1. 1. Which of the following do you think is acceptable. 2
1. Which of the following do you think is acceptable? 2. Which of the following might Christians and Buddhists find acceptable?
Eating meat
Battery farming
Experimenting on animals for medical research
Keeping animals as pets
Fox hunting
Cosmetics testing

2. The use and abuse of animals
I can explain Buddhist and Christian beliefs about animal experimentation and eating meat
I can evaluate the pros and cons of animal experimentation and eating meat

3. Buddhist Beliefs
Many Buddhists are vegetarian and oppose animal experimentation because of the First Precept: “I undertake to abstain from taking life.” This includes the lives of animals. The positive form of the First Precept encourages Buddhists to show loving kindness (Metta) and karuna (compassion) to all beings. Buddhists try to practise ahimsa (non-violence) and this applies to animals as well as humans. The Buddha said: “All living things fear being beaten with clubs. All living things fear being put to death. Putting oneself in the place of the other, Let no-one kill nor cause another to kill.” (Dhammapada). According to the Jataka Tales, when the Buddha attained enlightenment, he was able to remember his many previous lives, both animal and human. In some of these lives, the Buddha sacrificed his own life for that of animals. Many Buddhists believe that we have all lived as animals before and it therefore makes little sense to look down on animals as lesser beings. The Noble Eightfold Path also instructs Buddhists to engage in Right Livelihood. A job which involves treating animals cruelly and subjecting them to painful experiments goes against this teaching.
The Buddha specifically forbade monks and nuns from slaughtering animals.

4. Christian Beliefs
For many Christians, Genesis describes the moment when God gave Adam a soul and made man in his image. This shows that humans are superior to animals: we have dominion over them.
Using p.94-5:
Give two reasons why Christians believe that humans are more important than animals – try to use a teaching.
Explain why most Christians eat meat.
Explain why many Christians support animal experimentation.
Challenge:
To what extent are Christians being stewards of the earth in supporting animal experimentation?
Adam and Eve (Genesis 2)
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

5. Explain two religious beliefs about animal experimentation
Explain two religious beliefs about animal experimentation. Refer to scripture or sacred writings in your answer. (5)
Many Buddhists oppose animal experimentation because… This means / for example… Many Christians support animal experimentation because… This means / for example… A Bible teaching to support this is…

6. Explain two religious beliefs about animal experimentation
Explain two religious beliefs about animal experimentation. Refer to scripture or sacred writings in your answer. (5)
Many Buddhists oppose animal experimentation because of the positive form of the First Precept which tells Buddhists that they should show loving kindness (Metta) and karuna (compassion) to all beings. Since animal experimentation can cause animals to suffer greatly, it is seen as wrong. Many Christians support animal experimentation because humans are seen as superior to animals, so we have dominion over them. This is shown in the Bible which states that God made humans ‘in his image’, and gave humans souls. This means that animal experimentation for medical research is acceptable as it benefits humans.

7. The use and abuse of animals
I can explain Buddhist and Christian beliefs about animal experimentation and eating meat
I can evaluate the pros and cons of animal experimentation and eating meat

8. Pros and cons of animal experimentation
It is cruel. Even scientists accept that animals suffer.
The stress that animals endure in labs can affect experiments, making the results meaningless
Although animals suffer, medical testing is for the greater good.
Animal and human genetics are different, and often reactions are not the same (e.g. Ryan Wilson).
It would be cruel to test drugs on humans without testing them on animals first.
Humans are superior to animals: animals can be used for our benefit.
Modern science has developed alternatives to animal testing e.g. using human tissue cultures to test for toxicity.
Animals are still used to test items like cleaning products, which benefit mankind less than medicines or surgery
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
We should try to be good stewards of the earth: this means protecting all its inhabitants.
Antibiotics, HIV drugs, insulin and cancer treatments rely on animal tests. Other testing methods aren't advanced enough
Trainee doctors can learn how to be better surgeons – cutting, stitching, transplanting – all on animals before they have to operate on people.
Sort the arguments into ‘for’ and ‘against’ animal experimentation.
Take one of more points and use them to write a PEEL argument. OR
3. Select the strongest and weakest arguments – can you think of a counter-argument?

9. Pros and cons of eating meat
Meat is a good source of protein.
If land used to grow meat were used to grow cattle, much more food could be produced.
Factory farming is cruel and causes animals to suffer.
Refusing to eat meat could put farmers out of business.
The Bible states ‘everything that lives and moves about will be food for you.’
‘Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God’
We have dominion over animals.
Killing animals is wrong: they have a right to live just as we do.
Buddhists believe in ahimsa: non-violence.
In the Bible Peter has a dream where he is told that no food is unclean.