Human rights are universal moral rights that apply to all people at all times in all situ-ations, regardless of gender, age, race, religious beliefs or age.
“All humans are born free and equal in dignity and in rights.” - Declaration of Human Rights
Amnesty International was set up in 1960 by Peter Benenson. It works worldwide to protect and campaign for people whose basic human rights have been denied. It uses non-violent methods to raise awareness and pro-test against human rights abuses. For example it forms protest marches, writes letters to governments, campaigning for justice, raises awareness, through the media, of people whose rights have been abused, runs school programmes and events to educate about human rights abuses and was given a Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 for the impact of their work on the world.
Christains may support consider it important to campaign for issues of social justice and support Amnesty as a response to the teachings of sacred texts, e.g. the Bible tells Christians to 'love thy neighbour'. It is these sacred texts that inspire believers today to make a stand against injustice around the world. Some Roman Catholics follow the example of Oscar Romero who was the Archbishop of El Salvador in 1977. He spoke out against the corrupt government and held meetings that criticised the government to spread his message of social justice. He did this because of his belief that Jesus freed others from injustices, and therefore it is a Christian’s duty to do the same. This is called liberation theology and it promotes the idea that God has the power to change situations in the world that are unjust.
All Christians beclieve each person is to be treated with agape, meaning unconditional love like the mother has for her children; like the love Jesus had for mankind when he sacrificed himself on the cross for the sins of humanity. Genesis says 'Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the cre-tures that move along the ground." Therefore, the characteristics of God are reflected in all beings, which means that each human has worth and value.
Christians believe that all humans should have human rights because God created each person unique and “in our image and likeness.” This means that each person is like God in sprit and in form, and therefore no one should have more or less rights than the next person. As a result, Christians, like Martin Luther King, will fight against injustice if human rights aren’t being upheld.This is becuase they believe all people are children of God and created in God's image.
Roman Catholic argue human life should not be destroyed or mistreated as in Genesis 1: 26-27 states: 'Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our im-age, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Given "God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." This means they support The Universal Declaration of Human Rights as it reflects the main principles of Christianity.
More liberal Christians such as Methodists argue agape is a selfless, unconditional love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort and even death for the benefit of another, without expecting anything in return. They seek to follow Jesus’ example, so many Christian charities express agape through their work “Love thy neighbour” and they aim to “Treat others as you would like to be treated.”
Catholic social teaching suggests that there are priveledges and responsibilities of the rich. Rich people Christians say have greater protections and power becuase of their wealth that others do not. Jesus tells a story warning Christains and others to not put their faith in wealth and power. He describes a wealthy man who decides to build bigger barns and God decides that night to take his soul. Jesus say what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loose his soul. The Tenth Commandment makes it clear that people shouldbe content with what they have (Exodus 20:17) and that Christians must make sure that they earn their living an honest way that does not hurt other people
This is a good point as Christians follow Pauls belief that that while being rich is not wrong the 'love of money was' 1 Timothy 6:10 . Futher that the rich should share their good fortune with others is argued by John the Baptist. “John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.” 12Even tax collectors came to be baptised. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13“Collect no more than you are authorised,” he answered. 14Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”“Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.” Luke 3:11-14
In contrast all Christians would argue that everyone should have human rights. Genesis argues for the equality of all people when it says 'So God created all human beings, making them to be like himself' Further Paul agrees when he argues in Galations 3:28 'So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in Christ Jesus'. This means as Pope John Paul the 2nd said '•“The fight for the rights of man, is the authentic fight for justice” The Church teaches •'audiem et Spes' meaning human beings must see others as “another self”.
This is a strong argument becasue Jesus gives instructions on how wealthy should act towards the poorist in society and told his followers that being wealthy is not easy (Luke 18:25). In the story of the rich young ruler when jesus tells him to sell all that he had and give to the poor he could not. Jesus explains how it is easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle that to enter the kindom of heaven. Further Jesus says told his followers that being wealthy is not easy (Luke 18:25)
Protestants looking at the bible argue that clearly wealthy people have greater power but greater responsibilities. The queen is the head of the church of england and is the wealthyist person in England. She is however obligated to many philathopic works and charities.
This is a good point as the book of James 5 offers a warning to Rich Oppressors if they have 'fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter' james 1:5. Likewise Jesus parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man warns rich people who have the means, the opportunity and the knowledge to help the poor they will face hell as punishment if they do not help their fellow man. Catholic soical teaching calls on the rich to remember 'each individual man is truly a person' (Pacem in Terris (April, 11 1963) | John XXIII) and likewise calls on the rich to reflect on their priveledge and status and not take it forgranted least they become the object fo Gods judgement. Jesus also taught in the parable of goats that people should use their wealth unselfishly, to look after one another (Matthew 25:35-36) He notes how God says 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
This is not a good argument becuase it ignores the place of wealth creation the the wider rights such economic activity ensures. Vatican 2 also argues that 'a man has the inherent right not only to be given the opportunity to work, but also to be allowed the exercise of personal initiative in the work he does'. John Wesley founder of the methodist church said 'earn all you can, save all you can and give all you can'. Sacred texts and sourcesof wisdom, e.g. TCharity is the greatest of the three theological virtues, and charity has two parts: love of God and love of man, which includes both love of one's neighbour and one's self e.g. 1 Cor. 13 as exemplifed by contemporary practices, e.g. work of Christian Aid, CAFOD.
Censorship is suppressing or limiting information. For example, if the materials are considered to be obscene, offensive or a threat to security, then they may be censored.
One example of when a personal religious conviction has conflicted with the law is in the case of abortion. Many Catholic Christians are completely against abortion due to their teachings on the sanctity of life. For example, they believe life begins at conception because of the Bible teaching, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb”, showing that God created each of us before we were actually born. For this reason, they believe abortion is murder and murder goes against both the law and the Ten Commandments where it says “Thou shalt not kill”. Abortion is allowed by law in this country if certain conditions are met, including two doctors agreeing that continuing the pregnancy will cause harm to the potential mother or her existing children. So this shows that for some Christians this personal religious conviction is in conflict with the UK law.
All Christians would support Article 19 of the Declaration of Human Rights says Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media. Christians would want to express their personal convictions through what is worn. For example the Salvation Army uniform reminds everyone that members stand for justice and that they are soldiers for God, Priests wear vestments when they lead worship. It makes them feel humble and closer to God, the cross is sometimes worn to represent the belief that Jesus died and was resurrected for humanity and the crucifix is worn to represent the belief that Jesus sacrificed himself so that the sins of mankind can be forgiven and humans can earn a place with God in heaven.
The Catholic and evangelical Christains would want to express faith through evangelism is the act of spreading faith to others. Some believe that it is important to try to talk to others about your faith. Some believe it is their mission to express their faith and to try to convert others to their religion. For example, Christians believe it is a duty to teach the Gospel, as Jesus said, "Make disciples (followers) of all nations." Some give out leaflets, go door-to-door or preach in public places
More liberal Christians like Quakers and methodists would want to express fiath through Interfaith dialogue (different faith or belief groups coming together to talk about their views) is important to understand other peoples' points of view. However, they would want to be able to express their fiath through varied symbols to show respect to that person's faith, beliefs and God. It is a personal conviction to express faith through symbols. For example the cross is sometimes worn to represent the belief that Jesus died and was resurrected for humanity, the crucifix is sometimes worn to represent the belief that Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross so that the sins of mankind can be forgiven and humans might be able to earn a place with God in heaven, and the ichthus (fish sign) represents belief in Jesus Christ: God's son and Saviour of mankind
Many Liberal Chritians would agree that the media is encoruaging believing in and supporting ideas that are very far from what most people consider correct or reasonable. The media makes money through news revenues and mmoderate views do naot make for good stories. Oer the years the media as given more air time to less moderate and reflective veiwpoints. On a range of debates liberal Christians comlpain the media os not encoauging peaceful relations as jesus taught when he said we should 'love our enemies' and 'do good to those who hate us.
This is a weak point as religion is expressed in many different ways. Often in the media we read of situations in which one person’s desire to express their faith has led to others complaining or being offended. One way religion can be expressed is in the clothes or symbols we wear. In some countries it is illegal to wear religious symbols to school. In France, for example, any ‘overtly’ religious symbol cannot be worn or displayed in school.
More conservative Christians do not belive that that the media has encouraged extreme views such as on abortion, same sex marriage as such views that are considered extreeme are central to their faith and not unusual. The media is just reporting Christians actual views which are subjectivily held to be extreme. However, this is just bais as the bBible is the word of God and is unchanging with culturs and dosn't need to be made more relavant. 2 Timothy 3 :16 says all scriptue is God breadthed and useful for disipline, rebukeing and correcting. It may be that some such as teh Westborough Baptist go to far in the langauge of judgement missing Jesus message of grace and forgiveness.
This is a strong point as what counts as an extreme believe is a subject preference. If a view does not lead to actual violence then it cannot be accused of being extreeme.
Quakers would if asked also claim that the media as led to extreme views as they believe any justifcation for war is extreme. The debates by the house of Lords church of england bishops has been televised and several wars in recent years has resulted from these. The wars in Iraq and more recently in Libyia being examples. These are wars that others have demonstrated against. Jesus said 'blessed are the peacemakers' but news outlets have make money out of the discussion of the ligitimacy of war.
Discrimination is the act of treating people differently because of their age, race, gender, etc. Christians teach that discrimination is wrong because we are all equal in God’s eyes.
Christians believe that all humans are made in the image of God. Therefore any action that devalues a person is an insult to God who created and loves that person. At the centre of the Christian faith is the belief that Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross to atone for the sins of all people everywhere.
Church of England Christians believe that discrimination is wrong because it goes against Jesus’ teachings. Jesus said to, “love thy neighbour”, in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This means that discrimination has no place in our treatment of others as it is not a loving thing to do. In John it states: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16
The Roman Catholic teaching on prejudice and discrimination is made quite clear in Gaudium et Spes: Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, colour, social conditions, language or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design.Gaudium et Spes para 29, 1965. This is supported by the divine law as throughout the Gospels, there is a great emphasis on the idea that Jesus' message is meant for all people, from every walk of life. He was born as an outsider among the poorest and rejected (Luke 2:7-8), in the birth story, an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds (Luke 2:8-9), the foreign wise men (magi) came to worship him (Matthew 2:1-12), Jesus cured the lepers (Mark 1:40-45), the blind (Matthew 20:29-34), the possessed (Mark 5:1-20), the foreigner (Mark 7:24-30) – all of whom were despised by society but accepted by Jesus, Women had lower status in the society of the time, yet they were important to Jesus, so much so that the first appearances after the resurrection were to women (Matthew 28:1-10), When he was asked Who is my neighbour? (Luke 10:29), Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which the Samaritan, a member of a dispised community in Jesus' time, helped his fellow man when others failed to do so (Luke 10:30-37).
Methodists and other liberal Christians would argue fighting against prejudice and discrimination is vital as in the first Christian community, one issue that concerned them was who could legitimately become a Christian. The conclusion that Christianity was a faith for anyone, regardless of race, social status or gender is based on this verse from Acts: God has no favourites but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to Him. Acts 10:34-35. This idea is reinforced in St. Paul’s teaching in Galatians when he said:There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.Galatians 3:28. Further in the Epistle of James found in the New Testament, it says that Christians who treat the poor in a different way to how they treat the rich have made themselves into judges, and corrupt judges at that (James 2:4).
Many Protestant Christians agree Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister in the USA who campaigned against the racism in the country. Because he was a Christian hebelieved in the teachings of Jesus and tried to follow these in his campaigns. So he used non-violent protest, and argued that if personal conviction caused a person to act against anunjust law, and at the same time accept thepenalty of the law, this was showing thehighest respect possible. He was convincedthat non-violence was the best way to work,as it followed the example and teaching of Jesus.
This is a good point as in the book of Galatians in the New Testament, it states that God created allhuman beings equal, and so the implication is that Christians should work for achieving whatGod intended all along. In the Muslim holy book, the Qur’an, it also states that men andwomen have equal rights – which means thatMuslims ought to be pursuing a path thatshows that same equality.
Many Catholics would discree as they believe the Catholic church is already doing a lot to challenge prejudice and discrimination. The Catholic Church works to oppose racism and to raise awareness of the importance of cultural diversity. This is led by the Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ). Through its work it seeks ‘to value, respect and celebrate the equality and dignity of all God’s people’. Moreover the Church of England’s Committee for Minority and Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC): encourages minority ethnic people to become part of the ministry of the Church, supports race awareness initiatives throughout society, creates links with other faiths and cultures through inter-faith dialogue.
This is a weak point as to some people it is clear that religion will often divide people along racial lines, becausein some countries, and therefore races, the religion is based on where a person is born and the country in which they live. On theother hand, within some religious traditions there can be a range of different races and nationalities–butallsharingthesamereligious tradition, perhaps with some local or cultural differences in some practices.
Some Catholics agree. Liberation Theology started in south america. Oscar Ramero was an example of a Christian who believed the church should activily reists prejuidice and discrimation for his views. Romero was born in El Salvador in 1917. He became a priest and was ordained in 1942. He became Archbishop of El Salvador in 1977. In 1960s there was a lot of crime and corruption in El Salvador. Some people were very wealthy, but many people were very poor. After a close friend of Romero's was murdered, he started to speak out against the injustices and openly criticised the government. He held meetings, which had been banned by the government. Protesters in the Church became targets of violence. Government slogans and propaganda included, "Be a patriot - kill a priest.” After many threats, on 24th March 1980, soldiers burst into the chapel and gunned down Romero while he was celebrating Mass.
This is a giood point as Liberation theology is based on the teachings and actions of Jesus. During Jesus' life his actions helped to liberate (free) people from unjust and unfair economic, political or social conditions. Jesus is considered to be a freedom fighter. Liberation theology is the Christian idea that God has the power to change situations in the world that are unjust. Many Christians have taken this to mean that it is right to stand up to governments that oppress their people or to challenge abuses of power. Christians may take part in peaceful protests or actively take part in supporting those harmed by injustice, for example, people who are imprisoned for political reasons and without a trial. Some supporters of liberation theology have been killed for speaking out against injustice like Oscar Romero.
Relative poverty is a standard of poverty in relation to the people in that same society. For example, charities such as Barnardos are set up to help people in poverty in Britain.. Absolute poverty is a complete state of deprivation, where a person cannot access their basic needs, e.g. food, water, shelter. Charities such as Christian Aid work oversees with people in absolute poverty.
Christian Aid is a Christian charity working in partnership with local organisations over 60 different countries to help those in need - regardless of religion, ethnicity or nationality. It aims to stop poverty and challenge systems that favour the rich over the poor and marginalised. It does this my organising projects and educating people about the causes of poverty through running campaigns and Fair Trade activities. Christian Aid seeks to follow what Jesus taught to care for the poor. In the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats tells us that God will not judge people on how much wealth they have gained but on their treatment of the poor and needy. Also Lazarus and the Rich Man: Lazarus lived on the streets outside the rich man's estate. When they both died, Lazarus went to heaven and the rich man went to hell because of his neglect of Lazarus - a brother in need.
Christian Aid seeks to reflects Christian teachings and values by working on the basis of a belief in God who loves us all, by promotes the dignity of human life and by clear values. Such as jesus teaching 'Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me.”- Matthew 25: 40 (Parable of the Sheep and the Goats) Love and Solidarity: We are called to love and care for one another in compassion and humility, we stand alongside those who struggle with poverty, powerlessness and injustice. Dignity and Respect: Every human being has innate dignity. All people are of equal worth, which is why we place honesty and respect for others at the heart of what we do. Justice and Equality: Where people lack power, poverty prevails, so Christian Aid support work that empowers individuals and communities. They fight injustice with courage, hope and determination, challenging the structures and systems that prevent people from rising out of poverty. Cooperation and Partnership: Our work is rooted in a spirit of cooperation and we affirm the value of acting in partnership with others. We work with and for the churches, as well as with other faith and secular groups. We also engage with civil society, government and the private sector. Accountability and Stewardship: We are accountable for how we use the resources entrusted to us. We measure our impact and are always striving to improve our performance. We are committed to being effective stewards if the planet's scarce resources and caring for the earth for the sake of future generations.
Roman Catholics believe that it is OK to earn money, as long as a person doesn’t become greedy or earn it through immoral means, e.g. selling drugs. For Catholics, money is a gift given by God and therefore it should not be wasted. This idea is shown in the Parable of the Talents, where the master (God) awards money to each of his servants. Christians therefore will acquire money wisely and through moral methods. Today, many Cathoics and other religious people take a vow of poverty to give up everything they possess to better focus on God and their faith. They remember the key quote from the Parable of the Rich Young Man is: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven.” This means that if a person loves money and their material possessions more than God, they will not enter heaven.
Protestant attitudes Christian Attitudes to Wealth and Poverty also follow the Bibles teaching that a person's value should be judged by their actions and not by what they possess or how much money they have. Jesus taught that wealth doesn't make people happy and can lead to greed, that money cannot go with us when we die, therefore it is unimportant in the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 6: Jesus warns that money can take the place of God in the hearts of men and in the Parable of the Rich Young Man: A rich man asks Jesus what he needs to do to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus replies, 'sell all you own and give the money to charity. Then come and follow me.' The young man left Jesus disappointed because he loved his money more than he loved God.
That having wealth is not necessarily bad or wrong, but it must be used wisely. So Christians would do a job that helps people and avoid jobs that cause harm, so some Christians (Quakers/Society of Friends) are against gambling because this is an unwise use for money. It also encourages the love of money for its own sake and suggests that winning money is the ultimate prize. Quakers/Society of Friends do not take part in any sort of gambling because it encourages greed and the view that having an excess of money generates happiness
Some would argree becuase the Roman Catholic Church is often criticised for its wealth when so many people live in absolute poverty. The Church owns valuable property and art. Some argue that it should give more of its wealth away to the less fortunate. However, some Christians argue that the Bible teaches that there is nothing wrong with wealth in itself. It is greed that is wrong.
This is a weak point because the Roman Catholic Church teaches that the poor represent those who are marginalised in society. Jesus himself taught the importance of helping those who are poor and need help. The Church also teaches about the 'preferential option for the poor', that in order to improve life for the poor, we should speak for the voiceless and defend the defenceless. The Roman Catholic Church was an open supporter, amongst many churches, of Jubilee Year.
Many Christians would agree becuase Liberation Theology had to be started as a movement within the Roman Catholic Church. It began in Latin America in the 1950s and 1960s, in response to poverty in Brazilian society. It is based on the teaching of loving one's neighbour. Christians working in this movement focus on helping those who live in poverty. They believe that poverty is the single most important issue faced by people in today's world as poverty leads to all sorts of disadvantages to do with health, education and participation in society.
This is a weak point becuase of Catholic Christians support the work of charities in LEDCs. CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) is the Catholic aid agency for England and Wales, and works with poor communities in LEDCs to end poverty and injustice. The organisation helps people of all religions, not just Christians. CAFOD's vision is based on Catholic Social Teaching which says that we are part of one community, wherever we live. When CAFOD outlines its aims, it refers to Pope Paul VI's teaching in Populorum Progressio: You are not making a gift of what is yours to the poor man, but you are giving him back what is his … The earth belongs to everyone, not to the rich.Pope Paul VI Populorum Progressio (1967). CAFOD works in over 40 countries, including Haiti, Honduras and Ethiopia. Its work focuses on sustainable development as well as emergency aid and campaigning for change.
Others would agree becuase they feel they have had do do private volunary work or start carities outside of the existing churchs. Some Christians believe that they should help people in poverty directly by visiting LEDCs and being involved in charitable organisations. Christians Abroad supports volunteers to go abroad and work with children and communities in LEDCs, eg the Rainbow House Children's Home in Kenya welcomes volunteers through Christians Abroad to work with former homeless street children. Some Christians tithe some of their income for good causes and others donate their time, working in a charity shop for example. Some Christian organisations, such as Time for God, help volunteers take time out of their careers or education to help the less fortunate in the UK.
This is a weak point becuase many Christains who support these charities are faithful in attending the ordinary church at the same time.
Some would disagree becuase the Church of England has focused on the importance of fair trade between nations to help to alleviate poverty in the poorest countries. The General Synod of the Church of England said that: As a matter of common humanity and of our mutual interest in survival, the world requires a new and more equitable system of economic relationships between nations.General Synod of the Church of England, 1981. .
This is agood point becuase Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, raised issues of the poor to international attention. His International Development Secretariat was involved in several programmes in sub-Saharan Africa to help build schools and support those suffering from illnesses such as HIV. The work of the Church lies not in imposing solutions but in working with local people.
Extremism is when a person believes in and supports ideas that are far from what most people consider normal or reasonable. For example, the Westboro Baptist Church are an extremist group in America who picket at the funerals of dead service men and women.
Some Roman Catholic Christians might argue that censorship is acceptable because the Bible itself is a select group of books, meaning that some have been left out or are missing. For example, there are other Gospel accounts about Jesus’ life which have not been included in the widely-known Bible. Therefore, a Catholic might argue that in some circumstances censorship is acceptable because it can sort out the accounts of Jesus that are inspired by God from those that aren’t, resulting in a more accurate understanding of God’s Word.
Some Christians agree with this statement because wealth is a gift from God and should be used to help other people. For example, the Parable of the Rich Young Man shows us that wealth isn’t important and that it should be used to give to charity. If a Christian is unable to do this, then they are showing that they love money more than they love God and therefore they cannot enter heaven.
This is a good point because the Ten Commandments state to “not worship false gods.” In Today’s world, many people suffer from the vice of greed and pursue money more than they pursue spiritual wealth. As a result, money is not used wisely. The fact that only 1% of the world’s population own 99% of the world’s wealth is evidence that money isn’t being used wisely to get people out of poverty.
“Love your neighbour as yourself.” Mark 12:31
“John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”
12Even tax collectors came to be baptised. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13“Collect no more than you are authorised,” he answered.
14Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
“Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.” Luke 3:11-14
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Matthew 25:35-36
Personal conviction is having a strong belief in something. For example, Martin Luther King had a strong belief that all people are equal.
Christians believe that we should fight for social justice in the world because it is our duty. During Jesus’ life on earth, he helped people in unjust situations and therefore Christians believe they should do the same. Jesus said to, “treat others as you would like to be treated.” Therefore we should speak out against social injustice because that is what we would want if the situation was reversed.
Some Christians might support extremism because they hold strong personal convictions. For example, abortion-extremists are Christians who believe that life is sacred and that abortion violates the sanctity of life. If all people are “Created in God’s image,” then this includes unborn babies, who have the potential to life a full human life. This would encourage a Christian to campaign or protest to ensure that it is only God who takes life away, not abortion clinics.
Some Church of England Christians might agree with this statement because the law states that under the freedom of information act, a person should be able to have access to any information they want. Christians are taught to obey the law of the land through Jesus’ quote to, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, give to God what is God’s.” This means that a Christian should obey the law of the land and act within it at all times.
This is a bad point because the freedom of information act only applies to the information that is public –some information is still censored from this, e.g. if the information could be a threat to national security. Therefore, if it is a matter of public safety, then some information must be censored in order to keep society safe.
Social justice is promoting a fair society. For example, Christians might do this through challenging injustice and valuing diversity.
Christian Aid are a Christian charity who promote human rights around the world. They work in over 60 countries to rid people of poverty and help people to help themselves. They do this because of their Christian belief in agape – unconditional love. They believe they should act with sacrificial love to all people, showing love to their neighbours, as Jesus commanded.
Some Church of England Christians believe that we should be able to express ourselves religiously because we were given free will by God in the Garden of Eden. Therefore it is a person’s choice whether or not to express their faith, e.g. through preaching the Gospel (evangelism) or by wearing religious symbols such as a cross, for example. A Christian will choose for themselves whether to express their religion by praying or asking their conscience.
Some Christians agree with this statement because Jesus asked his disciples to evangelise and spread the Gospel. Jesus said to, “make disciples of all nations”, meaning that the disciples should express their faith to others.
This is a good point because Jesus gave this command before he ascended to heaven, meaning that it was one of the last things he said to his disciples. If it wasn’t important to ‘express faith’ and evangelise, then he wouldn’t have commanded this as one of his last acts on earth.
Relative poverty is a standard of poverty in relation to the people in that same society. For example, charities such as Barnardos are set up to help people in poverty in Britain.
Christians disagree with prejudice and discrimination on the grounds that Jesus treated all people equally and fairly. For example, the story of Zacchaeus, the healing of the lepers and the forgiveness of Mary Magdalene are all examples of Jesus treating people with dignity and respect, where others didn’t. Jesus did this because humans are created “in the image of God” and therefore are all holy and a part of God. Therefore Christians will follow in Jesus’ footsteps and avoid prejudice and discrimination.
Christianity teaches that we should not discriminate against anyone. This is shown in the Bible teaching in Acts where Peter realises that, “God does not show favouritism.” This means that God doesn’t have specific people or groups of people that He prefers. Christians can infer from this that they should not show favouritism and discriminate either. However, St Paul seems to contradict this when he teaches in Corinthians that, “the head of the woman is man.” This would indicate that men are superior to women and therefore this would be God, and us, showing favouritism.
All Christians woudl eb against discrimination becuase of what Jesus said “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” John 13:34, Further that the church was to be made from every nation “From one man he made every nation of men.” Acts 17:26, and that only Christ whould be of any more importance "Now I want you to realise that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man…” 1 Corinthians 11:3. key is the pentecostal incluison of Christians from every nations “Then Peter began to speak: “I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism.” Acts 10:34 and instructiosn on how we should treat others “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism.” James 2:1
Church of England Christians believe that all forms of discrimination is wrong on the grounds that Jesus taught to “love thy neighbour”, regardless of where they are from or what religion they belong to. Jesus also taught to “treat others as you would like to be treated,” therefore religious discrimination would go against this teaching because no one wants to be treated differently, simply because they follow a different religion.
Quakers and methodists are also against discrimination as Genesis declares everyone equal “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27 THis idea is supported by Paul who said “For all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:27-29
Some Roman Catholics disagree with this statement because some forms of discrimination are suitable depending on the circumstance. For example, the Roman Catholic Church does not allow women to be priests because Jesus was a man and his disciples were all male. To non-Roman Catholics, this can be seen as discrimination because it excludes women because of their gender.
This is a bad point because times are changing and just because something was acceptable in the past, it doesn’t mean it should always be like that. For example, same-sex marriage has long since been accepted by the Quakers, even though it was only de-criminalised in Britain in the 1960s. In addition, women in Jesus’ time adhered to completely different social standards and therefore it would have been unusual for Jesus to have enlisted women as his disciples. Nowadays, women are equal in rights and status, so therefore they should have equal rights within the Church.
Absolute poverty is a complete state of deprivation, where a person cannot access their basic needs, e.g. food, water, shelter. Charities such as Christian Aid work oversees with people in absolute poverty.
Some Roman Catholics believe that capital punishment can be acceptable in the right circumstances, however the law has outlawed the death penalty as an inhumane form of punishment. Some Catholics believe that the Bible teaching, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life,” should stand in the most severe of crimes, for example mass murder. Therefore, a Catholic might campaign to raise awareness of their support of the death penalty and lobby parliament so that it is brought back as an official punishment.
Some Church of England Christians will stand up for people’s human rights, even if it goes against the law of the country at the time. For example, Martin Luther King acted upon his personal conviction that all people are equal before God and ‘created in God’s image’. Therefore, human rights are important for Christians, especially if you have a personal conviction that the law is unjust and is depriving people of social justice.
Some Christians agree with this because all human life has dignity and therefore we should strive to achieve social justice. For Christians, all people are equal because “God created mankind in his image,” and therefore Christians will act with agape (unconditional love) to promote the rights and social justice of others.
This is a good point because in the past, Christians, such as Oscar Romero, have used their influence to show support for people who were living in unjust conditions. Social Justice for Romero was so important that he sacrificed his life to spread his just message to his congregation. Romero clearly agreed that he had a duty to work for social justice and therefore, because of this, Catholics especially would agree with this statement.
Some Christians believe that mission and evangelism are important because they believe it is a duty to tell others about the Gospel. They also think it is important to convert people to Christianity, in order to “make disciples of all nations”, as Jesus commanded before he ascended to heaven. Therefore, Christians will preach about Jesus to others. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses go door-to-door in order to convert people to their faith.
Some Christians agree with this statement because Jesus told the Parable of the Rich Young Man. Jesus said that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven.” This means that wealthy people should give up their money to charity before they can truly express their faith to God.
This is a good point because the parable explains that a person cannot love both God and money – a person cannot serve two masters. This is true in today’s world because our society can be too superficial. If people of faith truly worshipped God through their charity work, then it is a better response to “Love the Lord thy God” and therefore people would not get caught up in greed.
Many Christians are involved in volunteering in prisons. They often do this because they want to care forothers as Jesus did when he reached out to people in need, and to show people are special and havesomething of God in them. In addition, they believe it is important to show forgiveness, just as Jesus didand taught, such as in the story of the Good Samaritan. Chaplains will often help people who need to pray,as well as leading services like communion, or to help Muslims in reading the Qur’an and keeping to halalfoods as far as possible. Sometimes they just help the prisoners with spiritual and physical needs.
In the past there have been people like Elizabeth Fry, a Quaker who dedicated her life to improving thestate of British prisons. She believed strongly in the need for education in prisons, and for prisoners to behelped to reform, rather than just be isolated from the rest of society. She is particularly famous forteaching female prisoners to read.