LO: I will know about the range of Christian positions which exist within Christianity Remember TWO homeworks: Assessment on Kant first week back in 2015 Read and make summative notes on C S Lewis Chapter

 Can we have morality without God?  Task: In pairs, try to argue for both sides for the above question. One can take the role of an Atheist who believes God doesn’t exist and that Morality can exist separately to Religion. The other is trying to find weaknesses to that argument, by arguing for belief in a Creator God.

 Task  Take a moral issue such as stealing and construct an ideas map showing all the possible sources of information that could shape your decision that stealing is wrong.  Questions to think about  Pick a moral issue that you know to be wrong  How do you know it is wrong?

 Read the handout.  Can you construct a list of the different ways Christians have gone about making moral decisions?  Can you give examples of issues which Christians have disagreed on?

 In light of the differences that there are within the Christian tradition, think about the following two questions:  What are the implications of having such a diverse religion  Are there any ways to resolve the differences?

 In a magazine interview, American Pastor Mark Driscoll was asked the following question: ‘What would you say is the difference between doctrine and dogma?’ Below is his response:  When I hear the word “dogma,” I think of the taking of secondary issues and making them primary issues. I always use the language that there are “open- handed issues” and “closed-handed issues.” Open-handed issues are those issues which Bible-believing Christians can debate over, disagree over, even discuss over, but not divide over. The closed-handed issues are those issues we really have to remain committed to, to remain Christian. So for me, in the doctrine book [Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe], I had to really work hard along with my co-author, Gerry Breshears, on those issues that should be in the closed hand, and also talk about the various issues that need to remain in the open hand. I think dogma is putting everything in the closed hand—being absolutely dogmatic and contentious about things that, quite frankly, aren’t as clear in Scripture as other things. So there are issues in the Bible, like eschatology issues surrounding Jesus’ return, speaking in tongues, some things like that where you can love Jesus, and believe the Bible, and disagree on and still be a faithful Christian. There are other issues, like the Trinity or the resurrection of Jesus, you have to be very clear on to remain Christian. Can you summarise his point and give your response?

 Using the lap tops, in pairs, research the views of modern Christians who have disagreed on particular moral issues.  Here are some names which you could look up. This list is not exclusive. If you can find others then use them:  Joseph Fletcher  Donald Miller  Mark Driscoll  Don Carson  Brian Mclaren  Rob Bell  Andrew Wilson  William Lane Craig  For each person, try to identify the most important sources of authority, (i.e. what they are appealing to for making their judgments). Give their views, and their reasons on some moral issues, e.g. homosexuality.

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