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GCSE Religious Studies: Good and Evil Concepts

The document provides definitions and explanations of key concepts related to morality and ethics from a Christian perspective, including good and evil, forgiveness, free will, justice, morality, punishment, sin, suffering, and absolute and relative morality. Examples are given for each concept to illustrate their meanings.

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Krishna Shil
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
40 views30 pages

GCSE Religious Studies: Good and Evil Concepts

The document provides definitions and explanations of key concepts related to morality and ethics from a Christian perspective, including good and evil, forgiveness, free will, justice, morality, punishment, sin, suffering, and absolute and relative morality. Examples are given for each concept to illustrate their meanings.

Uploaded by

Krishna Shil
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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GCSE Religious Studies


Good and Evil
Task Book

Name:
1
Key Concepts in
Philosophy and Ethics:
Good & Evil
1. Good and Evil: Good things are approved of and can be called ‘moral’ or ‘acceptable’.
Bad things are disapproved of and can be considered ‘immoral’ or unacceptable. For
Christians, the Bible states what is considered ‘good’ and ‘evil’ in God’s eyes, e.g.
murder.
2. Forgiveness: To let go of the suffering someone has caused you and to move on.
Jesus said to ‘forgive seventy times seven’, because we expect forgiveness ourselves.
3. Free Will: The ability to make free choices in life. Christians believe that they have the
free will to choose whether to follow God’s laws.
4. Justice: When people get equal rights and opportunities. Jesus supported and
promoted justice in his teachings. For example, the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.
5. Morality: A system of values, telling us what is right and wrong. The Bible guides
Christians to understand moral behaviour and act in accordance with
God’s expectations.
6. Punishment: Making someone suffer pain or loss for a wrongdoing. For example, ‘at
the end of time, God will be the final judge.’
7. Sin: An immoral act that goes against one of God’s laws. Christians believe that sins
need to be atoned for and reconciliation must happen in order to gain God’s forgiveness
for the sins we have committed during our lives.
8. Suffering: Experiencing pain, distress or hardship. Christians believe that suffering can
be a test from God or a way of sharing in the suffering of Jesus’.

You will need to learn these words and definitions for


your exam! In our a) style questions, you will have to
give a definition and an example for each word!
TASK 1: Complete a ‘Concept Map’ to link ideas from this unit’s Key Concept
words. Two links have been made for you. Try to be as creative as possible,
matching up each key concept word with its neighbours and with concepts from the
other side of the circle!
2
is a
d evil vil.
n or e
da
a t goo l good orld.
th ra he w
ve mo t
b elie ice – ing in
p l e h o e r
eo c uff
e p uman es s
Som lt of h il caus
u v
res oral e
M Good & Evil

Suffering Forgiveness

Bec
a
suf use o
feri f th
cho n e
ice g ente exis
to d red tenc
iso eo
bey the w f
Go orld. free w
d le A d ill, e
suf
feri d to th am an vil an
ng. ee d d
xist Eve’
enc s
eo
f
Sin Free Will

Punishment Justice

Morality

Morality
What makes an act ‘wrong’?
Morality is concerned with what is right and wrong. We begin learning from
the moment we are born. At first we learn from the people who bring us up
but as we grow, so do our influences. The way we learn about the correct way
to behave in our own society, and the habits, customs, language and manners

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of our society is called socialisation. We also slowly learn what is right and what is wrong, what is good and
what is bad.
Christians believe that all humans were given a conscience by God. A conscience is an inner voice which
tells your right from wrong and it is believed that this comes into play each time we are faced with a
decision.

Aristotle, a philosopher, came up with a list of virtues that we need to gain through education in order to
have a happy life.

Aristotle believes in absolute morality - it is always good to be honest, kind, courageous etc. Other modern
virtue ethicists say that values change, and different societies hold up believe that different virtues are
desirable.

For example, today in Britain, strong, intelligent women are considered virtuous. However, a hundred
years ago, women were considered virtuous if they were seen and not heard, or if they obeyed their
husband.

Some of the ways we begin to discover what is right and wrong are:
By consequence – if you do this, such and such a thing will happen
By example – watching how others behave
By experience – if you do something yourself you find out what happens
By emotions – the reactions of others e.g. making someone happy/sad/angry
By following rules – the law or the Ten Commandments

For Christians, morality is influenced by scripture (the Bible), religious leaders, the official teaching of their
religion and personal conscience. There are two types of morality that affect
the decisions people make - absolute morality and relative morality.

Absolute morality
If you believe in absolute morality you believe that actions are
always right or wrong, regardless of circumstance, culture,
religious tradition, time or age.
How would a follower of this sort of morality respond to the
commandment 'Do not kill'? They would try to make sure that
they were not involved in any killing, which would affect their
views on issues such as war, abortion and euthanasia. An
absolutist would say that these actions are wrong in all
circumstances.

Relative morality
If you believe in relative morality you believe that what is
considered ‘moral’ will vary from situation to situation.
How would a follower of this sort of morality respond to
the commandment 'Do not kill'? They would agree that
killing is wrong, but would look at a range of other issues as

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well and say that sometimes killing might be necessary in a particular situation, such as abortion, if
continuing the pregnancy would result in the birth of a very disabled child, or if the mother had been
raped.

Making Moral Decisions


Utilitarianism: Absolute vs Relative Morality
​ ​
This means that we should make Absolute morality is when moral rules, e.g. 'do not kill', are
decisions based on the greatest good for true in every circumstance. It doesn't matter, for example, if
the greatest number. So, when faced with it is killing in a war - war, regardless of situation - is always
a moral dilemma, we should weigh up the wrong. Absolutists in Christianity are Quakers and Roman
impact of our decision on the people it will Catholics. If the Ten Commandments say not to steal, then
affect. We should always choose the stealing is always wrong.
action that causes the most happiness. ​
Relative morality is where the person takes the situation as a
Using Reason and Logic
one-off moral dilemma and judges how to act based on the

circumstances. E.g. killing in a time of war might be
Reason and logic guide some peoples'
acceptable for a relativist, as the result would be to reduce
decision making. They might try to look at
suffering over all. Moral relativist would judge a situation
the situation or a dilemma in a factual way,
independently and not compare it to moral rules or
i.e. trying to avoid emotional influence,
absolutes, such as the Ten Commandments. Even though
religion or law. People who try to make
the commandments state to not steal, it might be allowable if
moral decisions this way might be
a parent had stolen a loaf of bread to feed their starving
considered moral relativists.
children.
Virtue Ethics​

Aristotle believed that 'good' actions are those that are virtuous and bad actions are those without virtue.
Virtues are qualities thought of as good, right and honest. Examples are:
[Link] (not having sex until marriage)
[Link] (not drinking alcohol)
[Link] (volunteering time and effort)
[Link] (careful and persistent effort)
[Link] (acceptance or tolerance or problems)
[Link] (compassion towards others)
[Link] (modest view of your own importance)
TASK 2: Write a letter to a friend, explaining what morality is. Include:
Practising these virtues is believed to keep people safe from the temptation to commit sin.
 What makes an action ‘wrong’?
 How do we discover what is right and wrong?
 Absolute morality
 Relative Morality
 Your own viewpoint
 Conclusion

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Dear …………………………………………….
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Yours sincerely,
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TASK 3: Complete the boxes on how people make moral decisions!

Utilitarianism makes moral decisions by … Absolute morality is ……………………………………………...


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Relative morality is ………………………………………………
We can use reason and logic to make
decisions by…………………………………. ​……………………………………………………………………...
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Virtue ethics is …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Crime
The Seven Deadly Sins Crime vs Sin
Religions agree on the 7 deadly sins:
1. Pride Some sins are not considered crimes in our
2. Greed society, e.g. adultery or working on a Sunday
3. Lust (these are both against Ten
4. Envy Commandments)
5. Gluttony
6. Wrath Unlike crime, which can lead to punishment,
7. Sloth sin can lead to personal suffering, offending
God or excommunication (being cut off from
Questions About Crime the Church) or even exclusion from heaven
What is Crime?
Any offence that is punishable by law

Who are the government?


The government makes the laws which govern our Crime in 21st Century Britain
behaviour. Over 30,000 crimes are committed each
day, ranging from crimes against property
and people to internet crime and fraud. 8
Statistically, the most danger is by anti-social
behaviour. Society has become concerned
What about the police?
The police prevent and detect crime.

What does the criminal justice system do?


criminal justice system enforces these laws and
punishes crime

TASK 4: Complete the post-its using the information about crime and sin!

7 Deadly Sins Crime vs Sin


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Crime in 21 Britain
st Cause of Crime
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The Aims of Punishment


◦Protection: To protect society from becoming
victims of crime, e.g. a prison sentence removes a
criminal from society. Terrorists, murderers, rapists
and drug dealers are given prison sentences as
they are a threat to the rest of society.

◦Reparation: Repairing the damage done through


crime. Restorative justice programmes, such as
community service clean-up schemes for vandals,
allow offenders to attempt to make up for the crime
that have committed.

◦Vindication: Effective punishment that shows that


the law and government deserve respect and
should be followed. This allows people to have
confidence in the law and respect the role it plays
in creating order.

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◦Retribution: This is revenge or ‘getting even’ with the person who has committed the crime. For some victims
of crime, this is the only way they feel that justice can be done.

◦Deterrence: To deter or put people off doing the crime. Historically, this was the main purpose of the death
penalty. For a deterrent to work, the criminals who are caught need to be made an example of in order to warn
others in society not to commit crime.

◦Reformation: This attempts to address the cause of crime by rehabilitating or reforming offenders so that they
can understand why their action was an offence. Reform can take the shape of therapy, counselling, education
or training.

TASK 5: Explain which of the aims of punishment would be the most effective, in
your opinion. You must explain why.
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Justice
Restorative Justice: A system of justice
that enables criminals to make amends for
their behaviour by meeting with their victim
and apologising.

What is Justice?
•Fairness, fair trial and punishment that fits the
crime
•Maintaining justice is a key feature of a moral
society

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•Justice cannot be achieved without some form of punishment. However the punishment must address the cause of the
crime and reflect the severity of the crime, e.g. a murderer shouldn’t be given a fine and person who stole some sweets
shouldn’t go to prison for life

Arguments against prison sentences:


•The prison system in Britain is at a breaking point. Numbers of inmates is too high.
•When released from prison, offenders often reoffend – rehabilitation is
needed, not just a prison sentence.
•Some prisoners are given the opportunity to reflect and reform
•It is too difficult to get a job with a criminal record
•Prisoners can often learn even more about the life of crime in prison,
educating each other on other
criminal methods

Christian Attitudes to Punishment and Justice


•Christianity teaches forgiveness, so they do not agree
with retribution as a purpose of punishment

•Christians believe in justice, which means that


forgiveness and punishment should go together

•Christians should try to follow the example of Jesus, who


forgave those who betrayed him. He forgave Judas during
the Last Supper and on the cross he asked, “Father,
forgive them, they don’t know that they are doing.”

•Christians tend to support punishment practices that lead


to forgiveness, for example restorative
justice programmes in prisons.

•Jesus taught compassion and


not revenge and because of
this, many Christians have been
actively involved in prison
reform to ensure that people are
treated humanely in prison.

•They believe that it is important to recognise and address the causes of criminal
behaviour, such as poverty, unemployment and poor social conditions as a means of
restoring social justice and preventing crime.

•Punishment should enable a person to reform - to change their ways and to be of value to
the community

•“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.” (Amos 5:24)

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Most people, regardless of faith, believe that humans should be given a second chance if
they are genuinely sorry for what they have done, going by the principle to ‘treat others as
you would like to be treated.’

Treatment of Criminals in Modern Prisons

TASK 6: Create a Newspaper article for ‘Justice’ magazine, explaining the justice
system, prisons and the treatment of prisoners. You could include interviews or
comments from people in prison or who work in a prison.


Justice magazine

Author: Date:  Cost:

Picture 
………………………………… …………………………………..

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Care for Prisoners and


The Role of Prison Chaplains
What is a chaplain?
 A Chaplain is a minister, such as a
priest, pastor or community member of
a religious tradition.
 They are attached to non-religious
institutions such as hospitals, prisons,
schools or universities. Their job is to
provide pastoral care for patients,
pupils or prisoners

What is the role of a chaplain?
 They provide counselling to inmates,
supporting them through

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 rehabilitation and seeing to their spiritual needs
 Prisoners need someone who is not a prison officer or warden for support due to their complex
emotions regarding fear, loneliness, guilt or family concerns
 Chaplains also help prisoners to re-enter the community, working with parole officers and other
volunteers
 Families of inmates also have
access to prison chaplains
 Family members can be the victims
of the inmates’ crimes and require
the care of the chaplain just as much
as the inmate
 Chaplains do not have to be
religious. 32% of prison chaplains
are not religious

Why become a chaplain?


 There is something of God in
everyone – no matter what they have
done. It is a duty to support them
 Working as a chaplain is following in
Jesus’ footsteps – you are showing
compassion, love and kindness
 People are more than the worst thing
that have ever done in their lives
 Matters of the spirit can only be
solved through a certain type of therapy. Chaplains are not there to judge.

Humanist Prison Chaplains


 Humanist chaplains are there primarily for the inmates.
 Most offenders are also victims. That doesn’t mean that we feel sorry for them;
but we do offer them enough compassion.

Humanists have been running a project with Humanist Pastoral Support Volunteers at
Winchester Prison. This includes meeting inmates with ‘nil’ religion on admission,
holding discussion groups and proving counselling, such as bereavement support, for
inmates.

This is especially important as often prisoners are unable to attend funerals of loved
ones or benefit from the type of community support offered to those who have suffered
the loss of family or friends.

TASK 8: Explain the work of prison chaplains in the bubbles


below!

15
Capital Punishment / The Death Penalty
The death penalty, also known as
Capital Punishment, has been a
type of punishment for thousands of
years for the worst criminal
behaviours.

The death penalty is still legal in


over 80 different countries
(although 50 of these countries
have not used execution as a
punishment in the last 10 years).

The majority of the countries that


have the death penalty are nations
like China, Afghanistan and USA. In America, ‘death row’ (the name given to the area where
prisoners waiting to be executed are held) has now become a popular feature of film, TV
programmes and documentaries.

82% of global nations do not use the death penalty.

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Christian Attitudes to the Death Penalty
Liberal Christians Quakers (Liberal Christians)
 Only God has the right to take a life
 Execution goes against the sanctity of life  The Quakers have campaigned against the
 All life is precious and only God should end it death penalty since 1818
 “Thou shalt not kill,” is a clear commandment
 Jesus taught us to be compassionate and  All human life should be respected and
forgiving everyone is a reflection of God/contains a little
 Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery of God
and also pleases with God for his executioners
to be forgiven when he was on the cross  Punishments should always be used to reform
 “Father forgive them, for they know not what
they do.”  Some of the first prison reformers were
 Christians favour reform over execution. Many Quakers who worked to maintain the dignity
work as Chaplains in prisons. and humanity of prisoners
 Jesus taught ‘turn the other cheek’, to love our
enemies and to forgive. Execution makes these  “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful
impossible. to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it
is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at
peace with everyone.”

Roman Catholics Conservative Christians

 RC Christians are divided on Capital  Some Christians support the death


Punishment. Traditionally the penalty, seeing it as following the Old
Catholic Church has allowed (but not Testament law of ‘an eye for an eye’. In
encouraged) capital punishment the Old Testament it states, “Whoever
 In 1997 the Vatican issued a sheds the blood of man, by man shall his
statement saying that execution was blood be shed.”
acceptable where the identity of the  The Old Testament specifies 36 capital
criminal was absolutely confirmed offences. These are crimes that are
and where execution was the only deserving of the death penalty and include
means to protect society from the idolatry, blasphemy and murder.
criminal  Some Christians argue that the death
 The Vatican also states that non- penalty was not only approved, but
lethal means of punishment were created by God.
“more in keeping with the concrete  Capital punishment upholds the
conditions of the common good and commandment, ‘thou shalt not kill’, by
the dignity of the human person.” showing the seriousness of the crime of
(Pope John Paul II) murder

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Humanist Attitudes to the Death
Penalty

1. Capital punishment is generally
opposed by humanists because they
think premeditated killing is wrong,
even when carried out by the state

2. The death penalty raises the


possibility of error and an irreversible
failure of justice by issuing a sentence
that cannot be reversed

3. Humanists believe that treating


criminals fairly also helps to ensure
that innocent
suspects are
treated fairly

Arguments for the Death Penalty

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Arguments Against the Death Penalty

TASK 9: Complete the flow chart about Capital Punishment.

Capital Punishment

Two stances:
Capital punishment is OK Capital punishment is not OK
because………………………………. because………………………………….
…………………………………………… ………………………………………………
……………………………………………. ………………………………………………

Humanist Christian arguments Humanist Christian arguments


arguments for for capital arguments against against capital
capital punishment punishment: capital punishment punishment
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Christian teachings to support this view: Christian teachings to support this view:
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Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Does True Forgiveness Exist? Can We Learn To Forgive?
Forgiveness is essential. It enables wrongs
to be acknowledged and relationships to be Forgiving enables believers to reach a
rebuilt deeper spiritual understanding about
themselves
To forgive properly, we need to remember
the wrongs done, analyse them, understand Forgiveness cannot be taught
them, accept them and then continue to live
our lives We learn to forgive through our own
personal, human experience, through others,
Forgiveness is not an action but a process through religious teachings and through
being forgiven ourselves
Some people believe that there are some
things that cannot be forgiven, e.g. the
murder of a loved one

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Humanist Attitudes to Forgiveness

 Forgiving is crucial for human relationship. We all make


mistakes and are capable of selfish behaviour, but we are also
capable of understanding and forgiveness

 The Golden Rule, ‘treat others as we would like to be treated’,


requires us to forgive mistakes and selfish behaviour and
accept different views.

 The existence of human compassion and common sense


compels us to forgive. Humanists recognise that it is not easy
to forgive, and sometimes behaviour is so inhuman that
forgiveness seems impossible, so the best we can do is work
to make sure that whatever needs forgiving does not happen
again

Christian Attitudes to Forgiveness

 Christianity is known as a religion of forgiveness, love and


compassion
 Jesus’ teachings and the teachings of moral exemplars, e.g. MLK,
show forgiveness to all
 “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and
you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” (Luke
6:37)
 The Lord ’s Prayer: “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who
sin against us.”
 In Jesus’ Beatitudes (the blessings listed by Jesus in his sermon
on the mount) demonstrate forgiveness: “Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.”

Forgiveness can also be evidenced through Jesus’ actions and Bible stories:

Jesus’ Actions:

 Jesus visited Zacchaeus, despite his cheating and greed. This enabled Zacchaeus to make amends
and reform.
 Jesus forgve the adulterous woman, saying that ‘he who has not
sinned can throw the first stone’.

Bible Stories:
 The Parable of the Prodigal Son teaches about forgiveness. A son
demands his inheritance from his father, abandons his family and
wastes his money. Later, poor and hungry, he returns to his father
who forgives his son and welcomes him back.
 The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant tells us that we must
forgive others, ‘Seventy times seven’, in order to be forgiven. So,
Christians believe they should forgive a limitless number of times
because they will be forgiven by God for their many sins.
 “If you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
(Matthew 6:15)

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How do Christians get forgiveness?

 For Roman Catholics, forgiveness is supported through confession and atonement, e.g. prayers.
RCs believe that Christ started the sacrament of penance and they believe that God’s forgiveness is
granted through a priest’s pardon after confession

 Evangelical Christians believe that forgiveness is granted by God and reliant upon faith. Here,
confession is not accepted as a route to forgiveness.

Examples of People Who Forgave

Gee Walker
◦Mother of Anthony Walker who was murdered during a racially
motivated attack in Liverpool in 2005.
◦“I have to forgive them. I cannot hate. Hate is what killed Anthony.”

Martin Luther King Jr


◦“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
Gee Walker forgave her son's murderers because of
her Christian beliefs. She said, "We expect to be
Nelson Mandela forgiven, so I chose to forgive."
◦“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill
your enemies… As I walked out the door [of prison] I knew if I didn’t
leave by bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”

Desmond Tutu
◦A civil rights activist during apartheid in an African church
◦“When you forgive…it sets you free.”

TASK 10: Complete the bubbles about


forgiveness and reconciliation!
Does true forgiveness exist?

Can we learn forgiveness?

Muslim attitudes to forgiveness

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Christian attitudes to forgiveness
How do Christians get forgiveness?

Suffering
Christians view suffering in the following ways:
1. Suffering can be seen to be a test
2. Suffering is a punishment for sin and Roman Catholics believe that it is a result of original sin
3. Suffering is a part of God’s plan – we might not understand it but we should know that God will
never allow us to suffer beyond our ability to cope with it
4. Suffering enables Christians to appreciate what is good in the world and allows them to grow
close to Jesus, who suffered and died on the cross for the sins of humanity
5. Stories from the Bible, e.g. Job, teach Christians that anyone can suffer and that persevering
with
suffering can strengthen faith in God

Humanists view suffering as:
1. A result of choice that humans have over their lives. Humans must take some responsibility in
how their lives work out.
2. Some evils, e.g. war, famine and poverty are caused or made worse by human greed and
foolishness
3. Some evils, e.g. earthquakes, floods, etc, may have natural causes or happen by chance, just
because the world is the way it is
4. Often, those who suffer most are not to blame
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5. Humanists see the idea of ‘Original Sin’ as unjust and cruel. How can a new-born baby be
sinful?
6. Not all humans are innately flawed and ‘sinful’ – it is up to humans to fight evil and suffering in
the world

TASK 11: You are an Agony Aunt, responding to the letter sent to you from Mr X.
Write back to him, giving thorough, detailed and relevant advice.

Dear Agony Aunt,


I am really struggling with the idea of suffering. Why do we suffer? What purpose can it have?
There are so many things on the news recently that are just terrible. I don’t understand why it
exists in a world that has supposedly been created by a loving God.
Please help!
Mr X

Dear Mr X,

………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Yours sincerely,
………………………………………………………

The Problem of Evil and Suffering


The presence of evil and suffering in the world created a
number of problems. God is believed to be omnibenevolent (all
loving) omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing).
Because of this, evil should not really exist, but it does. There
are, therefore, a number of possibilities:

1. God is not powerful enough to stop evil

2. God does not know that evil is happening

3. God does not love us enough to want to stop the evil

None of these are very satisfactory conclusions, however Christians have their own solutions to
the Problem of Evil and Suffering:

1. Free will was given to humans by God, therefore humans have to choose to do ‘good’ and
avoid ‘evil’

2. RC: as a result of original sin, humans find it easier to do wrong, but with the help of God they
can choose to do good. Those who sin can atone and gain forgiveness for their sin through prayer
and, for Roman Catholics, confession and penance.

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TASK 12: Complete the chart below stating the arguments for and against the
existence of a good God.
Arguments for the existence of a Arguments against the existence of a
good God good God

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What is ‘Good’?

Christian Attitudes to ‘Good’


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o In Genesis, God made the earth and it was ‘good’. The world that God has created is basically good.
o God has given people free will – the ability to choose between right and
wrong for ourselves.
o The story of humanity’s battle with good and evil is told in the story of
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They decided to disobey God by
eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This event is
called the Fall and explains how free will can be used to stray from what is
good.
o God has given the Ten Commandments for people to live a good life and
follow certain rules for behaviour
o Jesus’ life and example show Christians the way to lead a moral, good
and righteous life. It is up to individuals whether or not to follow God’s
instructions.
o Christianity places ‘good’ qualities at its core – tolerance compassion and love. Jesus demonstrated all
of these qualities through his life, and it is considered a Christian duty to treat others with kindness,
humanity and genuine acceptance.

Christian Attitudes to ‘Evil’

Christian Attitudes to ‘Evil’

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 God created people with free will and, because we are not robots, we choose good or evil. Choosing evil
causes suffering to happen.

 Some believe that evil exists because it is necessary for people to develop or complete their moral souls.
This is called a ‘soul-making’ theory. We need to learn about morality and develop the proper virtues,
which we cannot do without the existence of suffering and evil.

 St Irenaeus: Believed that humans were not created perfect, but that they require growth to become
spiritually perfect and moral. God allows evil to
exist to enable spiritual growth.

 Irenaeus also believed that God does not


intervene in human affairs to prevent evil
because that would mean interfering with free
will

 John Hick: Argued that the process of ‘soul-


making’ is a response to evil in the world. If evil
did not exist, e.g. murder and cancer, then we would not be able to develop ourselves spiritually

 Hick argued that since we cannot rationalise the suffering in the world, we mustn’t be able to understand
God’s plan or reasons.

 Hick believes that humans were born at a great distance from God. Therefore the process of soul-
making involves the struggle to find religious faith.

 Roman Catholics: Original Sin is the cause of sin. Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God caused evil to
enter the world. Since then, people have been born with the ability to commit acts of evil. Every baby is
born with ‘original sin’.

Life as a test?

 The story of Job tells Christians that we should not question why we suffer, but accept that we do. “God
works in mysterious ways,” and he has reasons for letting evil and
suffering happen, but humans will never be able to understand the
mind of God.

 God chooses the suffering for us and God has a greater purpose.
Christians are reassured with the knowledge that God is
compassionate and understanding and will never give humans
more suffering than they are truly able to cope with.

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TASK 12: Create a leaflet to explain what is ‘good’, what is ‘evil’ and the Christian
responses or attitudes to ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Focus on the information and not on the
images!

Good and Evil

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