Section A: The universe, humans beings & their destiny

Section A: The universe, humans beings & their destiny

 

Creation

1.     Creationists / Christians — Genesis story

·       God’s words in the Bible = must be true

·       Created humans in his own image

·       God planned & designed the universe

2.     Big Bang

·       Universe began 13.7 billion years ago

·       Explosion created time, space, matter & energy

·       PROOF: remnant of heat & universe still expanding

3.     Evolution

·       Living things evolved over many generations

·       Survival of the fittest

·       PROOF: birds in Galapagos

4.     Atheists

·       Universe self contained, don’t need outside force

 

Humans & the environment

1.     Christians

·       Stewardship: humans are responsible for the world and should take care of it

§  “Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it”

·       God’s creation à belongs to God à have to return it in good state

§  “The world is the Lord’s, and everything in it”

·       ORGANISATION: A Rocha

2.     Atheists

·       Keep it in good condition for future generations à better lives

·       Humans weren’t on the world since the start à not ours & shouldn’t exploit it

 

Animal VS Humans

1.     Christians

·       God put humans in charge of animals à people can use animals however they want

§  “Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground”

·       Stewardship: God’s creations à treat with love & respect 

ü  Humans are superior

ü  Humans were made in God’s image

ü  God gave humans a soul, can have a personal relationship with God

ü  Bible values human life over animal life

·       ORGANISATION: PETA

§  Petitions / protest campaigns

2.     Atheists

·       Humans have superior intelligence

·       Dominance: humans have power over animals

·       Humans can rationalise & have greater capacity for emotions

·       Humans have inherited knowledge à develop faster

 

Animal Rights: animals have the same rights as humans, not property

·       Commonality: all living creatures are part of the same development process and share similar characteristics

·       Shouldn’t be used for food / medical research / entertainment / clothing

û  Animals can’t make moral choices

Animal Welfare: animals can be used but avoid unnecessary suffering & cruelty

û  Only considers animals around human needs

û  Specieism: preference to “cute” animals

 

Humans Beings & Conditions

1.     Christians

·       God gave us a soul: spiritual / non-material part of a person, that’s immortal: lives on after the body dies

§  Used for relationship with God

§  “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being”

2.     Scientists

·       Physicalism: person is entirely physical

§  No evidence for the soul

§  Changes in thoughts & feelings have physical effects on our body

§  PROOF: world is made up of particles

3.     Atheists

·       Dualism: having 2 parts – body (physical) & mind / soul / thoughts / feelings

§  Moral conscience stops us from being driven to our desires

§  Consciousness doesn’t come from the brain

Cause of Wrongdoing

 

Selfishness: self-interest and concern with individual needs & wants which excludes considering those of others

1.     Christians:

·       Parable of the Good Samaritan

§  “Love your neighbour as you love yourself”

2.     Atheists:

·       Leads to the suffering of others

·       Ignoring others’ needs, refusing to help

§  Apartheid: turned a blind eye if they aren’t affected

û  Natural à ensure our own survival

§  Theory of evolution / survival of the fittest

Greed: excessive desire for wealth or possessions

1.     Christians:

·       One of the 7 deadly sins

·       Worshipping money & possessions rather than God à lack faith in him

§   “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil”

·       Jesus showed concern for the poor

2.     Atheists:

·       Greed à injustice

§  Consumerism: cheap production à child exploitation

û  Without greed à no incentive to work harder

Ignorance: not knowing / understanding the difference between right and wrong

1.     Christians:

·       Everyone has the capacity to tell right from wrong à not a valid excuse

·       Humans have God-given conscience

·       Avoid being morally ignorant, learn right from wrong

2.     Atheists:

·       Important to learn right from wrong

·       Parents responsibility to teach

Sin: behaviour that goes against the law of God

1.     Fundamentalist Christians:

·       Everything the Bible says is a sin à avoid

·       Sin gives rise to injustice

·       All human beings have free will à responsible for injustice

2.     Liberal Christians:

·       Some sins from the Old Testament are reflection of the values

3.     Atheists

·       Don’t believe there’s a God

 

War:

1.     Christians:

·       Evitable

§  Everyone follow Jesus’ teachings (love)

§  INDIVIDUAL: Desmond Tutu (stop apartheid injustice)

§  ORGANISATION: EAPPI (different Christian denominations, volunteer observer to disputed territories prevent human right abuse)

2.     Atheists:

·       Evitable

§  Society is less likely to support injustice

§  Mass media = can’t hide

§  Look back at mistakes and learn

§  ORGANISATION: Amnesty International (write petitions & raise awareness)

·       Inevitable

§  As long as humans are present

§  Existed throughout history

§  World over populate = not enough resources

 

Nature / Nurture

1.     Nature

·       Certain genes show personality traits

§  Fraternal twins brought up separately show similarities in behaviour

2.     Nurture

·       Children can be trained to do anything despite personalities & talents

 

Good and Evil

1.     Good

·       All good things come from God

·       God gave humans moral laws (10 commandments) for guidance

2.     Evil

·       Things that keep people away from God

·       Devil is a form of temptation that tempts us to disobey God

 

Sin and Salvation

1.     Original sin

·       Adam & Eve’s mistakes à everyone is born with original sin

·       Need forgiveness form God

§  Baptism: physically wash away our sins

2.     Salvation

·       Accept that you have done wrong and are a sinner

·       Accept Jesus died as the Son of God to save you

§  Crucifixion: give us a chance to repair our relationship with God

 

Free Will, Determinism and Predestination

 

Free Will: human will is free, so we have the ability to make unhindered choices

1.     Scientists:

û  Determinism: every event has a cause, which means all human actions have a cause and we don’t have free will

û  Genetic determinism: genes have an impact on our behaviour and abilities

§  Research into a gene responsible for quick-temper by affecting hormone level

2.     Atheists:

û  Psychological determinism: our actions are determined by childhood and environment

ü  Fundamental for human autonomy

3.     Christians:

ü  Humans are free & autonomous (act independently)

§  Adam & Eve CHOSE to eat the forbidden fruit à punished

§  Face the consequence of choices, God will forgive if truly sorry

§  Jesus’ death allows humans to act kindly & compassionately

û  Predestination: the belief that God has already decided the fate of human beings

§  People are inherently sinful (original sin) à need salvation from God

§  God chooses the elect & reprobate / who’s going to Heaven

§  People don’t have free will

ü  Judgement Day

§  God will judge us based on our actions

§  Reward and punishment

û  God is omnibenevolent à why create reprobate?

§  Makes judgement & moral pointless

û  God is omniscient à knows what choices we make

He’s made the choice for us already