docRE - Environmental and medical issues revision.doc
download 
Report Transcription
RE - Environmental and medical issues revision.doc
Religion: Environmental and Medical Issues Key Words Artificial Insemination Conservation Creation Embryo Environment Global warming Infertility In-vitro fertilisation Natural resources Organ donation Stewardship Surrogacy Injecting semen into the uterus by artificial means Protecting and preserving natural resources and the environment The act of creating the universe or the universe which has been created A fertilised egg in the first 8 weeks after conception The surrounds in which plants and animals live and on which they depend to continue living The increase in the earth’s atmosphere thought to be caused by the greenhouse effect Not being able to have children The method of fertilising a human egg in a test tube Naturally occurring materials such as oil and fertile land which can be used by humans Giving organs to be used in transplant surgery Looking after something so it can be passed on to the next generation An arrangement whereby a woman bears a child on behalf of another woman or where an egg is donated and fertilised by the husband through IVF and then implanted into the wife’s uterus GLOBAL WARMING Global warming means that the earth is warmer than it has been for over 1000 years. This could lead to some coastal areas disappearing and countries such as Spain becoming deserts. The Causes of Global Warming The Greenhouse Effect Humans burn fossil fuels such as gas, coal and oil. This produces carbon dioxide which produces a barrier in the atmosphere. This is like the glass in a greenhouse so that the heat from the sun can get through but it cannot get back out again causing the earth’s temperature to rise. Natural climate change Some scientists say it is as a result of natural changes because the warmest periods in the last 10,000 years happened well before humans started to produce carbon dioxide. They say that if the greenhouse effect was true, the top layer of the atmosphere should be heating up faster that the earth’s surface and it doesn’t seem to be. They also say that nature produces more carbon gases from volcano emissions, animals, bacteria, decaying vegetation and the ocean. Solar Activity Some scientists say that the changes in the earth’s temperature are caused by the amount of radiation coming from the sun. When solar activity is high, fewer clouds form so more of the sun’s heat reaches the earth and warms it up. Possible Solutions Using ways of making electricity which do not produce carbon dioxide: wind power, sea power, hydroelectric power and solar power. In June 2008, the Government announced that by 2050 there will be no carbon emissions from Britain’s power stations. Car manufacturers are using ethanol, biodiesel, electric batteries and hydrogen to power cars without carbon emissions. The problem with this is that biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) are produced from crops which could be used for food and electric batteries rely on electricity produced by power stations using oil or coal. It is also possible to improve the efficiency and reduce the pollution caused by such things as cars. By 2010 the total tonnage of pollutants emitted by cars will reduce by 75% compared with 1992. Increased use of public transport could reduce carbon emissions. Trains are the lowest carbon emission form of transport. Forms of pollution and possible solutions Acid Rain Buildings and forests are being destroyed in countries such as Sweden and Germany by the acid rain coming from the UK. This is caused by the burning of fossil fuels which change the pH of the rainwater in clouds making it so acidic that it can burn things when it comes to earth. Human Waste Waste produced by humans in the form of sewage, refuse (rubbish put into bins) and litter (rubbish left on the streets) is a huge threat to the future of the planet. As the world economy grows so does its production of waste. Europe produces more than 2.5 billion tonnes of solid waste a year. Human excreta and other waterborne waste products are transported through sewers to sewage works for treatment. Untreated sewage causes water pollution. Compost bins and litter have led to the rat population in the UKL to grow to 70 million. Rats bring many diseases to humans. Litter also causes thousands of bike and car accidents when it is on the roads and it is estimated that a fire breaks out every 12 minutes because of litter. Eutrophication This is the lack of oxygen in rivers killing fish and making water plants grow. It is caused by fertilisers being washed into streams, sewage pollution and a lack of trees to soak up nitrogen. This could lead to major health problems for humans. Radioactive pollution Nuclear power stations produce nuclear waste which will take thousands or millions of years to be safe. When humans come into contact with nuclear waste, they can be killed, get cancer and have genetically mutated children. Possible Solutions The solution to acid rain is to create electricity from wind, sun, tides and nuclear energy. Waste could be solved by a combination of recycling, using incinerators to produce electricity and sewage to produce methane gas. Each method has problems for example reusing glass bottles can need more energy to sterilise them than to make new ones. The problem of litter would be solved if people stopped dropping litter. The UK has laws to make this happen – those who leave litter can be given an on the spot fine and badly littered areas reported to the local council must be cleared within a fixed period. Better sewage treatment, fewer phosphates in detergents and fewer nitrates in farm fertilisers could stop eutrophication. However, organic farming uses manure causing an increase of nitrates in streams and rivers. Some nuclear waste can be reprocessed so that 97% of the waste can be re-used. However the remaining 3% of waste has to be stored. The UK government is working on a project to isolate the waste deep inside a suitable rock formation to ensure that no radioactivity can ever reach the surface. Natural Resources Natural resources are natural materials such as oil and fertile land that can be used by humans. They can be divided into two types. 1.Renewable resources These are resources that humans can use over and over again because they renew themselves. Examples of renewable resources are wind power, solar power, water power, fertile land, oil seed rape and sugar cane (which can produce energy for cars), soft woods (which grow very quickly and can be used for paper, furniture etc). Humans using these resources cause no problems. The only problem is using renewable resources to produce electricity because this is more expensive. 2.Non –renewable resources These are resources which disappear once they are used. Examples are oil, coal, iron, tin, copper, uranium, natural gas and hard woods. Using these resources causes major problems because as the resource is used it becomes scarcer and so can be used less. Take the example of oil. With oil becoming scarcer, this would have an effect on people’s use of cars because petrol and diesel come from oil. All plastics and road surfaces, candles, polishes and chemical foodstuffs come from oil. If oil begins to dry up, there will be huge effects on people’s lives. In the same way, all metals used in everyday living from car panels to railways tracks to pans and kitchen appliances come from non-renewable resources such as iron, aluminium and tin. Scientists feel that unless we stop using these resources as we are, they will soon run out. This would mean no cars, no TV’s etc. The problem of resources could have as severe consequences as the problems of global warming and pollution. Possible Solutions There are now different ways of making electricity which do not use non-renewable resources. For example sea power (using the waves or tides) and solar power (using the sun’s rays). Car manufacturers are looking at water, sugar cane and electric batteries as ways of powering cars. There are fuel cell cars already on the market that are powered by the hydrogen from water. Recycling will allow the lifetime of many non-renewable resources to be extended. For example some cars are now made of 75% of recycled materials. Scientists are working on using chemicals from plants rather than oil to produce such things as plastics. Some people think that we need to change our lifestyle. This would mean using natural produces (clothes made from cotton or wool), eating organic foods (foods grown without fertilisers or pesticides. Riding bikes instead of owning a car would also help. They believe if everyone lived this way, the problems of non-renewable resources would be reduced. Christian Teachings on Stewardship Christians believe that God gave humans the stewardship of the earth and its resources. Christians should look after the earth so that it can be passed onto the next generation. In the story of creation, God gave humans the right to rule over the earth. It gives humans control of animals, all other living creatures and plants. The Old Testament teaches that humans have a responsibility to treat animals humanely. It also says to treat the land kindly by not growing crops every 50th year. In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus said that God expects humans to pass on to the next generation more than they have been given. This means that Christians have a responsibility to leave the earth a better place than they found it. Jesus also taught on the Sermon on the Mount that Christians have a responsibility to share the earth’s resources with others. The Bible also says that there will be a judgement day at the end of the world. People will be judged on how they have fulfilled their duty as stewards of the earth. How beliefs about stewardship affect Christian attitudes to the environment Christians believe they have a responsibility to be Gods stewards and the leave the earth a better place than they found it. This means Christians should try to reduce pollution and preserve resources for future generations. Christians believe in sharing the earth’s resources fairly. This means Christians should try to improve the quality of life of the less fortunate by sharing the earth’s resources. They should try to improve the standard of living in LEDC’s (Less Economically Developed Countries). Christians believe that after death they will be judged by God on their behaviour. This means Christians have a duty to share in and support the work of groups which are trying to reduce pollution. Christians should be judging what they are doing in their life as an individual by the standards of Christian stewardship. It is by being a good steward and conserving the environment and scarce resources that a Christian can become a good Christian. Stewardship – Islamic Teachings Muslims believe that God created Adam as his khalifah (someone who looks after things for you). This means that Muslims are all khalifah’s of God who have to keep the balance of creation and look after the earth for God. They must follow the way of life set out for Muslims in the Qur’an and the Shariah which involves being part of the ummah. Islam also teaches that there will be a day of judgement when people will be questioned by God on the way they have looked after the earth. Anyone that has polluted or misused God’s gifts will not be allowed into heaven. Life is a test from God where they will be judged at the end of the world. Part of this test is looking after the environment and those who fail the test will be punished. How beliefs about stewardship affect Islamic attitudes to the environment Muslims should try to reduce pollution and preserve resources by following the Shariah because they have a responsibility to be God’s khalifah’s. Stewardship means a fair sharing of the earth’s resources and so Muslims should try and improve the quality of life of the less fortunate. They could do this by sharing the resources of the earth fairly and improving the standard of living in less economically developed countries. As Muslims believe that life is a test this means that they feel they have a duty to share in and support the work of groups which try to reduce pollution and conserve resources. Muslims also have a duty to preserve the environment and make sure that it continues to be what God intended it to be. Infertility and their importance of medical treatments Main treatments for infertility In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) This is when an egg from the woman is fertilised outside the womb using either the husband’s or a donor’s sperm and is then replaced in the womb. Artificial insemination by husband (AIH) This is when the husband’s sperm is inserted into his wife by mechanical means. Artificial insemination by donor (AID) This is when an anonymous man donates sperm, which is inserted mechanically into the mother. Egg donation This is when another woman donates an egg. The egg is fertilised by IVF using the husband’s sperm and is then placed in the wife’s womb by mechanical means. Embryo donation This is when both egg and sperm come from donors and are fertilised using IVF and are then inserted into the wife’s womb mechanically. Surrogacy This when either the egg and sperm of the wife and husband are fertilised by IVF and are then placed into another woman’s womb or when another woman is artificially inseminated by the husband’s sperm. In both cases. after the birth the woman hands the baby to the husband and wife. All medical treatment are used by couples in Britain and are supervised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Since 2005, children born from donated sperm, eggs or embryos have the right to discover their genetic parents when they are 18. It is estimated that 50,000 children have been born from donations but only 10% have been told that they have other genetic parents. Why infertility treatments are important Infertility has become much more of a problem in recent years with as many as 12.5% of couples in the UK estimated to have fertility problems Male infertility is a particular problem in western developed nations. Up to 1.5 million men in the UK alone have fertility problems In 2007, 12% of all births in the UK were as a result of fertility treatments showing how important these treatments are to large numbers of couples It is part of human nature to want to have children and raise a family; after all this is the way the species survives. If treatments are available to ensure that people have a family, they must be important Psychological problems are caused if couples are desperate to have children but cannot. Infertility treatments are now so effective that mental illnesses can be prevented by their use. Christian attitudes to infertility treatments Catholic View Catholics believe that God gives life and no one has the right to children. The Catholic Church only allows methods that do not threaten the sacredness of life and where sex acts are natural. All fertility treatments involving medical technology are banned for Catholics because: IVF involves fertilising several eggs – some are thrown away or used for experiments. The Catholic Church believes that treating embryos in this way is no different from abortion, which is banned. All forms of artificial insemination or surrogacy involve masturbation by the male, which is a sin for Catholics. All forms of embryo technology involve fertilisation-taking place apart from the sex act. Catholics believe that God intended procreation to be part of the sex act. Other Christian Churches Allow IVF and AIH because: It is good to use technology to provide couples with the joy of children. Having children is one of the purposes of the Christian marriage. The egg and sperm are from the husband and wife and so the baby will be the biological offspring of its mother and father. The discarded embryos are not foetuses and their destruction can be justified by the doctrine of double effect (the intention is to produce children for childless couples not kill embryos). They do have concerns about other embryo technology because they involve problems of who the parent is and could lead to problems for the children in terms of their identity and also problems about who exactly the parents are. All Christians encourage childless couples to adopt. Islam and infertility treatments Many Muslims accept IVF and AIH because: Medicine is simply used to bring about the family life and all Muslims are expected to have a family. The egg and sperm used are from the husband and wife therefore the baby produced will be the biological offspring of the mother and father. The discarded embryos are not foetuses and their destruction can be justified because it is not taking life and the intention is to produce children and not to kill embryos. Islamic lawyers have banned other types of infertility treatments because: A child is denied the right to know its natural parents Egg or sperm donation is seen as a form of adultery Egg and sperm donation is similar to adoption which is banned in Islam Transplant Surgery Transplant surgery is the use of organs taken from one person and put into another person to replace an organ that is malfunctioning or diseased. A wide range of organs can now be transplanted (e.g. hearts and eye corneas). The organs have to be compatible and drugs have to be used to prevent the donated organ being rejected by the host. Transplant surgery is very effective and gives life and hope to people. There are two types of transplant surgery. One uses organs from a dead person and the other using organs from a living person, which they can live without (e.g. bone-marrow and single kidney’s). In the UK, the Health Secretary set up ULTRA (Unrelated Live Transplant Regulatory Authority) – this is to regulate live transplants with the aim of preventing commercial organ dealings so that people cannot sell their organs. Why transplant surgery is important It is an effective and proven method of curing life threatening diseases (e.g. heart or kidney failure) and improving people’s lives (e.g. cornea grafting giving sight to the blind). In March 2007, 7234 people were waiting for vital organ transplants – their lives were at risk without a transplant and they needed organs from a dead donor. In the previous year only 3000 transplants were carried out. Transplants could save over 4000 extra lives a year. The number of people needing transplant surgery rises by 8% each year so transplants is an important part of health provision. Transplant surgery is a proven and efficient way of bringing life out of death. It gives people a chance to help others after their death by using organs, which would otherwise be buried or burned. It is pioneering surgical methods, which could be used to cure diseases by the use of artificial organs (spare part surgery). Christian Attitudes to Transplant Surgery Attitude 1 Most Christians agree with transplant surgery but object to rich people or surgeons in the developed world paying for organs from the poor. The reasons for this attitude are: Christians who believe in immortality of the soul believe that the body is not needed after death and therefore the organs can be used to help the living. Christians who believe in resurrection believe St. Paul’s words that the body will be transformed and that the resurrection body will not need physical organs. Jesus told Christians that they should love their neighbours. Leaving your organs to save lives after your death is a way of loving your neighbour. Jesus also said that Christians should treat others, as they would wish to be treated by them. Most Christians would want a transplant if they needed it. Christians object to paying for organs because the poor will be exploited – for example fathers selling a kidney to feed their family). The Bible also has many statements about not exploiting the poor. Attitude 2 Some Christians are against transplant surgery using organs from dead people but will accept transplants from living relatives. They do not allow organs to be paid for. The reasons for this attitude are: Organs such as the heart are an intrinsic part of the individual who has been created by God. Transplanting organs from the dead into the living is taking over the role of God. Humans do not have the right to act as God. Organs that can be used from the living are not vital. These organs can be used to obey Jesus’ command to love your neighbour. Organs cannot be paid for because that is exploiting the poor, which is banned in the Bible. Attitude 3 Some Christians do not agree with transplants at all and will not carry a donor card. The reasons for this attitude are: Transplants could ignore the sanctity of life. Will surgeons who have a patient desperate for a transplant work to the best of their ability to save the life of a donor? Transplanting organs is playing God, which is wrong. Does a surgeon save the life of an unknown accident victim or the patient they know who needs a transplant? It diverts resources from prevention or less expensive cures which could improve the lives of far more people than a single transplant. Islam and Transplant Surgery The majority of Muslims are against transplant surgery because: The Shari’ah teaches that nothing should be removed from the body after death and opposes post-mortems. Organs should not be removed from dead Muslims. The Qur’an says that God created the body of a person and to take parts from one body and put them into another is to act as God (shirk) which is a sin. The belief in the sanctity of life means that all life belongs to Allah and only God has the right to give and take life. They believe that they will need their organs if they are to be resurrected on the last day. Some Muslims allow transplants using organs from a living donor because: Some Muslim lawyers have said it is permissible A ruling (fatwa) was issued by the Muslim Law Council of the UK in 1995 stating that Muslims could carry donor cards and have transplants Islam aims to do good and if a close relative is dying and a transplant would save them: then it should be given. Religion: Environmental and Medical Issues Revision Name: Form: