Our World Revision Guide

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Our World Revision Guide
Key Words
Humanity The human race

• Topics
• Key words
• Place and Purpose for Humans (using talents)
• Creationism (Literalists and Non-literalists)
• Evolution and The Big Bang Theory
• Animal Rights
• Stewardship

Creation The art of making
Dominion Having control over an area
Stewardship Responsibility given by God to look
after the planet
Soul The spiritual form of a persons identity or
personality
Environment The surroundings or conditions in
which a person, animal, or plant lives.
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The place and purpose for Humans
God gave humans the responsibility of caring for
the world. So we should natural resources wisely.
Natural resources of the world are there for us
to enjoy and to make life better
What is the place and purpose of humans? Make
sure you understand the relationship between God/
Allah and Humans. Make sure you understand
Gods/Allah's expectations of Humans.
How should we use natural resources?
Natural Resources are limited so we should be
careful with how we use them as they can not be
replaced.
We can not just take we have to put back too.

• The place and purpose for Christians
• To serve God and live for him (this includes
  telling others about and sharing ones faith)
• To obey God (following the way of life his
  commandments show and which Jesus taught)
• To enjoy the world, its fruits and resources
  (they are a gift from God)
• To look after the world for God (Stewardship).
  (This includes sensible use of resources and
  trying to conserve nature)
• To look after and live in harmony with others
• To have sexual relationships and children.

God gave us our talents so we should be thankful
and use it to benefit others.
Failing to use an ability is a waste and an
insult to others and God.
Why should we use our talents??
Not everyone can do everything for themselves so
they rely on others to provide a skill they have
not got.
It is important to share our different skills and
talents with each other.
Stewardship Responsibility given by God to look
after the planet

• The place and purpose for Muslims
• To serve Allah and live for him (There is no God
  but Allah)
• To respect other human beings and animals (there
  is one creator of us all)
• To act as KHALIFAHS or guardians of the planet
  (Allah gave this responsibility to humans)
• To have sexual relationships and children. (this
  is a natural part of life and a gift from Allah)

• Possible questions
• Explain what is meant by Humanity (2 marks)
• Explain how religious believers feel we should
  use our talents (4 marks)
• Life has no built in purpose, you make it
  yourself Give to reasons why a religious
  believer might agree or disagree with this
  statement. (4 marks)
• Explain the teaching about looking after the
  world in one
• religious tradition (6 marks)

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Creationism
Literalists Some Christians regard the Genesis
story as 100 true, they take it literally.
Non-literalists Some Christians believe that the
Genesis story contains some truths but is not
100 as it is written in Genesis. (For example,
they believe the world was created in six periods
of time rather than six 24 hour periods of time)

• CHRISTIANITY
• God created everything that is in the heavens and
  the earth
• There were six 'days' or periods of creative
  activity and a seventh of rest a pattern to be
  copied in life
• The order of creation was
• - light and darkness
• - sea and sky
• - land and sea, and plants
• - sun, moon and stars
• - birds and fish
• - animals and human beings
• Humans were the only ones created 'in the image'
  of God and were given special responsibility for
  the earth
• Everything was created 'out of nothing' (ex
  nihilo)
• Some regard the story as literal truth, others as
  not strictly literal but
• containing truths and others as entirely poetic
  and/or mythical
• Accept references to the 'big bang' only if
  related to God as the cause.

• ISLAM
• Allah made heaven and earth, and all the animals,
  birds and fish the sun, moon and stars the
  plants and the rain the angels.
• The angels were sent to being seven handfuls of
  earth each of a different colour.
• From these the first man Adam, was made and
  from his side, Eve the first woman.
• They lived in Paradise a beautiful garden
  where they could eat anything, except the fruit
  of one tree
• On disobeying Allah, after being tempted by Iblis
  (he serpent/snake), they were placed outside the
  garden as a punishment

Muslims believe Human beings were given the
role of khalifah or guardian/steward to look
after the earth and treat it with respect. This
responsibility is binding on the ummah (community
of Muslims), and all believers on the Day of
Judgement will be judged for their part in
looking after Allah's creation.
Humans are the ruling agents on earth
Humans have higher rank than others on the earth
He as made you His ruling agents in the earth,
and has given some of you higher rank than
others, so that He might test you in the gifts.
(Surah 6165)
The test is how well the planet is cared for and
if you pass the test you go to Paradise for
eternity
The gifts are the gift of life, and the gift of
al Allahs creation
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BBC news

• The Theory of Evolution
• Created by Charles Darwin
• 19th Century
• He noticed how animals adapt to their environment
  in order to survive (survival of the fittest)
• He believes
• Over millions of years changes have occurred and
  animals today have evolved from, simpler and
  earlier life forms.

• Important to note.
• The theory has not been proved absolutely
• The theory only describes a process of
  development within a species BUT does not explain
  the transformation from one species to another
  (for example Ape to Human)

Oldest footprints on Earth found
The oldest 'footprints' ever made on Earth by an
animal have been discovered in Poland, in Eastern
Europe. The tracks were made by an unknown
creature, which scientists think would have
looked a bit like a crocodile, and lived 397
million years ago. Scientists are really excited
about the discovery, because it shows animals
were walking on Earth millions of years earlier
than they thought. It's hoped the tracks can
teach them more about how animals have developed.
The tracks were found on rocks in a quarry in
southeast Poland. They are so detailed that
scientists can even make out dents made by the
creatures' toes when walking. Muddy Beach When
the animals were alive the quarry would have been
a muddy, tropical beach. Scientists can make out
'toes' on the ancient footprints called Nature.
Scientists think these crocodile-like animals
were some of the first creatures that adapted to
live on dry land. Little is known about how
creatures developed from living underwater to
walking on land, and it's hoped these footprints
will teach scientists more about this bit of
evolution. According to the theory of evolution,
today's animals got here after millions of years
of growing and changing. The research was
published in a science magazine

• A group of distinguished scientists is calling on
  the government to require that every school in
  Britain should teach the theory of evolution, and
  to ban the teaching of Creationism "as a
  scientific theory" in all publicly-funded
  schools. The list of signatories includes some of
  the country's best-known scientists, and the
  organisations associated with the petition
  include both the British Humanist Association and
  Ekklesia, the Christian public theology
  think-tank.
• Creationism and 'intelligent design' are not
  scientific theories, but they are portrayed as
  scientific theories by some religious
  fundamentalists who attempt to have their views
  promoted in publicly-funded schools. There should
  be enforceable statutory guidance that they may
  not be presented as scientific theories in any
  publicly-funded school of whatever type. But this
  is not enough. An understanding of evolution is
  central to understanding all aspects of biology.
  The teaching of evolution should be included at
  both primary and secondary levels in the National
  Curriculum and in all schools."

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Most astronomers believe the Universe began in a
Big Bang about 14 billion years ago. At that
time, the entire Universe was inside a bubble
that was thousands of times smaller than a
pinhead. It was hotter and denser than anything
we can imagine. Then it suddenly exploded. The
Universe that we know was born. Time, space and
matter all began with the Big Bang. In a fraction
of a second, the Universe grew from smaller than
a single atom to bigger than a galaxy. And it
kept on growing at a fantastic rate. It is still
expanding today. As the Universe expanded and
cooled, energy changed into particles of matter
and antimatter. These two opposite types of
particles largely destroyed each other. But some
matter survived. More stable particles called
protons and neutrons started to form when the
Universe was one second old. Over the next three
minutes, the temperature dropped below 1 billion
degrees Celsius. It was now cool enough for the
protons and neutrons to come together, forming
hydrogen and helium nuclei. After 300 000 years,
the Universe had cooled to about 3000 degrees.
Atomic nuclei could finally capture electrons to
form atoms. The Universe filled with clouds of
hydrogen and helium gas.

• Important to note
• It is only a theory and some scientists dont
  accept some f the evidence and question its
  accuracy.
• There are some questions which cannot be answered
  about the theory such as what caused the Big
  Bang? and where did the matter come from in the
  first place?

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Most Christians are happy to eat meat for food,
although some are vegetarians. They believe all
animals are part of Gods creation and should be
respected. God did give Adam control over
animals but as humans we must exercise that
control carefully.
CHRISTIAN VIEWS TOWARDS ANIMALS

• Christians think.
• Animals are different from human beings.
• Only Humans are made in the image of God.
• Animals are for humans to rule and control.
• Human beings have a soul, animals do not.
• The Christian scriptures look forward to a
  perfect world in which human beings and animals
  co-exist side by side.
• Jesus said that even the death of a small sparrow
  does not go unnoticed by God.

GENESIS 128 God blessed them and said to them
Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and
reign over it. Rule over the dish of the sea and
the birds of the air and over every living
creature that moves
They warn their members not to give too great an
importance to animals. People are still
suffering in the world and they should be given
the focus and help over animals. Animals however,
should not be treated cruelly.
Genesis (story of creation)
God made every beast for Adam

• Genesis 219-20He brought them to the man to
  see what he would call them. Whatever the man
  called every living creature, that was its name.
  The man gave names to all the cattle, every bird
  of the sky, and every animal of the field.

PSALM 241 The Earth is the Lords and everything
in it, the world and all who live in it

• CHRISTIAN BELIEFS
• Humans are more important than animals
• God gave humans responsibility to rule over them
• Only humans can go to heaven
• Animals do not have souls
• Animals do not have the same relationship with
  God
• As humans do
• Jesus healed a man possessed by a demon and sent
• It to live in a herd of pigs.
• If you rule animals you can use them for human
  benefit
• Responsibility ensured the animals are not
  abused or
• Mistreated because everything belongs to God and
• Suffering should be kept to a minimum.

Acts 1010 Peter was hungry and he dreamed sheet
came down from heaven. A voice said Get up
Peter. Kill and Eat. Peter protested he had
never eaten anything unclean under Jewish law.
But the voice said Dont call anything unclean
that God has made.
All churches believe that experiments carried out
for essential medical research are acceptable.
Because the value of animal life is less that
that of human life. And sometimes it is
necessary. However Experiments should not be
carried out to improve cosmetics or for other
trivial reasons. The animals must be treated
humanely.
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MUSLIM VIEWS TOWARDS ANIMALS
An ox is readied for the slaughter during the
Muslim high celebration of Eid al-Adha, also
known as the Festival of Sacrifice. This day caps
off the hajj, a traditional religious pilgrimage
to Mecca that occurs on the 10th day of the last
month of the Islamic calendar. This is usually
during the months of November or December

• MUSLIM VIEWS TOWARDS ANIMALS
• Allah created all life for human beings to treat
  with great respect and care.
• Muslims are allowed to hunt animals but only for
  food, not for sport.
• If someone has killed an animal unnecessarily,
  then the animal will testify against that person
  on the Day of Judgement.
• That person will be refused entry in to heaven.
• Experiments on animals are allowed as long as
  they are important in the battle against human
  disease.
• Suffering of the animal must be reduced to a
  minimum.
• Animal experiments for cosmetic purposes, or any
  other trivial reason, are strictly forbidden.

Cattle market. One-third of the animals meat is
consumed by direct family, while the other
two-thirds are given away to friends and the poor
Islamic residents of the community, respectively
A good deed done to a beast is as good as doing
good to a human being while an act of cruelty to
a beast is as good as an act of cruelty to a
human being Prophet Muhammad PBUH (Hadith)

• Ihram
• Ihram is the practice of undertaking a hajj
  (pilgrimage to Mecca). The pilgrimage ends with
  the celebration of the festival of Eid-ul-Adha,
  at which animals are slaughtered and their meat
  is distributed to everyone.
• There are two rules laid down about the slaughter
  of animals.
• An animal must not be slaughtered in front of
  other animals
• A person must not slaughter an animal that he or
  she has bred.

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• TEACHINGS OF HUMAN KIND IN THE WORLD
• CHRISTIAN
• Humans are to
• Serve God and live for him
• Obey God
• Enjoy the world, and its fruits/ resources
• Look after the world for God
• Have sexual relationships and children
• Take responsibility for the world and others in
  it
• Live lives that are useful and worthwhile
• Use their talents to care for others and the
  world.

• HOW SHOULD WE TREAT OUR NATURAL RESOURCES
• Being a steward or guardian for the world brings
  with it responsibility to be careful in using the
  resources the world contains.
• Natural resources are limited so we should be
  careful with what we have and make sure what we
  use we replace for the future
• God has given humans responsibility of caring for
  the world, so we should use those natural
  resources carefully
• The natural resources are there for us to use,
  enjoy and make life better
• We can not just take, we have to put back too

• HOW SHOULD ANIMALS BE TREATED?
• Animals are living creatures and should be
  treated with respect like any other living being
• Animals are a lower form of life, but should
  still be treated well
• An animals life is valuable but should never be
  placed above the value of human life.
• God created animals and gave humans the
  responsibility of caring for them
• Humans have dominion over animals so they are
  there to serve ad be of use to humans.

• TEACHINGS OF CARING FOR THE WORLD AND THE
  ENVIRONMENT
• CHRISTIAN
• Humans should
• Live in partnership with God
• Exercise responsibility given by God to look
  after the world
• Preserve and conserve the resources of the world
  and the environment
• Give thanks to God for his provision

• RELIGIOUS TEACHING ON HOW ANIMALS RIGHTS
• Animals are part of Gods creation and should be
  treated with respect and care
• Although humans were given dominion over animals
  (Genesis 1) humans should carry out their
  stewardship responsibilities carefully and not
  abuse animals
• Showing kindness and treating animals well is
  part of a general lifestyle of gratitude and
  thankfulness for Gods provision

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Why should Christians care for the world?
Why should Muslims care for the world?

• Muslims believe
• Allah created owns and sustains the world and all
  its creatures.
• Every human has a special role as a KALIFAH which
  is to protect the environment.

An example of a Christian Steward
Chico Mendes Situation In Brazil there had
been environmental problems. Trees were being
chopped down t make furniture and buildings.
Mercury was being used to separate the gold from
the land and mercury is very poisonous for humans
and animals. Many people living there were being
affected and wanted the area to be left alone.
Who was Chico Mendes? Chico was the leader of
the rubber tappers. He had been a rubber tapper
since he was 9. As a rubber tapper he had not
been able to go to school. Later in his life he
organised the rubber tappers to defend their
homes from cattle ranches (farms). He organised
non-violent protests and found ways to use
Amazonian resources to support the economic
benefit for the local people and to protect the
rainforest. In 1988 he won the rights to stop
cattle ranchers developing and deforesting the
area. Chico was killed later that year In his
memory, the land he lived and died for was named
the Chico Mendes Reserve and is now protected
land.
Kalifah Agent or steward working for Allah

• Muslims believe
• They have a duty to use their skills to help keep
  the balance which Allah created.

On the day of judgment all Muslims will stand
before Allah and have to explain how they have
treated the earth and all living creatures.
Ummah The community of Muslim believers

• Prophet Muhammad set an example of the care that
  should be given to the world
• He showed kindness to animals
• He showed kindness to humans
• He spoke of the importance of planting trees and
  gardens so birds. Humans, and animals can
  benefit.

Stewardship Responsibility given by God to look
after the planet

• Christians believe
• God did not only create the world in the
  beginning but that his hand is still at work in
  the world.
• They remind themselves of Gods work and worship
  him (harvest, thanksgiving, grace before meals)
• There are organisations and charities which
  protect the earth and wellbeing of animals.

Live in this world as if you were going to live
forever Prophet Muhammad
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OUR WORLD CHEAT SHEET
We are here because God/Allah put us on the
world To try and make the world a better place To
get the most out of life To care for the world
and its creatures To know and love God/Allah To
reproduce OR we dont know we should just live
life as we want
Animals should be treated With respect as should
all living things God/Allah created them so we
should look after them as stewards/khalifahs BUT W
e have dominionship over animals so they should
be useful to us Animal life is valuable but
should never be placed above humans
CHRISTIANITY
Islam
Care for world environment We are Khalifahs
and should look after the world Important to
preserve Fitrah (balance) in the world All that
lives or exists on the world is Allahs creation
and so should be respected
Care for world environment Live in partnership
with God and creation Exercise responsibility as
stewards to look after the world Preserve and
conserve the resources of the world and
environment Give thanks to God for provision
CHRISTIANITY
Islam
Humans Live for Allah alone Respect other human
beings and animals Act as Khalifahs of the planet
Humans Serve God and live for him Obey
God Enjoy the world and its fruits/resources Are
stewards look after the world for God
We should care for the world because Its our
responsibility Future generations will loose out
if we dont Good way to live be kind and
thoughtful to others Natural resources will run
out otherwise so we must do things like recycle
and replant
We are HUMAN not ANIMALS Thoughts and
experience Mix of body, mind, personality and
soul We are made in the image of God/Allah
animals werent Conscience we know the
difference between right and wrong BUT Animal
like (evolution suggests we descend from monkeys)
CHRISTIANITY
Islam
Positive Example GUNUNG LEUSER Working to
identify issues in the environment Placed cameras
in forests to provide knowledge and
training Operation Khalifah Works on TV
teachings others about bad effects on the
environment
Positive Example CHICO MENDES Working against
deforestation Organised non-violent
resistance Concerned for livelihoods of those
depending on forests Protected reserve set up
The worlds resources Should be used we were
put in charge Dominionship The resources are
here for us to enjoy BUT We are we given
responsibility for the world as
Stewards/Khalifahs We cant just take we have
to put something back Resources are not limitless
so we have to be careful for future generations
Creation Science Big Bang started the
world Evolution has shown that life gradually
evolved over thousands of years
Islam
CHRISTIANITY
CHRISTIANITY
Islam
Animals Part of Allahs creation and should be
cared for We are Khalifahs of Allahs world and
caring for animals is part of that
responsibility The Hadith has examples of the
prophet being kind to animals
Animals Part of Gods creation and should be
treated with care and respect Although given
dominionship (Genesis 1) we are also stewards God
has provided so we should be respectful and
grateful by treating animals with kindness
How it happened God created the world and it
was good (Genesis) There is a purpose to
existence dominion/stewardship Human beings
have a special relationship to God and to the
world
How it happened Allah made the world and
everything in it Humans were given the role of
khalifahs and have a binding responsibility to
look after the world and treat it with respect On
the day of judgement Muslims will be called into
account for how they have looked after Allahs
creation