UNIT 4

Objective To use pair work, picture clues and media clips to understand more about Christians and the Bible.

Outcomes… Your GOALS for the end of this lesson are… Grade C You will list reasons why some Christians only use the Bible as a basis for making moral decisions and some do not. Grade B You will be able to explain and compare the different Christian views on the authority of the Bible – giving examples. Grade A-A* You will be able to express an opinion on the use of the Bible in making moral decisions and evaluate different attitudes towards the Bible as a source of moral authority. Your GOALS for the end of this lesson are…

Starter… Read the following statements carefully – decide which ones you think are FACT and which are FICTION…

The Bible is the most shop-lifted book in the world. FACT – America has the highest number of Bible thefts. The Bible has been translated into 653 languages and is the world’s best selling book. FICTION – it is the world’s best selling book but it has actually been translated into over 1200 different languages including Klingon. The Bible is split into two parts – The Old and New Testament. FACT – The Old Testament has 39 books the New Testament has 27. The last word in the Bible is ‘AMEN’. FACT 12 Bibles are sold every minute. FICTION it is 50 The word ‘Christian’ only appears 8 times in the Bible. FICTION – It only actually appears 3 times and all in the New Testament. The Bible is the Christian holy book. The Bible is also used by Jews as their holy book and is known as the Torah. FICTION –It is only the Old Testament that Jews use as their holy book which is called the Torah. The Bible has over 40 different authors. FACT – Many of them unknown. The word God appears in all 66 books of the Bible. FICTION – It appears in all but 2 books Esther and Song of Soloman

How do you make a moral decision? What do you use as moral authority? Christians like most human beings need moral guidance and a source of moral authority. What sources of moral authority do Christians use? Moral decisions are when you have to decide between what is the right and wrong thing to do. Moral authority is what directs us and helps us decide what is right and wrong

Christian sources of moral authority… Leaders Bible Traditions Conscience Reason

What can it teach Christians about morality? The 10 Commandments play a role in Christians lives as they shape moral behaviour. They are still relevant today and have shaped the laws of the world. Was written before Jesus. It contains the 10 COMMANDMENTS and the LAW OF MOSES. What can it teach Christians about morality? The teachings and life of Jesus provide Christians with a role model. They can follow Jesus’ example and follow his teachings in order to live a moral life. The life and TEACHINGS OF JESUS and the beginnings of the Christian Church.

The Bible as a source of moral authority... The Bible teaches Christians to... Do you think the Bible provides a good source of moral authority? Which do you think is the most important moral teaching and why? Do you agree with all these moral teachings? – Explain your answer. Love God Do not murder Do not lie Give to the poor and needy Promote peace Honour your parents and family members Do not commit adultery Do not steal Love your neighbour Do not envy others

Outcomes… Grade A-A* You will be able to express an opinion on the use of the Bible in making moral decisions. Did you achieve YOUR goals?…

The Bible as a source of moral authority… Get into PAIRS ... Use the picture clues and prompts to LIST why SOME Christians only use the Bible as a source of moral authority and SOME do not. For ALL Christians, the Bible is a book that carries great authority and is an important guide for decision-making. SOME Christians ONLY use the Bible for making moral decisions! Other Christians think the Bible should be used with other sources of moral authority. Fill in the table on PAGE 2 of your worksheet booklet... EXTENSION: Can you add any more to the list or give EXAMPLES to expand your points?

The reasons why SOME Christians use ONLY the Bible as a source of moral authority…

ADD to this column in GREEN PEN to fill in any GAPS… Using prior knowledge and common sense can you add any examples? The reasons some Christians only use the Bible for making moral decisions… FOR EXAMPLE… It contains the teachings of Jesus. The Bible is the word of God. The church use, and tell people to use the Bible. It contains rules to live by that are accepted in society. It shows what Jesus would do in situations. The Bible is not influenced by present culture and society. It shows how the apostles dealt with moral issues in the early church. If you are struggling… Match these up to the correct POINT. The Decalogue gives Christians clear guidance and forms the foundation of many societies laws. The Bible contains PARABLES (stories told by Jesus that have a moral message) e.g. The GOOD SAMARITAN. Fundamentalist Christians believe the Bible is the direct word of God, and by following it, they are acting how God wants them to. Jesus’ actions and life provide Christians with a clear moral example, and guidance when making moral decisions. For example, the way in which he treated the poor. Many church sermons are centred around biblical passages, and many church leaders use the Bible to teach and guide their congregation. In his letters to early Christian communities, St. Paul set out clear moral guidelines for followers to live by. It is unable to change or be influenced by the way society changes, such as its views on homosexuality.

The reasons why SOME Christians might not ONLY use the Bible as a source of moral authority…

ADD to this column in GREEN PEN to fill in any GAPS… Using prior knowledge and common sense can you add any examples? The reasons some Christians DO NOT only use the Bible for making moral decisions… FOR EXAMPLE… The Bible does not contain information about all moral issues. The Bible was affected by the society and culture the writers lived in. The Bible was written by people who had a particular message to spread. The Bible was written by people who are only human and may have made mistakes. The Bible has been translated from the original language it was written in. If you are struggling… Match these up to the correct POINT. Liberal Christians believe the Bible has to sometimes be adapted to be used in the modern world, its stories are symbolic and contain morals and messages. For example, there is nothing in the Bible offering guidance on moral dilemmas such as the use of contraception, abortion or euthanasia. For example, when elements of the Bible were written, society was male dominated and accepted slavery. Translations are often inaccurate, and the true meaning of the passage or text may be lost in translation. Conservative Christians believe that due to human error the Bible has to interpreted by the Church so that they can interpret the moral teachings and apply them to the modern world.

Outcomes… Did you achieve YOUR goals?… Grade C You will list reasons why some Christians only use the Bible as a basis for making moral decisions and some do not. Grade B You will be able to explain and compare the different Christian views on the authority of the Bible – giving examples. Did you achieve YOUR goals?…

Now SWAP and PEER MARK each others work. If you feel like a challenge – complete WITHOUT NOTES or pit yourself against the 10 minute clock. http://www.online-stopwatch.com/ Make a note of your time in the margin. Using your notes from today complete PAGE 53 QUESTION 1 and 2 of your REVISION WORKBOOK Now SWAP and PEER MARK each others work. REMEMBER mark on those P’s and E’s and KW’s and Q’s. Give them a mark out of 8 and a clear TARGET.

Are there any positives? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwBVcsWYJd8 Some Christians (FUNDAMENTALISTS) think the Bible is the direct revelation of God. They believe that the writers are writing exactly what God told them to. Christians who think this believe EVERYTHING that is written in the Bible and will follow exactly what the Bible teaches. These Christians will only use the Bible when making decisions. Are there any issues with using the Bible as the only source of moral authority? Are there any positives?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8bUWw1-8wk Some Christians (LIBERALS) think that the Bible was written by human beings to tell other people about their faith and God. They do not think that God inspired them and they think that the writers would be heavily influenced by the society and culture of the time. Christians who think this will read the Bible for advice, but will also recognise other sources of authority, such as the Church or their own conscience. What two types of Christians are shown here? How are each shown to be? Why do you think this is? What issues are there with using a range of sources of moral authority? What are the positives? Which two types of Christians are shown in this clip – how are they shown to be? Why do you think this is? How do their opinions differ?

Outcomes… Grade A-A* You will be able to evaluate different attitudes towards the Bible as a source of moral authority. Did you achieve YOUR goals?…

Plenary... One thing I have learnt today is... One thing that has surprised me this lesson is... One thing I would like to know more about is...