birds; animals; humans / the Puranas state that there are worlds of demons and heavenly beings / Hindus hope to reach a better level of life afterwards / the Bhagavad Gita describes rebirth as ‘putting on new clothes’ BG 2:22 / Puranas describe 14 loka or worlds – humans on lowest of higher worlds, ie world 7, demon and hell worlds below / could be reborn into Vishnu / Krishna / Shiva’s heavens, etc.
Islam
On the Day of Judgement the angel Israfil will blow a trumpet announcing the last day and the dead will be resurrected in new bodies / barzakh, waiting place before judgement / each person will be brought before God and the book of their life, as recorded by two angels, will be opened / the good and bad deeds will be weighed and will decide their fate / unbelievers and those who did insufficient good deeds will be sent to the punishment of hell (Jahannam) / those with sufficient good deeds will spend eternity with God in paradise (Jannah) / everyone will have to cross the Sirat Bridge over hell and unbelievers will fall off / paradise is described as a beautiful garden of physical and spiritual pleasures and delights / Qur’an 39:20 / delicious food, drink and companions Qur’an 52:22 / hell in contrast is a place of blazing fire and terrible punishment / unbelievers must wear heavy chains, drink boiling water and eat scalding food and be burnt by fire and smoke, etc.
Judaism
The Tenakh gives little teaching about the afterlife / the Torah describes death as a time to rejoin one’s ancestors (Genesis 25:8,17) / a place called Sheol is mentioned in the Tenakh and is described as a place of silence and darkness (Psalm 115:17) / the Jewish afterlife is called Olam Ha-Ba (the world to come) / many Orthodox Jews believe in a resurrection and heaven (Gan Eden) but not in a place of permanent punishment / a soul-cleansing process, which is temporary, is part of traditional Jewish belief / Judaism does not include the concept of eternal (everlasting) punishment / some Jews believe in reincarnation / important to focus on this life now as we cannot know what the afterlife is like, etc.
Sikhism
Sikhs believe in karma – on dying a person is rewarded or punished according to their actions / in one tradition messengers take the deceased to be judged by Dharam Raj / two angels, Chitra and Gupia, present a balance of the person’s actions during their life / if the balance shows many bad deeds the person will go into lower forms of life / if mainly good deeds they will get a human life again or be liberated from the samsara cycle / the GGS does describe a place of horror (GGS 1026) but most regard this as being out of the presence of God / Sikhs believe that the soul goes through many different lives (reincarnation) until the purified become one again with God / no effort to love God and purify the soul can result in wandering through 8.4 million species, etc.
Religion and Life
Explain two reasons why many religious people believe they have a duty to look after the world.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.
5 marks
God created the world / belief in stewardship / human survival depends on looking after the world / there is only one world and it cannot be replaced / need to think of future generations and not abuse the world / non-renewable resources cannot be replaced / human actions have a real impact on nature and the climate, etc.
Buddhism
First moral precept – avoid causing harm / concept of dependent arising / karmic consequences if there is failure to look after the world / unskilful action to abuse the world / caring for the earth leads people towards enlightenment, etc.
Christianity
God created humans to look after the world (Genesis – Adam and Eve looked after the Garden of Eden) / ideas of stewardship and trusteeship – Genesis 2:15, Psalm 8:6 / important to live sustainably / God will hold people accountable on Judgement Day / humans are only tenants of God’s world (Leviticus 25:23), etc.
Hinduism
God created humans to look after the world (Genesis – Adam and Eve looked after the Garden of Eden) / ideas of stewardship and trusteeship – Genesis 2:15, Psalm 8:6 / important to live sustainably / God will hold people accountable on Judgement Day / humans are only tenants of God’s world (Leviticus 25:23), etc.
Islam
Religious duty to look after what Allah has created / khalifah ‘He has given you the earth for your heritage.’ / (Surah 6:165) ‘To him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth’ (Surah 2:256 & 257) / The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES) encourages the development of conservation projects / belief in importance of sustainable development / oppose the abuse of the natural environment, etc.
Judaism
God created humans to look after the world (Genesis – Adam and Eve looked after the Garden of Eden) / ideas of stewardship and trusteeship / the bal tashchit (do not waste) precept supports looking after the world / Leviticus – love thy neighbour / ‘All that I created for you …. do not corrupt or desolate my world …’ (Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13) / God will hold people accountable on Judgement Day / tikkun olam (healing the world) / the Messiah will come when the world is healed, etc.
Sikhism
God created everything (Guru Nanak), therefore everything should be treated with respect / ideal to live a simple life free from ruining the world / karmic consequences for actions not considering the world / need to live in harmony with nature / avoid waste and live sustainably / support conservation projects in the Punjab / greed one of the five evils / GGS refers to the earth as mother so should be looked after and not exploited, etc.
Religion and Life
‘Euthanasia is never the best option.’
Evaluate this statement.
In your answer you:
* should give reasoned arguments in support of this statement
* should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
* should refer to religious arguments
* may refer to non-religious arguments
* should reach a justified conclusion.
12 marks
Arguments in support
- There are other options, eg palliative care.
- It could lead to euthanasia for trivial reasons.
- People are God given and every person has a purpose so their life should not be ended prematurely.
- Euthanasia may be seen as murder or a person deciding to end their own life which goes against the sanctity of life.
- Relatives might wish to end someone’s life in order to inherit their property.
- People may give permission for their life to end and then regret it, etc.
Arguments in support of other views
- The person’s circumstances should be considered, eg may be suffering and there is no hope of recovery.
- The person’s quality of life may be very poor / allows them to die with dignity.
- The terminally ill person desperately wants his or her life to end / self-determination / the person should have a choice rather than continue to suffer.
- There is a need for compassion, eg ‘Love thy neighbour’.
- It is mercy killing – it is more compassionate.
- Some argue it would allow finite medical or care resources to be used elsewhere, etc.
Buddhism
The first moral precept teaches that Buddhists should try to avoid killing – ahimsa / generally seen as unskilful which does not lead towards happiness, wisdom and compassion of enlightenment / disrupts the samara cycle / some may think that euthanasia is sometimes the most compassionate thing to do eg if the person is suffering or is experiencing a very poor quality of life / many agree with judging each situation on its own merits and action taken to minimise suffering of those involved / personal choice is important in Buddhism along with care, compassion and kindness, etc.
Christianity
Many Christians believe that only God has the right to end life / created in the image of God – Genesis 1 : 27 / euthanasia goes against the sanctity of life and is therefore wrong / ‘… all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be – Psalm 139 :16 / modern drugs allow people to die with dignity and without severe pain/ support for hospices / other Christians generally oppose euthanasia but believe that it is acceptable in some circumstances eg if it is the merciful thing to do – Matthew 5 : 7 ‘Blessed are the merciful’, etc.
Hinduism
Hindu scriptures state that all life is sacred (sanctity of life) / ‘His Being is the source of all being, the seed of all things that in this life have their life …. He is God, hidden in all beings, their inmost soul which is in all. He watches the works of creation, lives in all things …’ – Svetasvatara Upanishad 6.5 and 6.11 / a life taken before the time of its natural death brings bad karma to all those involved as it interrupts the cycle of birth, death and rebirth / a minority might see passive euthanasia as a moral obligation , to practise ahimsa by not harming and not prolonging suffering , etc.
Islam
Muslims believe that God (Allah) creates life and should decide when life should end / life is sacred and so taking a life is a sin / “do not take life, which God has made sacred ‘ Qur’an 17:33 / life is a gift from God and should be valued and looked after / no one knows God’s plans and if a person is suffering then it may be for a reason / God could be testing their faith or providing an opportunity to look after someone / euthanasia is haram (forbidden) / Muslims believe in Al-Qadr (predestination), that God has planned every person’s life, etc.
Judaism
All life is God given / of huge value and sacred / humans are made in the image of God – Genesis 1 : 27 / active euthanasia is seen as murder / in the last stages of life people should receive good medical care and attention / doctors have a duty to preserve life, not take it / Ecclesiastes 3 : 1-2 / in the case of someone dying who is terminally ill, doctors should be allowed to withdraw a life support machine as it is prolonging the natural process, etc.
Sikhism
Sikhs teach that life is precious and God given / all human beings are created by Waheguru (God) and God lives in them / ‘O my body, the Lord infused His Light into you, and then you came into the world’ – Guru Granth Sahib 921 / ’Those who are sent, come, O Nanak; when they are called back, they depart and go.’ Guru Granth Sahib 1239 / all life is sacred and should be respected / Sikhs teach that it is wrong to deliberately interfere with God’s creative work so escaping suffering in this life will lead to suffering in the next / Sikhs believe in providing hospitals and hospices for the sick and dying / many do not support artificially prolonging life when a person is in a vegetative state – in such cases they may support withdrawing treatment, etc.
N.B. Accept reference to animal euthanasia.
