You lot need to revise for the end of unit test on “Science and Religion” which will take place next Wednesday (28th September) for 11D.

What you need to know:

• Origins of the world and life
• Scientific theories about the origins of the world and humanity
• Teachings about the origins of the world and humanity
• The relationship between scientific and religious understandings of the origins of the world and humanity
• People and animals
• The place of humanity in relation to animals
• Attitudes to animals and their treatment
• Environmental issues
• Responses to environmental issues
• Concept of stewardship
• Religious teachings relating to environmental issues

Below are some hopefully helpful resources for you!

Scientific Revolution PowerPoint
Religion vs Science PowerPoint
Christian beliefs about People and Animals
The use of animals
Stewardship quotes

Part D Model Answer: Explain why Christians believe God intended humans to be more important than other forms of life.

There are several examples in the book of Genesis which Christians use to show that humans are more important than other creatures. Firstly, God created humans last, which suggests that they are the pinnacle of creation. Secondly, only humans were created in the “image of God” and were given the “breath of life”, which shows that humans share something of God’s nature which other creatures do not. These two also imply that humans have a “soul” which distinguishes us from the rest of creation and makes us special.
Finally, human beings were given authority and a position of stewardship over the animals. This authority is shown in the story of Adam being given the job of naming the animals. Genesis also says that God put Adam and Eve in charge, which clearly demonstrates that they are more important than the animals of which they are in charge.

This homework is on Science and Religion:

(a) What is meant by ‘environmentalism’? [1]
(b) What is the difference between scientific and biblical accounts of how humans were created? [2]
(c) Describe three similarities about Christian and Scientific views of the universe and humanity. [3]
(d) Explain why Christians might have different views about how they should treat the planet. [6]
(e) ‘Human beings are not capable of caring for the environment.’ [12]

The Part E is quite tricky. The key tension is what human beings are capable of.

You could tackle this from an environmental perspective:
On one hand human beings have shown themselves to be terrible at looking after the planet. We have deforested, caused oil spills, made species extinct, caused global warming. These are clearly not the actions of people looking after the planet well.
On the other hand, humans have developed incredible technology in terms of renewable energy, organisations work to protect endangered species etc. Perhaps we are good at looking after the planet!

From the Chrsitian perspective:
Humans are given “dominion” over the planet to subdue it. It is not our job to fix a “fallen” world – this is ultimately God’s job.
On the other hand, many Christians consider us to have a duty of stewardship. We are looking after the planet on behalf of God. If we have been entrusted with this task then we should be capable of completing it.