Religion and Social Responsibility.

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Religion and Social Responsibility.

• Aim- To consider how Christians make decisions.
• Starter
• Find a partner you matches your word or meaning.

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How do Christians make moral decisions?

• Christians usually use three things to make moral
  decisions
• The Bible
• The Church
• Their conscience

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For most Christians the first tool in making a
decision in the Bible.

• Depending on their beliefs Christian see the
  Bible differently
• Some Christians see it as the absolute word of
  Godtherefore it has absolute authority and can
  never be changed.
• Some Christians see it as the word of Godbut it
  needs interpreting
• Some Christians see it as written by humans
  inspired by God, it reflects the time it was
  written in and therefore needs to be revised for
  the modern world

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How Christians see the Bible affects how they
make moral decisions!

• Absolute word of God they will only use the
  Bible to make moral decisions
• Word of God but needs interpreting they would
  place the Churchs authority over the Bible
• Written by humans They will use their
  conscience along with the Bible

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How the Church affects making moral decisions?

• The Church is the community of Christians
• Christians look to the leaders of their Church
  for guidance. If Catholic this would be the pope
  (right), if Church of England this would be the
  general synod (left).

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Why does the Church have authority?

• The Church is the body of Christ and so it has
  the same authority of Christ
• Most Christians believe that God did not stop
  speaking to believers when Jesus died and that he
  continues speaking to them through the Church
• The Church is the community of believers and so
  they need guiding by God to ensure they are doing
  the right thing
• Christians expect the Church to provide guidance
  on Christian life

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Why Christians might use their conscience to make
moral decisions?

• Christianity teaches that all humans have a
  conscience which distinguishes between right and
  wrong.
• St Paul and St Thomas Aquinas taught that
  Christians should always follow their conscience.
• Some Christians believe that Christians should
  follow their conscience over the authority of the
  Church and Bible.

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Questions

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of
  using a holy book when making a moral decision?
  Make two lists
• Do you think that people often turn to religious
  leaders to help them make a moral decision?
• Do you think that using your conscience is a
  successful way of making a moral decision?
  Explain your answer.

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• Why might some Christians only use the Bible to
  make moral decisions?
• Why might some Christians turn to the teachings
  of the Church before anything else when making a
  moral decision?
• Why might some Christians believe following their
  conscience is the most important tool when making
  a moral decision.

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More information!

• Stick the pictures in your book. One on each page
  and using the text books mind map around each
  image ideas connected to how a Christian would
  use it to make moral decisions.

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Situation Ethics

• Modern Christians might use situation ethics to
  make moral decisions. This way of make decisions
  began with the Christian thinker Joseph Fletcher.
• He felt that right and wrong could depend on the
  situation. He felt that Christians should follow
  Jesus commandment to love your neighbour. So
  Christians should always do what is the most
  loving thing in the situation they are faced with.

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Situations

• A 13 year old girl was raped and is now pregnant.
  What is the most loving thing to do?
• A mentally ill man harmed a member of the public.
  What is the most loving thing to do about the
  issue.
• A woman has suffering from domestic violence for
  many years, then one day she murders her husband.
  What is the most loving thing to do?

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As a group use this sheet to consider this moral
dilemma for Christians.

• Use the sheets to help you.
• Next to the Bible write the Bible teachings on
  the issues.
• Next to the Church write the Church teachings on
  the issues.
• Next to the thinker write what you think as a
  table the Christians conscience might tell them.
• Next to the heart write what the most loving
  thing to do would be.
• What do you think the Christian will do in the
  end?

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Social responsibility Thursday 8th
MarchAIM To know Christians attitudes to
politics.

• Starter- Complete the questionnaire!

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(No Transcript)
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Give 5 reasons why each of these people might
feel this way
I am just not interested in politics, I feel it
has nothing to do with me!
Politics is really important, I always keep up
with any decisions the Government has made.
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Complete the table of difference!
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Use your table to answer this question

• B) Explain the different attitudes to being in
  involved in Politics in Christianity. (8)

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Were both Christians!
Discuss the reasons each person may give for
there view, now you know they are practising
Christians.
I am just not interested in politics, I feel it
has nothing to do with me!
Politics is really important, I always keep up
with any decisions the Government has made.
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Aim To understand Christian attitudes to the
welfare state.

• Starter- Complete the table on the sheet with the
  information? Is it for or against Christian
  involvement in politics.

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The Welfare State

• A welfare state is a country where the government
  provides for those who are unable to support
  themselves adequately.

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The British Welfare State

• The British welfare state exists to fight the
  five evil giants identified in the Beveridge
  report of 1942.

WANT DIESEASE IGNORANCE SQUALOR
IDLENESS
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Your tasks

• Cut out each giant and stick it on a new page of
  your book.
• Label the giants with an explain of why it is a
  problem.
• Around each giant write what the welfare state
  has and is doing to tackle the problem caused by
  that giant.

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D) Governments have a responsibility to look
after those people who can not support
themselves. Do you agree? (4)

• I think that
• Someone would disagree with me because
• A Christian would say

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Christianity supports the welfare state for three
main reasons

• The Ten Commandments (Decalogue)
• The Golden Rule- Treat others as you wish to be
  treated
• The parable of the sheep and the goats

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Read pages 26-27 of the text book and complete
these tasks.

• Copy out the Ten Commandment and then highlight
  the commandments that are connected with people.
• Explain why the highlighted commandments support
  the welfare state.
• Explain how the Golden Rule supports the
  welfare state.
• Produce a symbolic storyboard of the parable of
  the sheep and the goats.

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To finish off

• In groups make a list of eight reasons why a
  Christian would support the welfare state.

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AIM To complete social responsibility assessment.

• Starter- Match the word to the meaning.

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a) What is first-past-the- post? (2)

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b) Outline how the Golden Rule is important for
Christian attitudes to the welfare state. (6)

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c) Explain how a Christian might make a moral
decision. (8)

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d) The only rules that people need to follow are
the Decalogue. Do you agree?

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Assessment!

• A) What is proportional representation ? (2)
• B) Outline how Christians make moral decisions.
  (6)
• C) Explain why the Decalogue is important for
  Christian attitudes to the welfare state. (8)
• D) Religion is more important than politics do
  you agree? (4)