Religious teaching on the nature and value of human life

Candidates will be expected to have studied the teaching of one of the six major world religions, but, where appropriate, may refer to more than one religion in their answers.

• Nature of humanity and the human condition: what it means to be human
• Fatalism and free will: to what extent human beings are able to influence their own life and destiny
• Equality and difference: religious teaching about equality with particular reference to race, gender and disability
• The value of life: religious teachings about the value of life with particular reference to the quality of life, self-sacrifice and nonhuman life including the relative importance of human and nonhuman
  life
  

Issues arising

• How far must a religious view of life be fatalistic?
• How far can religion support the idea of equality?
• Human life must be given priority over non-human life and some human lives are more valuable than others – how far could religion accept this view?