How to answer exam questions: Section 2 Matters of life and death A) What is non-voluntary euthanasia? (2 marks) B) Do you agree with abortion? Give two reasons for your point of view. (4 marks) C) Choose one religion other than Christianity and explain why most of its followers are against euthanasia. (8 marks) D) ‘Your soul will never die.’ (i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3 marks) (ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3 marks)

Question A: 2 marks Question A: What is non-voluntary euthanasia? Answer 1: Ending someone’s life painlessly. This would get 1 mark as a partially correct answer. Answer 2: Ending someone’s life painlessly when they are unable to ask, but you have good reason for thinking they would want you to do so. This would get 2 marks for a correct definition of the key word.

Question B: 4 marks Question B: Do you agree with abortion? Give two reasons for your point of view. Answer 1: Yes I do agree with abortion because I don’t think a foetus is a human life until it is capable of living outside the mother. This would get 1 mark for giving one reason. Answer 2: Yes I do agree with abortion because I don’t think a foetus is a human life until it is capable of living outside the mother. Therefore abortions before 20 weeks are not taking life. By developing the reason the answer moves up to 2 marks.

Question B: 4 marks Question B: Do you agree with abortion? Give two reasons for your point of view. Answer 3: Yes I do agree with abortion because I don’t think a foetus is a human life until it is capable of living outside the mother. Therefore abortions before 20 weeks are not taking life. I also believe that a woman should have the right to do what she wants with her own body. The answer now gives another reason and so it moves up to 3 marks.

Question B: 4 marks Question B: Do you agree with abortion? Give two reasons for your point of view. Answer 4: Yes I do agree with abortion because I don’t think a foetus is a human life until it is capable of living outside the mother. Therefore abortions before 20 weeks are not taking life. I also believe that a woman should have the right to do what she wants with her own body. The problems caused to a woman by having an unwanted baby justify her having an abortion. By developing the second reason, the answer moves up to 4 marks for two developed reasons – full marks.

Question C: 8 marks Question C: Choose one religion other than Christianity and explain why most of its followers are against euthanasia. Answer 1: Muslims are mainly against euthanasia because in the Qur’an it teaches that humans are one of Allah’s greatest creations and so to take away Allah’s creation is a sin. Muslims regard the Qur’an as the word of Allah and so they must obey what the Qur’an says. LEVEL 1: 2 marks for a reason expressed in basic English.

Question C: 8 marks Question C: Choose one religion other than Christianity and explain why most of its followers are against euthanasia. Answer 2: Muslims are mainly against euthanasia because in the Qur’an it teaches that humans are one of Allah’s greatest creations and so to take away Allah’s creation is a sin. Muslims regard the Qur’an as the word of Allah and so they must obey what the Qur’an says. Muslims also believe that life is a test from Allah, so if someone is terminally ill they should not be relieved of their pain as it is a test of their faith in Allah. LEVEL 2: by developing the reason, the answer goes up to level 2 and because the answer is written in clear English it would gain 4 marks.

Question C: 8 marks Answer 3: Muslims are mainly against euthanasia because in the Qur’an it teaches that humans are one of Allah’s greatest creations and so to take away Allah’s creation is a sin. Muslims regard the Qur’an as the word of Allah and so they must obey what the Qur’an says. Muslims also believe that life is a test from Allah, so if someone is terminally ill they should not be relieved of their pain as it is a test of their faith in Allah. If they stay true to Allah they will be rewarded for that with an afterlife in eternal paradise. Therefore to commit euthanasia is not necessary as people will be relieved of their suffering in Allah’s own way. LEVEL 3: by developing the second reason the answer moves up to level 3 and because the answer is written in a clear style of English with some use of specialist vocabulary (Allah, Qur’an, test, eternal paradise) it would gain 6 marks.

Question C: 8 marks Answer 4: Muslims are mainly against euthanasia because in the Qur’an it teaches that humans are one of Allah’s greatest creations and so to take away Allah’s creation is a sin. Muslims regard the Qur’an as the word of Allah and so they must obey what the Qur’an says. Muslims also believe that life is a test from Allah, so if someone is terminally ill they should not be relieved of their pain as it is a test of their faith in Allah. If they stay true to Allah they will be rewarded for that with an afterlife in eternal paradise. Therefore to commit euthanasia is not necessary as people will be relieved of their suffering in Allah’s own way. Another reason is that most Muslims regard any type of euthanasia as a form of murder. As murder is totally forbidden in the Qur’an, no Muslims should commit or allow euthanasia. LEVEL 4: by adding a further reason, the answer moves up to level 4 and because it is written in a clear and correct style of English with the specialist vocabulary from level 3 it would gain 8 marks – full marks. (If time allows, it is always worth adding an extra reason just in case one of the ones given is wrong.)

Question D: 6 marks Question D: ‘Your soul will never die.’ (i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3 marks) (ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3 marks) Answer 1: (i) I disagree. I don’t see how the soul can live on after the death of the brain. What is your soul if it is not the brain? 1 mark for a personal opinion with a reason. Answer 2: (i) I disagree. I don’t see how the soul can live on after the death of the brain. What is your soul if it is not the brain? The evidence of science is that the human mind developed as the brain grew more complex, and so the mind cannot exist without the brain (e.g. people who are brain dead on a life-support machine). An extra reason for their opinion is given, so it moves up to 2 marks.

Question D: 6 marks Question D: ‘Your soul will never die.’ (i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3 marks) (ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3 marks) Answer 3: (i) I disagree. I don’t see how the soul can live on after the death of the brain. What is your soul if it is not the brain? The evidence of science is that the human mind developed as the brain grew more complex, and so the mind cannot exist without the brain (e.g. people who are brain dead on a life-support machine). Also where would souls live after the death of the body? Space exploration has shown there is no heaven above the sky and physics has shown there is no non-material world on earth. The answer now gives another reason for their opinion, so it moves up to 3 marks.

Question D: 6 marks Question D: ‘Your soul will never die.’ (i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3 marks) (ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3 marks) Answer 4: (i) I disagree. I don’t see how the soul can live on after the death of the brain. What is your soul if it is not the brain? The evidence of science is that the human mind developed as the brain grew more complex, and so the mind cannot exist without the brain (e.g. people who are brain dead on a life-support machine). Also where would souls live after the death of the body? Space exploration has shown there is no heaven above the sky and physics has shown there is no non-material world on earth. Finally there is no evidence for souls living after death. All the evidence for the paranormal is capable of being disproven. Although the last reason gains no marks because the top level is already reached, an extra reason is a good idea in case one is wrong.

Question D: 6 marks Question D: ‘Your soul will never die.’ (i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3 marks) (ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3 marks) Answer 1: (ii) Christians might disagree with this because they believe there is life after death because Jesus rose from the dead. 1 mark for a reason why some people might disagree.

Question D: 6 marks Question D: ‘Your soul will never die.’ (i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3 marks) (ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3 marks) Answer 2: (ii) Christians might disagree with this because they believe there is life after death because Jesus rose from the dead. Also it is part of the creeds to believe in the life everlasting, which means the soul cannot die. Another reason is given so it moves up to 2 marks.

Question D: 6 marks Question D: ‘Your soul will never die.’ (i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3 marks) (ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3 marks) Answer 3: (ii) Christians might disagree with this because they believe there is life after death because Jesus rose from the dead. Also it is part of the creeds to believe in the life everlasting, which means the soul cannot die. They might quote as evidence that Jesus said to one of the robbers crucified with him, ‘This day you will be with me in paradise.’ They take this to mean that the robber’s soul would not die at the crucifixion but live on in heaven. The answer now gives another reason for some people disagreeing, so it moves up to 3 marks.

Question D: 6 marks Question D: ‘Your soul will never die.’ (i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3 marks) (ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you. (3 marks) (i) I disagree. I don’t see how the soul can live on after the death of the brain. What is your soul if it is not the brain? The evidence of science is that the human mind developed as the brain grew more complex, and so the mind cannot exist without the brain (e.g. people who are brain dead on a life-support machine). Also where would souls live after the death of the body? Space exploration has shown there is no heaven above the sky and physics has shown there is no non-material world on earth. Finally there is no evidence for souls living after death. All the evidence for the paranormal is capable of being disproven. (ii) Christians might disagree with this because they believe there is life after death because Jesus rose from the dead. Also it is part of the creeds to believe in the life everlasting, which means the soul cannot die. They might quote as evidence that Jesus said to one of the robbers crucified with him, ‘This day you will be with me in paradise.’ They take this to mean that the robber’s soul would not die at the crucifixion but live on in heaven. This answer to question D can gain full marks because part ii) gives Christian reasons.