Do Now!Look at your partner’s homework.

Using the green pen, peer assess their work

1 First relevant point (evidence/example) (P.E)2 First point explained & linked back to question (E.L)3 Second relevant point (evidence/example) (P.E)4 Second point explained & linked back to question (E.L)

5 Third relevant point (evidence/example) (P.E)

6 Third point explained & linked back to question (E.L)

7 Fourth relevant point (evidence/example) (P.E)

8 Fourth point explained & linked back to question (E.L)

Christians and Situation Ethics

L.O:• Explain what situation ethics means and why some Christians use it when making moral decisions• Explain the principle of agape

Starter:Who influences how we act?EXT: what would Christians say?

How do Christians make moral decisions?

Starter

How do Christians make moral decisions?

10 commandments

Church Guidance

Conscience

Prayer

Jesus

The Christian Community

Famous Christians

H/W: part b

• Do you think love is always the best thing in deciding how to act? (4 marks)

Why Christians might use their conscience to make moral decisions?

• Christianity teaches that all humans have a conscience which distinguishes between right and wrong.

• St Paul and St Thomas Aquinas taught that Christians should always follow their conscience.

• Some Christians believe that Christians should follow their conscience over the authority of the Church and Bible.

Conscience: an inner feeling of the rightness or wrongness of an action

Exam Question: part b

• Do you think that your conscience is the best guide for deciding what is right and wrong?

(4 marks)• Peer assess and improve– One reason– Developed– Second reason– Developed

Situation Ethics

“Sometimes you’ve just gotta put your principles to one side and do the right thing”.

What do you think this means?

Key word:Situation Ethics: ‘The idea that people should base

moral decisions on what is the most loving thing to do.’

Independent WorkRead pages 10-111) Summarise Joseph Fletcher’s approach to making moral

decisions.2) Choose one of the verses from the New Testament. Copy it

and explain what it means in your own words.3) Define agape love in your own words.4) What is the Christian ‘Golden Rule’ and how does it relate

to Situation Ethics?

Extension: Consider the question in the Activities box on p.11 (Activity 2). Did Jesus go against the law or did he teach it?

Situation Ethics

• Christian should only obey the rules in the bible if that teaching results in the most loving thing to do

“My commandment is this: love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12)

“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13)

Agape love: Christian love

Situation Ethics

Fletcher believed the primary motivation should be love for the individual, and recognition that the most loving way out of a situation should be the ultimate motive.

Task: Look at the moral situations on the following pages and answer the following questions for each one:

1) What do you think the Christian moral rule would be?2) What do you think Fletcher’s solution would be in this situation?

“In resolving any situation the primary motive must be love.”

3) What do you think is the best solution to this situation?

Situation Ethics

During WWII if a woman prisoner in Russia was found to be pregnant she would be released to return to her family. Should a woman prisoner of war decide to sleep with a Russian guard in order to become pregnant so that she can be released and return to her husband and family?

Situation Ethics

A German doctor is asked to carry out 3000 abortions on Jewish women because if they are found to be pregnant they would automatically be killed. Is he justified in killing the babies to save the women?

Situation Ethics

A female spy is asked to trade sexual favours with a foreign national in order to gain military intelligence about the manoeuvres of an invading army. Is she justified in doing so? 

Situation Ethics

A ship’s captain orders a number of male passengers to be thrown from an overloaded lifeboat to prevent it from sinking and killing everyone on board. Is he right to do so? 

Situation Ethics

A man in the US has a choice; take an expensive series of medication, financially crippling his family but prolonging his own life; or refuse the medication, thus cutting short his own life but saving his family from the financial burden of medical bills. What should he do?

Strengths and Weaknesses of only using Situation ethics

Strengths Weaknesses

1. Each situation can be justified 1. May cause a religious person to commit sin

2. It is based on a moral decision and can save lives

2. May not always be the best for the future

3. Lesser of two evils 3. Not easy to apply in everyday cases where there are rules

Reflection pyramidQuestion you have about the lesson

Things you have been

reminded of today

Things you have learnt

today