WJEC Religion and Human Experience

1. Islamic and Christian teachings
about harmony and tolerance
Christians:
‘Do to others what you would have
them do to you, for this sums up the
law and the prophets’
‘Greater love has no man than this that
a man lay down his life for friends’
‘Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you’
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall
obtain mercy’
‘Forgive them farther for they don’t
know what they are doing’
Islam:
‘No one of you is a believer until he
desires for his brother that which he
desires for himself’
‘And fight in the cause of god those who
fight with you, but to not go over the
limits: god does not love the aggressors’
‘Permission to fight is given to those
who are attacked, because they have
been wronged’
Conscience- Something that helps a person choose
from right or wrong
Just War- A war that is justified according to certain
conditions
Pacifism- A belief that all violence is unacceptable
Non-violent Protest- Showing disapproval for
something in a peaceful way
Reconciliation- Making up after a conflict
Religion and Conflict
Pacifism
People that believe that
any form of violence is
unacceptable. Modern day
pacifists include: Martin
Luther king, Gandhi and
the Dalai Lama.
Reconciliation
Just War
Jihad
Making up after a quarrel or dispute. Zacchaeus
was a tax collector that charged everyone too
much. Jesus questioned him and he payed back
4 times what he owed. This proves that we
should forgive and give second chances.
 A Muslim Jihad is a personal fight against
evil.
 A greater Jihad is a way Muslims make
personal effort to follow Allah’s commands
and to fight evil on a personal level (e.g.
Fasting)
 A lesser Jihad is to defend Islam and to
come to the aid of anyone attacked for
practicing Islam
 The war must be for a just cause
 War must be declared by a lawful authority
 War must only be fought to bring about
good
 War must be a last resort
 There must be a reasonable chance of
success
 Only necessary force should be used
 Only legitimate targets should be attacked
(e.g. not schools or hospitals)
The just war theory was developed by
the philosopher, Thomas Aquinas. The
conditions that must be followed to
make a war just are:

2. Christian symbols for
expressing their faith
 Salvation army uniform
 Cross/crucifix
 Fish
Religious Expression
Community- A group of people with something in
common
Evangelism- How some religious faiths share their
beliefs with others
Faith- A belief in a particular religion
Identity- How someone belongs to a religious faith
Pilgrimage- A journey to a significant religious place
Sacred- Something so special it should be respected
Muslim symbols for
expressing their faith
 Hijab
 What is worn at the
mosque
 Star and crescent symbol
How do symbols express faith
 Shows readiness for worship
 Follows what the holy text says
 Shows what you stand for
 Keeps God and your faith at the front
of their minds
Symbols of faith in church
 Crosses and crucifixes – Represents
the death and resurrection of Jesus
 Stained glass windows – Tells Jesus’
teachings
 Alter – Shows Jesus is meeting his
people
 The lectern – where the bible is read.
In the shape of an eagle to represent
the spread of good news
 The pulpit – Used for preaching.
Raised to show the importance of the
message
 Baptism font – Shows the entry into
God’s family.
Symbols of faith in Mosque
 The mihrab – On the walls to show the direction of
Makkah
 Calligraphy – Used to show the importance of verses
in the Qur'an
 Prayer mats are close together to represent equality
 Star and crescent – Shows how religion can give us
guidance
Pilgrimages
Christians often visit Lourdes. Here,
St Bernadette had visions of Mary.
Many people visit here to feel
closer to god and for miracle
healing.
Hajj is one of the 5 pillars of Islam.
It says that all Muslims should visit
Makkah. They believe it helps them
feel closer to Allah and develops
the Ummah
Sharing Faith
Many Christians believe that evangelism is important. They
also have religious channels to spread good news and to
convert people. They may also take part in interfaith
dialogue to understand other religions.
Muslims preach and get people to revert. This is because
they believe that everyone is born Muslim. They also
believe that interfaith dialogue is important.

3. Thoughts on IVF
Roman Catholics believe that only God
can give and take life. It also involves
throwing away fertilised eggs and this is
not acceptable.
Other denominations believe that it is
acceptable as it provides happiness to
couples. They believe that the
technology to do it is a gift from God.
They may also believe that the cost is not
justifiable as there are many starving
children.
Muslims believe that it is acceptable if
the sperm and egg are from the husband
and wife. They allow it if the male has a
disease. The Qur'an also states that
sperm should not be wasted. It is also
important that the children know who
their parents are
Religion and Medicine
Conscience- An inner voice that keeps people on the right
track
Free Will- The belief that humans have free choices in life
Hippocratic Oath- A promise doctors take to preserve life
at all costs
Medical Ethics- What is right and wrong in medicine
Quality of Life- the extent to which life is meaningful
and pleasurable
Sanctity of Life- All life is precious and only god can give
or take it away
Euthanasia
Euthanasia is the painless killing of someone who is unable to do it themselves. This can be voluntary (where the person asks to be
killed) or it can be non-voluntary (Where someone kills another person to end their suffering). Tony Nicklinson was paralysed. He said
he did not have a good quality of life and wanted to commit suicide. He was nit able to do it himself so he asked his family. The court
said that if they did it would be murder. Tony had to kill him self slow and painfully by starvation. Many religious people are against
euthanasia and think that they should go to a hospice where they can die with dignity.
Medical Ethics
When becoming a doctor, doctors have to sign the Hippocratic oath. This is a promise that
they will do everything they can to save a human life. There have been many cases where
Jehovah witnesses such as Emma Gough, have refused a life saving blood transfusion as
they believe it is going against gods plan. She later died leaving the farther to care for her
children. There have been other cases where a judge has ruled that a patient should have
the transfusion against their will for the sake of their family.
Abortion
Roman Catholics are completely against
abortion. This is because they believe that
it is murder. They believe that only god can
give or take life.
Other Christians believe abortion is
acceptable if it will effect the woman's
health or she has been raped etc.
Muslims believe that only God can give
and take life and abortion because of
economic reasons is not acceptable. It is
accepted by some Muslims if it is to save
the mothers life.

4. Beliefs about Duty
Christians believe they have a duty
to follow the ten commandments
and to use their talents wisely.
Muslims believe they should follow
the 5 pillars of Islam and to follow
shari’ah law.
Both religions are told their duties
through their conscience and the
holy texts.
Authority- Someone or something who has authority over
someone else.
Duty- What is expected of someone because of their job,
responsibilities or faith.
Justice- Where someone is treated fairly and has equal
human rights.
Personal Conviction- Something a person feels strongly
about
Punishment- To make someone suffer for there
wrongdoings.
Purpose of Punishment
Muslims believe that the Qur'an teaches the
difference between right and wrong. They
believe that shari’ah must be followed and
Allah will judge them on judgement day
Christians believe that we have free choice
to accept or reject god’s ways. Justice is
important bud Jesus says to forgive. They
believe they will be judged at the end of
their lives.
Both religions believe that punishment is to
stop people breaking the law, to gain trust
and to protect society.
Religion and the
State (Authority)
The Bible
 It’s the word of God
 Made up of the Old and New Testaments
 Important for worship
 Read everyday
 Acts as authority and guidelines
 Teaches Christians how to live like Jesus
 Has supreme authority
The Death Sentence
Muslims believe that all life created by Allah is sacred.
However they believe that it is acceptable if for a just cause.
Christians believe that life is sacred. However the old
testament says ‘an eye for an eye’. Quakers are 100% against
capital punishment.
The Qur’an
 Should be read in Arabic
 It’s the word of Allah
 Shows Muslims how to live
 Made up of messages given to
Mohammed
 Source of Islamic law
 Should be respected (e.g. rapped in
cloth when not in use)
Human Rights
Oscar Romero is the archbishop of San Salvador. He
spoke out against corruption and injustice. He held
meetings that were banned by the government. He
even spoke out against corrupt practices of army in
sermons