The Big Picture

Understanding Life and Death

Life After Death: Multiple faiths and philosophies perceive life after death differently. Christianity sees heaven and hell as definitive afterlife destinations; Buddhism values reincarnation; Atheism generally rejects any form of afterlife.
Immortality of the Soul: The concept, largely religious, that proposes a component of the human being survives death and continues to exist.
Ghosts or Spirits: Non-physical entities believed by some to be the consciousness or spirits of dead individuals.

Views on God and the Universe

Theist Beliefs: The belief in the existence of a deity or multiple deities. Monotheistic religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism refer to a single, omnipotent God.
Atheist Beliefs: Atheism rejects the belief in any deity, viewing beliefs in God or gods as unsupported by evidence.
Agnostic Beliefs: Agnosticism is the view that it’s unknown or unknowable whether any deities exist.

Respect for Life

Sanctity of Life: A principle stating that life is holy and sacred, often referenced in discussions of moral and ethical issues such as euthanasia and abortion.
Quality of Life: Assesses the general wellbeing or happiness of an individual or society. Directly impacts debates such as euthanasia, where individuals might perceive a low quality of life as worse than death.
Abortion: The termination of a pregnancy. Different faiths, cultures, and individuals hold vastly contrasting views on the morality and ethics of abortion.

Non-Religious and Scientific Views

Evolution: The process by which different species develop over time due to changes in inheritable physical or behavioural traits. Offers a non-religious explanation of the origins of life.
Big Bang Theory: The scientific explanation for the origin of the universe, suggesting it began from a small singularity approximately 13.8 billion years ago.

Religious Perspectives

Creationism: The religious belief that the universe and life were created by a divine being. Contrasts with scientific explanations like evolution and the Big Bang Theory.
Stewardship: The belief that humans are responsible for looking after the world. Prominant in Christianity and other faiths.
Reincarnation: The religious or philosophical concept that an individual’s soul is reborn into a new body after physical death. Key belief in religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

Ethical Considerations

Euthanasia: Also known as assisted dying. This is the practise of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. The ethics and legality of euthanasia differ greatly around the world.
Capital Punishment: Also known as the death penalty. This legal punishment is enforced by the state for certain crimes. Like euthanasia, views on capital punishment can widely vary.