Booklet of RS exam questions with answers PDF

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Booklet of RS exam questions with answers.
Have a go at some of the questions and compare your response to the example answers given....

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Explain two religious views on prison as a form of punishment (5 marks) Christians believe that prisons are an effective form of punishment as they allow them to reform. In the Bible it says “submit to the governing authority” which tells us that we should listen and follow the laws of the country you are in. And if you were to break one of the rules, you should be punished as a consequence to learn your lesson. Sikhs also believe that prisons should be given as punishment when someone has committed a crime. This is because in the Guru Granth Sahib, it says “gurmukh finds perfection” so in order to be gurmukh and move up the khands, we should avoid the vices and follow the virtues. So, this means that we should get the fairest punishment due to our actions because of the virtue of justice. Explain two contrasting views on euthanasia (4 marks) Christians believe that euthanasia should be strictly forbidden as it is willingly taking away the life that God gave to us. In the Bible it says “thou shall not kill” which is one of the ten commandments that God gave us as direct orders to follow in order to achieve salvation and go to Heaven. Christians consider euthanasia killing someone as it is removing a life which God did not allow. However, some Christians believe that it will be better for the patient to have euthanasia as it eases their pain and suffering. In the Bible it says “lesser of two evils” which means that it is less evil to let someone relieve their pain rather than letting them suffer with no cure to their illness/disease. Explain two similar views on nuclear deterrence (4 mark) Sikhs believe that nuclear deterrence is a good way to avoid war and conflict at all costs. In the Guru Granth Sahib it says, “When all efforts to restore peace prove useless, it is right to draw the sword”. This means that if we use nuclear weapons as a way to intimidate others so they do not attack us, then this is good as it is protecting us. However, if this still does not help stop the chances of war or violence, then it is right to ‘draw the sword’ to protect others and fight for justice (virtue). Christians also believe that nuclear deterrence is a good way to help minimise the chances of war. In the Bible it says, “an eye for an eye”. This means that if another country has nuclear weapons, then you should also have weapons to prevent them from attacking you or seeing you as a weak country.

'The design argument is good proof that God exists' (12 marks) In my opinion, I agree with the statement as the complexity and intricate details implemented into the universe can only be done by such an omnipotent and omniscient point of view which leads us to the conclusion that God made everything and therefore exists. Christians would agree with me and support the design argument as it shows that God made the universe and proves that He exists. Evidence for this in the Bible which says, “nothing is impossible for God”. This highlights to Christians that God can do anything as he is all powerful and has the ability to do anything He wants to do with his creations. This is paramount for Christians as by believing that God exists, you will act in a way that will get you to Heaven which is by reaching salvation. This is a strong argument because there is empirical evidence from ‘God-breathed’ words which tells us how God designed the world in Genesis. Therefore, Christians believe in the design argument as shows a logical reason that God exists as he has made all this with his power, However, the design argument can also help to prove that God does not exist as there are many flaws in the universe and humans. Evidence for this is in humans which is that we have an appendix which is completely useless and if God is so omnipotent and omniscient, he should know that we do not need the appendix so it should not have been there in the first place. Atheists would use this as an argument to prove that God does not exist as he is not powerful and all-knowing to have created all of this perfectly; therefore, God does not exist. Furthermore, there are natural disasters, crime and death and other problems in the world that humans experience, so if God is omnibenevolent, He should not have put all these things in the world. This is very unlike God; therefore, God does not exist. Consequently, the flaws in the world prove to atheists that God does not exist as he is not powerful enough to fix all these problems. Sikhs also provide valid support to me as they would suggest that Waheguru created the world with his Hukam which means ‘own will’. In the mool mantra it says “he is the creator” which shows that God created everything in the universe. It also says, “God is a part of the element of creation”, which shows us that Waheguru designed us in order to be a part of us. This is providing us with proof that God exists and will acknowledge his power. This will make us want to move up the 5 khands and be more gurmukh and achieve mukti as God can see everyone as he is within everyone. This Is a strong argument as Sikhs use the Guru Granth Sahib as a guidance to their life and as a living ‘guru’ so they believe everything the holy scripture says to them due to the leap of faith. Therefore, Sikhs believe in the design argument as it follows through with the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib. Overall, the design argument is so intricate and complex in the world that the designer needs to be omniscient, which is God. The design argument is that the world is so cleverly designed and perfectly made with all its functions in use that the designer has to

be specialised and out of this world in order to design it properly. These features of omnipotence and omniscience lead to the belief that God is this designer. Therefore, God must exist.

Explain two contrasting religious view on war (4 marks) Christians believe that war should be avoided at all costs and peaceful methods should only be used to resolve issues. This is because Jesus was a pacifist and said, ‘love thy neighbour’. This tells Christians that we should be Christ-like and not participate in activities such as war which causes violence and harm towards God’s creation and the world. Contrary, Sikhs would say that if peace does not work, then war should only be done as a last resort and if it is needed to be done to bring justice for everyone. This is evident in the quote "when all effort to restore peace prove useless, it is right to draw the sword" which tells Sikhs that justice should always be brought first in peaceful manners, and if it does not work and there are no other solutions except war, then it is right to ‘draw the sword’.

Explain two religious views on protest (5 marks) Sikhs believe that protests, when they are done peacefully, are justifiable and beneficial for the world as it restores harmony between all and their differences. This is evident in the quote “No one is my enemy; with all I am at peace”. This shows Sikhs that by being peaceful and tranquil, it will allow you to achieve justice in a more Gurmukh way. On the other hand, Christians believe that protests should be done if there is cruel actions and brutality to someone, which requires justice to be brought back. This is supported by the quote in the Bible “An eye for an eye” which tells Christians that if evil is coming towards our way, then we should do everything in our power to not allow such harmful ideologies to occur in society or anywhere in the world. 4 markers: Explain two contrasting religious views about people who commit theft (4 marks) Sikhs believe that it is wrong to steal as it is being manmukh as you have adopted the vice of greed. In the Guru Granth Sahib it says “the selfish manmukh shall repent hereafter” which shows Sikhs that if they are greedy and steal, they will be stuck in the cycle of birth and death and not reach mukti.

However, Christians believe that it may be ‘the lesser of two evils’ to allow someone to steal. This is because if they are poor, the only way they can survive is to steal food. This is seen in the Bible where it says, “the lesser of two evils” and “blessed are the merciful”.

‘It is only possible to justify war for self defence’ (12 marks) I believe that war should only be justified if it is for self defence as it is providing effort to restore peace and harmony between all in society and protect the vulnerable. Sikhs would also rightly assert that war should only be done if it is for defending others. This is evident in the Sikh history, which is very vital to them, when Guru Gobind Singh formed the Khalsa Sikhs which would go to war in order to fight for justice. In order to be able to tell who Khalsa Sikhs were, they changed their names to Singh (Lion) for males or Kaur (Princess) for females. The same surnames showed equality between everyone, which is the main aim to fulfil in Sikhism. In the Guru Granth Sahib, it says “God’s spark is in her” which tells us that we should protect each and every one of us and not harm others. This is paramount for Sikhs because by showing and maintaining equality between all will help them move up the Khands as they are showing effort to Waheguru that they care about everyone and the guru’s teachings. This reasonable argument remains undefeated because by not fighting for justice and for equality shows Waheguru that you are being selfish and therefore “the selfish manmukh shall repent hereafter” meaning it will be impossible to achieve mukti. Contrary, Christians believe that any reason for going to war cannot and should not be justified as it is not Christ-like. In the Bible, Jesus is portrayed to be a strong-willed pacifist, which means that they strongly object to any sort of violence, including war. Jesus also said, ‘blessed are the merciful’, which means that by being merciful to others and not participating in cruel and brutal actions which result in the death of many, including if you are fighting for your religion. This is paramount to Christians as by showing God that they are being Christ-like, they will be able to receive God’s grace and reach salvation, allowing them to go to Heaven in the after life. However, this argument is very weak and can be defeated by the fact that Christians also believe in the quote in the Bible “the lesser of two evils”. This means that it is less evil to fight to protect the vulnerable and to protect their religion, than to just sit there and allow all atrocities to occur before their very eyes. In addition to my prime point, Muslims would rightfully agree with this statement as we should only fight in war if we are defending our religion. This is seen in the Qur’an where the idea of the lesser jihad meaning the struggle to defend Islam is conveyed rightfully. This means that Muslims should do everything in their power to defend and protect their

religion if it ever comes to the situation where they are attacked. However, this idea should not be manipulated as war cannot be done for any other reason than to self defence in their religion. This is paramount for Muslims as war should be avoided at all costs as it minimises the risk of innocent lives being lost and the world being destroyed. This reasonable argument remains undefeated because Muslims see it as a sin to kill other lives in war, as it is considered as murder, so for that reason, it should only be done at crucial circumstances when our religion is at risk. In conclusion, it is clear to see that many religions believe that it is justifiable to go to war in order to protect your religion. However, if it is for other reasons such as greed or tension between leaders, then that should be resolved peacefully and without causing destruction to humanity.

Explain two similar religious views about the treatment of criminals in prison (4 marks) Sikhs believe that treatment of criminals in prisons should be just and fair and according to what wrong they have done. In the Guru Granth Sahib, it says “God’s spark is in her”, this means that they should not be too harsh or harm the criminal as they are still part of God’s creation. Similarly, Christians believe that criminals should be treated rightfully for what they have done. In the Bible, it says “an eye for an eye”. This means that Christians should give the criminal the punishment they deserve suited to the criminal act they have committed so that the criminal can learn from the lesson and reform. 5 markers: Explain two religious views on the cause of evil intention. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer. [5 marks] Sikhs believe that evil intention is caused by the vices and not following the virtues. In the Guru Granth Sahib, it says “the gurmukh finds perfection” and “the selfish manmukh shall repent hereafter”. This means that in order to avoid the evil intentions and be gurmukh, they should stay clear of the vices and put the virtues into action so that they can move up the 5 khands. Christians believe that evil intention is caused by the Fall when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s orders. God then punished all humans with the original sin and we now have free will to make the right choices in order to get salvation. In the Bible, the parable of the sheep and the goat shows that those that follow God’s teachings and put them into action (“faith without action is dead” from the Bible), then they will go to Heaven. If they do not, then they will sin and not be Christ-like and would not reach salvation.

12 markers: It is never right to cause suffering’ (12 marks) I agree with the statement as it is wrong to cause suffering to others when we would not like others to hurt us or be rude to us. Sikhs will agree with me as they would not want to harm God’s creation and make God angry with them. In the Guru Granth Sahib, it says “God’s spark is in her” which shows Sikhs that they should not cause suffering or harm to humans as they are a special creation containing a part of God. Sikhs will follow this teaching so that they can be gurmukh as in the Bible it says “the gurmukh finds perfection” and my putting the Khand of effort into action and not causing suffering to others, you will move up the khands and be closer to achieving mukti. Therefore, Sikhs believe it is wrong to cause suffering to others when God has given us the free will to make our own decisions and this will then be reflected in our karma that we receive. This is a strong argument because Sikhs main aim in life is to achieve mukti and to not be tempted by the evil vices which will make them manmukh and not achieve mukti. However, some Christians would say that it is right to cause suffering under some circumstances. In the Bible, it says “an eye for an eye” which means that in the context of if someone committed a crime such as murder, then the criminal should go to prison to receive the mandatory consequences for the actions they have done. Christians would be in support of prisons and the idea of going to reform and reflecting on their actions as they would be allowed another chance to go back on the right path and stop committing sins and going against God’s words. This also supports the principle of utility by doing the most loving thing for the most amount of people as by sending the person to prison, it will keep society safer from danger. Therefore, Christians believe that it is right to cause suffering under some situations so they can deter others from doing evil actions. This is a weak argument as Christians would want to be Christ- like, and as Jesus was a pacifist he would not have wanted to use violent or harsh means of punishment so Christians would most likely also be pacifists so they can achieve salvation. On the other hand, Christians also rightly assert that it is not right to cause suffering as it is not the right or just thing to do. In the Bible, it says “blessed are the merciful” which

means that they should help one another out when in times of need and difficulty rather than turning their back against God and humanity and causing others to suffer. Also, in the ten commandments it says, ‘love thy neighbour’ so we should listen to these teachings and put them into practice as in the Bible it says, “faith without action is dead” and through this we will reach salvation and be closer to God. Therefore, Christians would not want to cause suffering to others as it is the wrong and sinful thing to do when you can show love and gratitude to others by helping them rather than inflicting pain on other difficulties. This is a strong argument because Christian’s main aim in life is to serve God and carry out his teachings so they can spread the word on Earth and make more people be good so they can reach salvation in the after life rather than suffer. Overall, it is never right to cause suffering as it is harming God's creation which God has made special and unique. However, in some cases it may be justified if you are protecting others and doing the most loving thing for them as well to help the person reform and become cleansed from evil intentions. Explain two contrasting ways Christians use sacraments (4 marks) One way which christians use sacraments is by baptism. This is when holy water is used to symbolically wash away sin and welcome someone to the faith. Another contrasting way is by Holy communion. This is when christians thank Jesus for sacrificing himself so that we can get salvation. Explain two contrasting ways Christian celebrate festivals (4 marks) One-way christians celebrate festivals is by having advent calendars counting days until Christmas. Every Sunday, Christians light a candle (symbolising light and holiness) for 4 weeks leading to the day of Jesus’s birth. Another way is celebrating Epiphany on January the 6th. Some christians celebrate this day for God being incarnated and saving humanity. Explain two ways in which Christian Street pastors carry out their Christian duty. (5 marks) One way which Christian Street pastors carry out their duty is by giving water and food to people in need of it. In the Bible, it says “faith without action is dead”. This teaches christians that they should put in the effort to look after one another and be self less. Another way is by giving flip flops to drunk people or staying with them until they are safely collected home. In the Bible, it says “love thy neighbour”, so christians will show love and care by looking out for the people around us and helping one another in any way possible. Explain two ways in which Christians pray. (5 marks) One way in which christians pray is by public worship. In the Bible, Jesus said “For where 2 or 3 gather in my name, there am I with them”. This shows that christians can pray out in public with other people as Jesus will always be there.

Another way is through private worship. In the Bible, Jesus said “Go to your room, close the door, and pray to your father”. This shows that God is omniscient as we can pray anywhere, even behind closed doors, and God will still hear our prayers. Explain two ways that belief in the trinity influences Christians (4 marks) One way that the trinity influences christians is that it will make them act more Christlike. This is because Christians believe that God is father, son, and Holy spirit so with this omnipotence, God is everywhere and can see all our actions, so we should not sin in order to get salvation. Another way is that christians will believe in God. This is because the trinity was seen at Jesus’s baptism as a dove, which proves to Christians that God exists. Explain two ways Jesus resurrection influences Christians (4 marks) One way in which Jesus' resurrection influences christians it that they will act Christ-like. This is because in the Bible, it says “God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son”. This means that christians will use Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection to learn from his teachings and that God will always be there for us. Another way is that we will believe in God. This is because in the Bible it says “nothing is impossible for God” thus why He was able to resurrect Jesus back to life to teach people how to be on God’s path. Explain two characters of God. (5 marks) One character of God is the father. In Genesis, it says “In the beginning he cre...