The environment

Question 1

Instrumental value

Answer 1

Something has value because it satisfies human needs and wants

Question 2

Intrinsic value

Answer 2

Something has value in itself

Question 3

Define awe

Answer 3

A feeling of devout respect mixed with fear and wonder

Question 4

Define wonder

Answer 4

Marvelling at the complexity and beauty of the universe

Question 5

Define stewardship

Answer 5

Humans have a duty to care for and look after the environment which belongs to God

Question 6

Define dominion

Answer 6

Humans can use the environment to their own advantage

Question 7

Bible quotes in support of stewardship

Answer 7

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
“Serve the garden in which we have been placed”

Question 8

Bible quotes in support of dominion

Answer 8

“He brought them to the man to see what he would name them”
“Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground”

Question 9

Pro-environment arguments

Answer 9

• Arne Nass “everything has the right to bloom and grow”
• Holism, ecological idea referencing karma, that we are all interconnected and reliant on each other in the circle of life
• Rights. As cultures develop, rights expand from adult males, to women, children, minorities, animals, plants, to landscapes and eventually to the planet

Question 10

Similarities between animals and humans

Answer 10

• Both have the ability to make independent choices
• Both have survival instincts
• Similar levels of biological complexity
• Both can experience pain and suffering
• Some animals will have a sense of self-awareness e.g. dolphins

Question 11

Differences between humans and animals

Answer 11

• Animals cannot think or reason, they act solely on instinct.
• Animals do not have souls
• Animals have no sense of morality
• Humans can appreciate music, philosophy, art, culture
• Animals cannot communicate or use complex language

Question 12

Jeremy Bentham Quote - Can animals suffer?

Answer 12

The question is not, “Can they reason?” nor, “Can they talk?” but rather, “Can they suffer?”

Question 13

Peter Singer

Answer 13

• Non-human animals can definitely feel pain, so should be treated with moral consideration.
• They may have certain interests which should be taken into account
• To act only for human interests is speciesist

Question 14

Quotes - Christians should not eat animals

Answer 14

“The righteous care for the needs of their animals”
“Aren’t 5 sparrows sold for 2 pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God.”
“The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it”
“The one who eats everything (meat) must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them

Question 15

Quotes - Christians should eat animals

Answer 15

“Everything that lives and moves will be food for you”
“Let man have dominion over the fish of the sea, birds of the air, creatures that move on the ground”

Question 16

Because of animal testing…
(Arguments for animal testing)

Answer 16

• Antibiotics by 1945
• Heart lung machine for open heart surgery
• Kidney dialysis by 1975
• Drugs for asthma and high blood pressure
• Blood transfusion
• Anaesthetics

Question 17

Are animals used to test cosmetics?

Answer 17

• There’s a ban on using animals to test cosmetic products or their ingredients in the UK and all other countries which are members of the EU
• This includes things such as soap, shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste as well as make-up and perfumes
• In China and US, there’s no national law banning the use of animals in cosmetic testing

Question 18

Arguments for animal testing

Answer 18

• Animal testing contributes to life-saving cures and treatments
• Animal testing is crucial to ensure that vaccines are safe
• There is no adequate alternative to testing on a living, whole-body system
• Animals themselves benefit from the results of animal testing
• Animal researchers treat animals humanely, both for the animals’ sake and to ensure reliable test results
• Animal testing has been used to research diseases including Alzheimer’s, heart disease, HIV and Aids

Question 19

Sanctity of life

Answer 19

The belief that all life is holy as it is created and loved by God; human life should not be misused or abuse due to this

Question 20

Pro-vegetarianism

Answer 20

• Eating meat is unethical and cruel
• Humans evolved to eat a vegetarian diet
• Complete nutrition is available from a vegetarian diet

Question 21

Against vegetarianism

Answer 21

• Animals have little awareness or memory and therefore do not suffer excessively. They are slaughtered humanely and laws ensure this
• Vegetarians and vegans are often leaner and have lower cholesterol
• It can be harder to ensure sufficient vitamins, calcium and protein

Question 22

Arguments against animal testing

Answer 22

• Animal testing is cruel and inhumane
• Scientists are able to test vaccines on human volunteers
• Alternative testing methods now exist that can replace the need for animals
• Animals are very different from human beings and therefore make poor test subjects
• Drugs that pass animal tests are not necessarily safe
• There is increasing demand for cruelty-free products