Religion and Morality Topic 1 Content Religious attitudes to matters of life Key Questions Notes Confidence 1-10 Religion and morality Understand the meanings of religion and morality. Investigate the link between religion and morality What is the link between religion and morality? Why is life special? Appreciate religious attitudes about why life is special and begin to apply these ideas to matters of life What are sanctity of life, quality of life and value of life? How do each of these concepts relate to matters of life? Introduction to fertility treatment Gain knowledge and understanding of fertility treatment, especially in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and surrogacy. Reflect on the need for fertility treatment and surrogacy Should everybody have the right to have a child? Is surrogacy an alternative to natural and artificial methods of reproduction? Artificial insemination Gain knowledge and understanding of different types of human artificial insemination. Evaluate the issues associated with fertility treatment. How do artificial methods of reproduction assist people’s right to have a child? Are artificial methods of reproduction contrary to religious teachings?
Fertility treatment – case study Gain deeper understanding of fertility treatment by looking at a real-life case study. Evaluate issues related to the case study. What are the possible implications related to artificial methods of reproduction? Transplant surgery and blood transfusion Understand basic information about transplant surgery and blood transfusion. Consider the moral and religious teaching about transplant surgery and blood transfusion. Is it morally and religiously right to transplant organs from one human to another? genetic embryology 1 Investigate the meaning of human genetic engineering and embryology and evaluate the effectiveness and morality. Apply religious teachings to human genetic engineering and embryology What are both human genetic engineering and the associated scientific and medical practices? Human genetic embryology 2 Further investigate human genetic engineering and embryology and evaluate the moral issues arising from the creation of saviour siblings. Consider religious teachings. Why might people oppose the idea of “saviour siblings”? Cloning – a brave new world? Gain knowledge and understanding of the concept of cloning, realise that there are different types of cloning. Understand the different types of arguments for and against cloning. Cloning yes or no?
What religion teaches about the elderly Investigate general religious teaching about caring. Analyse specific religious teaching about the elderly. How may a religious belief affect decisions in caring for the elderly? Should we be able to take life? Reflect on whether anyone has the right to take life. Who is responsible for when we die? The euthanasia debate Investigate the meaning of euthanasia and evaluate whether euthanasia should be used. What are the religious teachings about euthanasia? Euthanasia – a case study Know and understand why a person may choose euthanasia. Reflect upon and evaluate the case of a man who chose to die by euthanasia. Why a person might chose to live or die? How long should we keep people alive? Understand that people who are brain dead can be kept alive. Analyse who should make the choice to keep someone alive. Evaluate the use of life-support machines and religious responses to them. When is a person officially dead? In what ways can medical technology prolong life? Is it moral to prolong life? Help for the dying and bereaved Evaluate how religion may help the dying and bereaved. Understand the contribution made by hospices. What do religious teachings tell us about life after death? Religion and Morality Topic 3 Content Religious attitudes to drug abuse Introduction Issues associated with drugs. What is a drug?
Identify religious teachings related to drug taking. Rights, responsibilities, legal status Investigate rights and responsibilities associated with drugs. Appreciate the legal status of different types of drug What are the rights and responsibilities associated with taking drugs? Classification of illegal drugs Identify the three categories of illegal drugs and understand why these categories exist. What are the three main categories of illegal drugs? The reclassification of cannabis Look more closely at the legal position of cannabis and debate the reclassification of cannabis. Should cannabis be reclassified? Social drugs Understand why people use social drugs, consider the consequences of taking social drugs. Reflect on how money raised from taxation of social drugs is spent. What are the consequences of using drugs? Why do people use drugs? Understand the reasons for using drugs; reflect and evaluate these reasons. Evaluate the reasons for drugs? Reasons for not using alcohol and tobacco Investigate religious attitudes to drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. Establish reasons why people might decide not to drink alcohol or smoke tobacco. Why do people alcohol and smoke cigarettes? Reasons for not using illegal drugs Investigate how taking illegal drugs affects other people and analyse problems associated with obtaining drugs. How does taking illegal drugs affect other people?
Young offenders and punishment Understand what the term “young offender” means and consider how society should deal with young offenders How should society deal with “young offenders”? Prison Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the prison system and understand religious attitudes to imprisonment What are religious attitudes to imprisonment? Capital punishment Understand the arguments for and against the death penalty (capital punishment) Understand religious attitudes to the death penalty Should the death penalty be allowed? Forms of punishment Investigate different forms of punishment as alternatives to prison What is meant by community service, electronic tagging, fines and probation? Life imprisonment, parole and prison reform Understand what is meant by parole, life imprisonment and early release. Consider issues concerning prison reform Does everyone deserve a second chance if they have committed a