Religion and Life: Human Life, Death and Afterlife

Where do humans come from? Religious and scientific accounts each address this question, but at different levels.

The theory of evolution (Darwin, 1859) proposes that all life on earth — including human beings — descended from common ancestors through natural selection operating over billions of years. Genetic evidence strongly supports this account.

Religious accounts of human origins:

• Christianity (Genesis 1:26–27): God created human beings in his own image (imago Dei) — "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness." Genesis 2 describes God forming Adam from dust and breathing life into him; Eve was formed from Adam's rib.
• Islam: God created the first human (Adam) from clay and breathed His spirit into him (Qur'an 15:29). Humans are made of matter and spirit, occupying a unique position as God's vicegerents (khalifa).

Contrasting religious responses to evolution:

Response	Position
Literal creationism	Genesis 1–2 is historically accurate; evolution contradicts scripture; humans were specially and separately created
Theistic evolution	God used evolution as the means of creating human beings; the soul is still directly given by God; no contradiction with science
Liberal/Allegorical	Genesis conveys spiritual truth (human dignity, divine image) rather than scientific history; evolution describes the physical process God used

Many religious believers hold that evolution explains the biological history of the human body, while the imago Dei (image of God) refers to the spiritual dimension — reason, conscience, moral agency — that distinguishes humans from other animals.

These two principles produce fundamentally different conclusions in debates about abortion and euthanasia. Understanding the distinction is essential.

Sanctity of life: All human life is sacred (holy) and of infinite value because it is given by God. Life may not be taken deliberately by human beings — only God gives life and only God may take it. Jeremiah 1:5 ("Before I formed you in the womb I knew you") and Psalm 139:13–16 are cited in Christian tradition to affirm that life is sacred from conception.

Quality of life: The value of life is not absolute but depends on the experience of the person living it. A life marked by unbearable suffering, permanent incapacity, or total loss of consciousness may have little or no quality. Decisions about life should take into account the wellbeing of the person, not just the fact of biological existence.

Concept	Key claim	Implication for abortion/euthanasia
Sanctity of life	All human life is intrinsically and equally sacred	Abortion and euthanasia are morally wrong in almost all circumstances
Quality of life	Life's value depends on what the person experiences	Abortion and euthanasia may be compassionate choices when quality of life is very low

Neither position is exclusively religious. Many humanists and non-religious people support quality-of-life arguments. Some religious people engage with quality of life concerns while maintaining a presumption in favour of life.

Abortion is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy, resulting in the death of the foetus. In the UK, abortion is legal up to 24 weeks of pregnancy under the Abortion Act 1967 (amended 1990), with exceptions allowing later termination if there is serious risk to the mother's life or severe foetal abnormality.

This is one of the three issues requiring contrasting beliefs (Christianity + one other religion) for the 12-mark question.

Situations when the mother's life is at risk: Most ethical and religious frameworks accept that when continuing a pregnancy poses a direct risk to the mother's life, termination may be permissible. The Catholic principle of double effect (where a procedure intended to save the mother's life may foreseeably cause the foetus's death) is used to distinguish this from direct abortion.

Contrasting religious and ethical views:

Perspective	View
Catholic Christianity	Abortion is wrong from conception; the embryo/foetus is a human person with a soul; Catechism 2270: "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception"
Protestant Christianity	Views vary widely; many accept abortion in cases of rape, serious foetal abnormality, or risk to the mother's health; some accept it as the mother's decision
Islam	Abortion is generally forbidden, but many scholars permit it in early pregnancy (before ensoulment, traditionally 40 or 120 days) or where the mother's life is at risk; the Qur'an prohibits killing without just cause (6:151)
Humanist/Non-religious	Women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies (bodily autonomy); the foetus does not have the same moral status as the mother in early pregnancy; compassion for women's circumstances

Ethical arguments based on sanctity of life vs quality of life:

• Sanctity: The foetus is a human life; terminating it is morally equivalent to murder; no stage of development makes life less valuable.
• Quality: A foetus with no capacity for experience has lower moral status than the mother; a child born into poverty, abuse, or severe disability may face poor quality of life; the wellbeing of all involved matters.

Euthanasia (from Greek: "good death") is the deliberate ending of a person's life to relieve suffering. It is illegal in the UK but legal in several countries (the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, several US states).

This is one of the three issues requiring contrasting beliefs for the 12-mark question.

Types of euthanasia:

Type	Definition
Voluntary euthanasia	The patient explicitly requests to die
Non-voluntary euthanasia	The patient cannot express a wish (e.g. is in a coma or has dementia); a decision is made on their behalf
Passive euthanasia	Life-sustaining treatment is withdrawn, allowing death to occur naturally
Active euthanasia	A deliberate act (e.g. administering a lethal injection) causes death

Contrasting religious views on euthanasia:

Perspective	View
Catholic Christianity	Active euthanasia is gravely wrong; passive euthanasia (withdrawing extraordinary treatment) may be permissible; palliative care (reducing pain, not hastening death) is strongly supported
Protestant Christianity	Views vary; some accept voluntary euthanasia as an act of compassion; many maintain the sanctity of life and support hospice/palliative alternatives
Islam	Euthanasia is forbidden; life is given by God and may not be deliberately terminated; suffering can be spiritually meaningful; Qur'an 4:29 — "Do not kill yourselves"
Humanist/Non-religious	Compassion and respect for autonomy support the right to die on one's own terms; quality of life and dignity in death matter more than biological survival

Ethical arguments:

• Against euthanasia: The sanctity of life; risk of abuse (pressure on the elderly/vulnerable); the slippery slope; palliative care as an alternative.
• For euthanasia: Respect for autonomy (the right to choose); relieving unbearable suffering; compassion; quality of life.

Beliefs about what happens after death have direct implications for how religious traditions value human life — and how they approach decisions about abortion, euthanasia, and the treatment of the dying.

Christian beliefs about death and afterlife:

• The body dies, but the soul continues. At death, souls are judged by God.
• The righteous will experience heaven (eternal communion with God); the unrighteous face hell (eternal separation from God).
• Catholic tradition also includes purgatory — a state of purification before heaven.
• The Christian hope is in resurrection — not the immortality of the soul alone, but the eventual resurrection of the body at the Last Judgement (1 Corinthians 15).

Islamic beliefs about death and afterlife:

• After death, the soul enters barzakh (an intermediate state) until the Day of Judgement (Yawm al-Qiyama).
• God judges every soul on the basis of their deeds. The righteous enter Jannah (paradise); the unrighteous face Jahannam (hell).
• Belief in the afterlife is one of the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam.

Impact on beliefs about the value of human life:

Belief	Impact on valuing life
Resurrection/eternal life	This life is a preparation for eternal life; suffering in this life has meaning; euthanasia may deny a person that preparation
Judgement after death	Actions in this life have eternal consequences; moral choices about life and death are ultimately accountable to God
No afterlife (humanist view)	This life is all there is; quality of life in this life therefore matters most; death with dignity may be preferable to prolonged suffering

1. Not defining the types of euthanasia

Exam questions on euthanasia often ask students to distinguish types. Confusing active and passive, or voluntary and non-voluntary, gives an inaccurate answer. Learn all four distinctions and be ready to explain them.

2. Treating Catholic and Protestant Christian views as identical

Catholic and Protestant positions on abortion and euthanasia differ significantly. Catholics maintain a near-absolute sanctity of life position; Protestants vary widely from a similar position to accepting abortion and euthanasia in specific circumstances. On a 12-mark question, contrasting Christian views are a strong option.

3. Omitting the afterlife slide when answering questions about the value of life

The spec explicitly requires "beliefs about death and an afterlife, and their impact on beliefs about the value of human life." This is a direct link — if you write about abortion or euthanasia without connecting to afterlife beliefs, you are missing a spec-required dimension.

4. Saying evolution and religion are simply opposed

Most religious people globally accept evolution as a scientific account of biological development. Theistic evolution — God working through evolutionary processes — is widely held by religious scientists and theologians. Writing "religion rejects evolution" without qualification misrepresents most religious believers.

5. Forgetting the Islamic view on ensoulment in abortion debates

The Islamic position on abortion is more nuanced than a simple "forbidden." The concept of ensoulment — when the soul enters the foetus — is important: many scholars permit abortion before this point in limited circumstances. This nuance is precisely what 6- and 12-mark questions reward.