Good and bad, right and wrong: How do we decide? · Significant background ideas from the religions and worldviews: In Christian traditions, belief in God as the source of goodness

Sandwell SACRE / RE Today © 2019

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Unit 3.12

Year 8 or 9

Good and bad,

right and wrong:

How do we

decide?

Buddhists, Muslims,

Sikhs, Christians,

Atheists

13-14 Year Olds

Sandwell SACRE,

2019


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What is good and right? What is wrong and evil? Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Atheists Age Group: 13-14

About this unit: This non-statutory unit is offered to teachers as an exemplar for guidance in planning and delivering RE for 13-14s using the Agreed Syllabus. The unit explores questions such as ‘how do we know what is good and evil or right and wrong?’ and ‘Does religion do any good?’ ‘How do Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Atheists and Christians decide what is right and wrong?

The unit is about the theme of goodness and evil, and examines issues about right and wrong, religious and other kinds of authority and the values and commitments by which each person chooses to live. It can be taught alongside PSHE / Citizenship or enrichment and general studies programmes with mutual concerns – though it is important for RE objectives to be carefully planned and realised if this is attempted. The investigation sets challenging standards for students: the higher order thinking the unit requires would not be out of place for gifted and talented students. Some elements of this enquiry could be fully integrated with GCSE RS (which many schools teach from Year 9).

As well as being a legal requirement, it is important that schools plan quality in RE for all pupils. This unit is a model for such planning.

The unit will provide these opportunities.

• Students have opportunities to consider a diverse range of views about questions of evil and goodness, right and wrong.

• From the study of sources of wisdom and authority within religions students will be able to examine and develop reasoned viewpoints and thoughtful evaluations of these questions. They will encounter some diverse views about goodness and evil.

• In this example, viewpoints from Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhi, Islam and non-religious life will be considered. Any school may plan to address the questions of the unit with reference to another religious tradition, or to refer to just three of the perspectives we mention here, taking account of the overall need for a balanced curriculum in RE KS3.

• Students will be able to think about their own views, the influences upon them, and the reasons why they hold them in relation to questions about good and evil.

• Experiences and opportunities provided by this unit include engaging with a range of views about human well being, goodness and evil, discussion, debate and controversy, and the opportunity to reflect in depth on the links between motives, actions and consequences.

Significant background ideas from the religions and worldviews:

❑ In Christian traditions, belief in God as the source of goodness is a key to understanding the role of scripture, law and guidance. Christianity’s Jewish roots mark the significance of the Ten Commandments and the relationship between God and the people of God which they imply, but the main sources of Christian ethics come from the teaching of Jesus in the New Testament Gospels. Students need to get to grips with this in an authentic way. Sacred text, story and theological ideas contribute to Christian understanding of what it means to be human in relation to good and evil. Jesus’ use of the ‘Golden Rule’ and his teaching and example about love should be studied here. Matthew 5-7 and I Corinthians 13 are good Biblical starting points. Jesus is seen in the gospels as the ‘strong one’ and


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one account of his purpose in life is to confront evil / the devil, and win a victory of love over evil and hatred.

❑ Islamic understanding of goodness and evil is tied to the understanding of Allah as the source of all goodness drawn from the Qur’an. The Sunnah (sayings and practice approved by the Prophet) contributes exemplars and illustrations of goodness and evil in action. The Islamic vision of life for the well being of all emphasizes the Ummah (the global community of Muslims), the importance of submission to Allah and the role of Shariah law (Islam affects social and political life and describes what is good for human communities through Shariah). Some of the Names of Allah (e.g. The Judge, the Guide, He who Sees, The Reckoner, He who Pardons) are connected to the moral life. Islamic ritual always encourages the believer to do right, and to seek forgiveness for wrong (e.g. ‘stoning the devil’ on Hajj, Salah and Du’a prayers for mercy and forgiveness).

❑ Sikh teaching: God does not inflict suffering on human beings directly. Suffering is allowed by God as a test of courage and faith. God gave humans free will. Therefore, evil cannot be removed from the world by God, as otherwise God would not be allowing humans true free will. Sikhs are encouraged to work to do good and relieve the consequences of evil. Those who do evil will be punished: “...in the Court of God everyone will be judged. Those who have betrayed the trust of the people will be shamed and punished.” (Guru Granth Sahib page 1288). Suffering is valued for the good that it often brings out in humans, e.g. compassion and empathy. Sikhs believe that suffering can draw a person closer to God as people tend to forget God when times are good and turn to God in bad times.

❑ Sikhs, Muslims and Christians may agree that the ultimate source of goodness is divine, and that humanity’s flawed attempts to seek what is good need the strength that comes from the practice of faith to flourish. This is the basis of their critique of non-religious morality.

❑ Buddhist ideas: as a non-theistic tradition, Buddhism is very much concerned with the reduction and ending of suffering: the Buddha prioritises this over any philosophical argument or doctrinal idea. The end of suffering – to which we are all subject – is approached through understanding and accepting the Four Nobel Truths and through the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path. Buddhists practice Five Precepts (voluntarily adopted – not laws) to bring them closer to goodness. Rather than talking of rules, Buddhists often speak of ‘skilful means’ to approach enlightenment.

❑ Among non-religious people questions of good and evil may be answered with reference to reason, experience or the principle of utility (‘the greatest happiness for the greatest number’). Atheists and agnostics may see God-talk as an unnecessary confusion of the debate about ethics. Some non-religious critiques of faith suggest that religion itself is evil, or promotes evils such as over-confident assertion of truth, bigotry and intolerance. The debate continues – and it is good for RE to engage it. Humanists use the slogan ‘good without God’ to describe their ethical commitments to truthfulness, rationality, skepticism, integrity and altruism. It is important that RE teaching should never give the impression that religions have some kind of monopoly on ethics. Atheism or agnosticism may offer purely human accounts of how we decide what is good and what is evil. At the same time, there are powerful non-religious critiques of religion which also have their place in the enquiry.

Estimated teaching time for this unit: 10 -12 hours. Teach less, in depth, if you have less time – it’s not recommended to skate o ver the surface, but to engage with two workdviews in depth.

Where this unit fits in: This unit develops the role of philosophical thinking in RE by attending to ethics. It provides opportunities to build upon work from earlier in key stage three by looking more deeply at the meanings of terms and the influences of religion and other ideas. The unit intends to give students the chance to develop their own sense of morality and their own awareness of the impact of their choices about right and wrong.


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KEY THEMES ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT ▪ Beliefs and concepts: what do Muslims, Christians and non-religious people believe about good and

evil? What can be learned from differing concepts of right and wrong? ▪ Inter faith dialogue: what can Muslims, Christians and non-religious people learn from sharing their

ideas and visions? What similarities and differences can be explored? Can we learn about good and evil from Muslims, Christians and non-religious people?

ATTITUDES FOCUS: Students will explore attitudes of: ▪ Self awareness by becoming more sensitive to the impact of behaviour and ideas about good and

evil on themselves and others; ▪ Open mindedness by distinguishing between opinions, viewpoints and beliefs with reference to

right and wrong, good and evil.

KEY STRANDS ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT

• Beliefs, Values and Teaching

• Questions of Identity, Diversity and Belonging

• Questions of Values and Commitments

CONCEPTS: The core concepts from RE that this unit addresses are beliefs, values, commitments and diversity. Teachers should plan to enable learners to see the significance of these core ideas at every point.


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Prior learning Vocabulary Resources It is helpful if students have:

• Studied some examples of religious moral teaching in Y8’s theme of sacred texts and revered literature.

• Awareness of the language of good and evil, and the fact that these words can carry various meanings.

• Text-step skills from the National Literacy Strategy in working with different genres or text.

In this unit, students will have an opportunity to use words and phrases related to:

• Specific religions: Christianity: Jewish roots, Ten Commandments, Golden Rule, gospels, Sermon on the Mount

• Specific religions: Islam: Allah, Qur’an, Sunnah, Ummah, Shariah, Hajj, Salah, Du’a,

• Religious studies: religion, humanism, atheist, agnostic, ethics, morality.

• The language of shared human experience: good, evil, right, wrong, motives, actions, consequences.

Key Religious Texts: (Online searchable sacred texts: www.ishwar.com) ▪ Qur’an, 6: 151-154 ▪ Bible: Exodus 20, Matthew 5-7, I Corinthians 13 ▪ Other examples from other faith traditions. Games: ▪ ‘The Values Game’ (in ‘Looking inwards, Looking outwards’ teachers’ pack,

J. Mackley, RE Today 1997) ▪ 'The Worst Thing in the World' (in ‘Evil and Goodness, Developing

Secondary RE’ RE Today 2001) ▪ ‘Dilemmas and Decisions: 48 scenarios for moral thinking’, RE Today Web: ▪ www.humanism.org.uk makes some atheist and agnostic materials

available easily, and has a shop. ▪ www.muslimdirectory.co.uk Directory of UK Muslim organisations ▪ www.islamic-foundation.com The Islamic Foundation. ▪ www.muslim-ed-trust.org.uk The Muslim Educational Trust ▪ The Philosophers’ Magazine www.philosophers.co.uk ▪ Dialogue (a journal of religion and philosophy for post 16 students).

www.dialogue.org.uk ▪ ‘Think’ (subscription journal from Royal Institute of Philosophy) -

www.royalinstitutephilosophy.org ▪ Ethics Updates http://ethics.acusd.edu/index.html ▪ Ethics for Schools www.ethicsforschools.org Books: ▪ Religion in Focus: Christianity in today’s world: activity ‘The Moral Ocean’

Published by Hodder Murray ▪ Religion in Focus Series, Islam in today’s World [Hodder Murray] ▪ ‘Codes for Living’ Developing secondary RE, ed. Rosemary Rivett, RE

Today ▪ Developing secondary RE: Relationships (p24-25) RE Today publications.

Activity exploring dilemmas and decisions in the workplace ▪ Active resources for Christianity Phil Grice. Pub Heinemann ▪ 101 Great Ideas for Spiritual and Moral Development (RE Today

publications) ▪ Movement and Change: Dimensions in Religion; Wood, Logan and Rose

Chapter 4. ▪ Resources from the Muslim Educational Trust Visual media ▪ Why Atheism? Package of materials & DVD from Team Video ▪ Tackling Tough Questions by Russell Stannard DVD and book from RE

Today, £35 (2008) Is belief in God reconcilable with this world of suffering? ▪ BBC Curriculum Bites RE: Series 1 (2003) : A short history of good and evil;

The Moral Minefield ▪ BBC Curriculum Bites RE: Series 2 (2005): What would Jesus do? Caught in

the Middle.

http://www.ishwar.com/

http://www.humanism.org.uk/

http://www.muslimdirectory.co.uk/

http://www.islamic-foundation.com/

http://www.muslim-ed-trust.org.uk/

http://www.philosophers.co.uk/

http://www.dialogue.org.uk/

http://www.royalinstitutephilosophy.org/

http://ethics.acusd.edu/index.html

http://www.ethicsforschools.org/


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Contributions to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students

• Opportunities for spiritual development come from engaging with profound questions about goodness and evil in relation to human nature, reflecting on diverse moral ideas from different religious and secular sources and expressing their own views

• Opportunities for moral development come from asking and answering moral questions: what is good or right? How do we know? What is evil or wrong? How can we tell? Considering questions of community cohesion enables better understanding of moral complexity.

• Opportunities for social development come from taking increasing account of the need to balance different visions of good and evil.

• Opportunities for cultural development come from taking increasing account of the varied accounts of goodness and evil found in a plural society.

Expectations: the work described in this unit intends to enable most 14 year olds to achieve these outcomes. Make sense of belief:

• Explain the differences between absolute and relative morality and what difference they make for how people decide what is right and wrong

• Explain how and why people use and make sense of different sources of authority in deciding how to live

Understand the impact:

• Show how some religious and non-religious ideas, beliefs and teachings guide people in making moral decisions

• Give reasons and examples to explain why people come to different views on moral issues.

Make connections:

• Offer a coherent account of the impact of beliefs on how people decide what is right and wrong, comparing two views (e.g. one religious and one non-religious; or contrasting religious views, within or between faith traditions)

• Evaluate how far the beliefs and principles studied help students to make sense of the world, offering reasons and justifications for their responses.

Students do not need to achieve with reference to all the points above: teachers should look for the ‘best fit’ in describing students’ steps of achievement. Assessment for learning in RE is best when integrated into the activities of teaching and learning rather than set as separate assessment tasks.


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ASSESSMENT SUGGESTIONS Teachers can assess this work by setting a learning task towards the end of the unit. The task aims to elicit engaged and reflective responses to the material studied throughout the unit across the ability range.

Evidence of achievement with regard to these objectives can be gathered from tasks like these: Example Task A: Create a moral code Students refer closely to the sacred texts they have studied. They could make a ‘Room 101’ list – what are the things they hold to be evil? What would Guru Nanak, the Buddha, Jesus or the Prophet say about their lists? They suggest and justify ‘10 rules for our school’ or ‘5 principles for our town’ or ‘8 Precepts for a better Britain’ that they formulate themselves, or select from the codes they have studied. The intention of the activity is to select and justify moral rules or principles for today’s society for themselves. They write a paragraph to say what they learned from the viewpoints they studied. Success criteria: Remember to include your responses to these questions: ▪ What moral codes do Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians and non-religious people follow? ▪ How does following a moral code make a difference to life? ▪ What similarities and differences are there between the different moral codes you studied? ▪ Why is your moral code well suited to make life better for people in the UK in the 21st Century? ▪ What is your analysis of the reasons why moral codes vary from time to time and place to place? Example Task B: Evaluate the Consequences. Students take examples of moral codes from Humanist, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh or Muslim sources and explain what impact they would have if everyone in the class / school / town / country followed them. They could create images of heaven and hell, showing how their values would envisage the perfect and the opposite of the perfect and writing descriptive and analytical prose to explain their understanding. They can explain what would happen if everyone disobeyed or did the opposite as well. This provides opportunities to show understanding, account for similarities and differences and interpret insightfully. The students’ ability to explain the consequences of following moral guidance are a significant indicator of learning. Success criteria (these also relate to typical GCSE RS question approaches): Remember to include your responses to these questions: ▪ How do Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Muslims and non-religious people decide what is good and evil? ▪ What difference would it make if everyone followed the rules of a religion? Would it make a good

society? ▪ Why do people not always live up to the moral codes they claim to follow? ▪ Is there a challenge for you in living up to the ideals you believe in? ▪ How do you evaluate the impact of moral codes? How do the disciplines of philosophy, sociology or

psychology help with this evaluation?


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Good, bad; right, wrong: how do I decide? What do we know about good and evil? Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable students to achieve the outcomes.

Learning outcomes (applying this content to the RE end of key stage outcomes):

• Introduce key terms through questions, such as; what makes financial transactions immoral? Can there be ‘ethical fashion’? Is anything always wrong in all circumstances? If something is wrong to me but not to you, does it mean it isn’t really wrong? Can moral guides from the past be of relevance today? Etc.

• Getting started: Provide students with a list of statements and ask them to decide whether they think they are always wrong, sometimes wrong or never. The statements could include such statements as: Killing is always wrong; smoking / lying etc is always wrong; cheating is bad; do no harm to living creatures; love other people as you love yourself; forgiveness is vital; honesty is the best policy; charity begins at home. Encourage students to justify their answers. Make links between their responses and deeper questions e.g. if killing is wrong, what about the death penalty? Encourage students to consider whether there are such things as agreed moral beliefs that are accepted as ‘moral truths’.

• Key Concepts: Introduce students to key terminology used in ethical discussion: ethics; morality; absolute morality, relative morality; Teachers might use ethical stories from the press in the current week, from the soaps or from the movies and ask students to apply the ideas of happiness (utilitarianism), the well being of all (altruism), serving your own interests (egotism) and so on to the stories asking ‘what if...? questions.

• Compelling learning: case studies. Take some examples that have been in the news which raise questions about evil – there are always some. Cruelty, war and genocide are never far from headlines. Teachers might use stories from recent history as well – the case of Jamie Bulger, or of the Rwandan genocide, or the everyday sexism revealed by the #metoo movement.*

Teachers will enable students to achieve these outcomes, as appropriate to their age and stage, so that they can: Make sense of belief:




Make connections:



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What are the sources from which we can find out about good and evil? What can we learn from exploring ideas about right and wrong in different religions and views of the world?

Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable students to achieve the outcomes.

Learning outcomes (applying this content

to the RE end of key stage outcomes):

• Suggest that we all have to make lots of moral decisions pretty well every day. Allow students to reflect upon their own process of moral decision-making; think about three recent ethical dilemmas, then think about how students addressed them; by asking friends, teachers or parents, by following a role model or religious teaching, by thinking practically as well as morally, etc.

▪ Reflect upon questions about the meaning of ‘good’ ‘evil ‘ ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. ▪ What does it mean? Consider the meanings of the terms ‘good’ and ‘evil’: Ask students to write six

strips of paper each: good and evil people, good and evil actions, good and evil thoughts. The class can compare the ideas that emerge: are any people wholly good, or completely evil? Cases like Hitler, Ted Bundy and Osama Bin Laden are often cited as people who were evil, but does every person have some good within too? Could the action of hitting, hurting or even killing ever be good? Are some thoughts (jealousy, hatred of another person, racism, sexism) ever good? Which are worst – evil thoughts, words or actions? Why?

▪ How can we tell? Look at some codes of good and evil – the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, I Corinthians 13, the teachings of the Qur’an (e.g. Surah 6:151-154), the 5 Precepts in the Dialogues of the buddha (search at www.ishwar.com/buddhism). For believers’ such codes may have authority. But for all humans the experience of deciding what we think is good or evil is important. This is related to questions of values: what really matters? Students can sort and prioritise different values – e.g. by playing ‘The Values Game’ or ‘The Worst Thing in the World’ (games from RE Today) or in some other way. In games like these, learners engage is structured discussion and debate about the different ways people use words like ‘good’ evil’ right’ and ‘wrong’

▪ ‘Values Clarification’ is an important step in the process of moral development, and often it is prompted by dialogue. Our values are often unarticulated, so bringing them into the open, focusing on clashes of valuer and discussing what matters most is close to the heart of this unit of RE. (Teachers will find useful reading here: https://positivepsychology.com/values-clarification/)

▪ Information points: It’s important that the work enables students to see that the language of good and evil, right and wrong, is disputed and is complicated in some ways, but some things are agreed to be right and wrong by nearly everyone.





Make connections:


http://www.ishwar.com/buddhism

https://positivepsychology.com/values-clarification/


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How do Muslims understand good and evil? How do they try to build up goodness and fight evil?


Learning outcomes (applying this content

to the RE end of key stage outcomes):

• Islam: open up some Muslim teachings in the Qur’an e.g. righteousness comes from iman, assenting to the seven key beliefs (2:177); some things forbidden by Allah (7:33); fasting and zakat in the five pillars; ihsan (excellence, doing what is good; from the Hadith of Gabriel). Consider the importance of submission in Islam and how this affects moral decision-making. Consider why Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his Ismail made him the perfect Muslim. For Muslims, what is the necessity and benefit of submission to Allah?

▪ Encounter: if at all possible, it is good to enable learners to meet Muslims who are active in areas of social justice, compassion or aid and development. Set up an interview if you can. Parents or older Muslim students may be able to help.

▪ What does Islam teach? Students examine and discuss the Muslim teachings on values, what is to be held dear / worshipped and honoured in Islam? God is most great. Humanity takes its value from the Creator. Submission to Allah is the duty of all people. Modesty, faith, community, family are valued in Islamic teaching. Shariah law expresses ideals for society. The Pillars of faith are valuable in bringing strength and structure to life. Muslims work against poverty and injustice, e.g. through Zakah, Islamic Relief or Muslim Aid. Virtues include submission, generosity, faithfulness, learning and scholarship, community, forgiveness / mercy.

▪ What do Muslims do? Students think about the practices of stoning the devil on Hajj, of following the example of the Prophet, of learning the Holy Qur’an by heart, of giving Zakat to those in need, or of preserving family roles and values in a society where they are not always held dear. How do Muslims put their understanding of good and evil into action? What sort of society would we have if we all lived by the Islamic vision?

▪ Muslim charities: it may be valuable to use case studies from Islamic Relief, Muslim Aid or Muslim Hands to show hoe Muslim ethics are put into practice. Many mosques run foodbanks, for example, or offer hospitality to refugees and migrants.

• What is challenging here? Students identify and respond to the challenges of Islamic ethics. What would they find hard if they chose to live like this? What are the consequences if people follow the teaching and vision of the Prophet and the Holy Qur’an?


• Explain the differences between absolute morality based upon the will of Allah and the revelation of the Qur’an and relative morality.

• Explain how and why people use and make sense of different Islamic sources of authority in deciding how to live


• Show how some Muslim ideas, beliefs and teachings guide people in making moral decisions

Make connections:

• Offer a coherent account of the impact of beliefs on how Muslims decide what is right and wrong, comparing different views.

• Evaluate how far the Muslim beliefs and principles studied help students to make sense of the world, offering reasons and justifications for their responses.


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How do Christians understand good and evil? How do they try to build up goodness and fight evil? Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable students to achieve the outcomes.


• Christianity, good and evil: Explore how Christians decide what is right and wrong, through looking at teachings and codes for living in Christianity; how these are applied to everyday living and social issues; reflect on the practice of virtue as well as the application of laws.

• Christianity: Teachings of Jesus: Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7); Two Great Commandments (Matthew 22 v36-39);The Golden Rule (Matthew 7 v12); Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25 v31-46). Consider humanity from a Christian perspective of being at once ‘fallen’ and ‘in the image of God’. How do they affect Christian ideas about how to be good? Connect to the ideas of redemption and grace, through which Christianity teaches humans can be reconciled to God.

• What does Christianity teach? Students examine and discuss the teachings of Jesus about good and evil, for example about money, divorce, avoiding hypocrisy or forgiveness (Examples from Matthew 5-7). They develop their understanding of what is held dear in Christianity, including the worship of Jesus as God, the practice of forgiveness, the intention to live a life of love as a follower of Jesus. They consider how Christian values are expressed in scripture, story or music, and in ethics, campaigning, action for justice and global connections.

• What do Christians do? Students think about the practices of remembering Jesus in bread and wine, asking forgiveness of God, taking action for justice (e.g. through Christian Aid, CAFOD) and seeking to live by Jesus’ teaching and example. How do Christians put their understanding of good and evil into action? What sort of society would we have if we all lived by the Christian vision? What about ways in which Christianity fails to put its values into action? All religions include examples of these kinds of hypocritical moral failure – what can we learn from these? Is it true that we are all a mixture of good ideals and not-so-good actions?

• What is challenging here? Students identify and respond to the challenges of Christian ethics. What would they find hard if they chose to live like this? What are the consequences if people follow the Christian’s teaching and vision?


• Explain what difference Christian belief and teaching makes to how Christian people decide what is right and wrong

• Explain how and why Christian people use and make sense of different sources of authority such as the teaching of Jesus and St Paul in deciding how to live


• Show how some religious ideas, beliefs and teachings guide people in making moral decisions


Make connections:



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Good, bad; right, wrong: how do I decide? What can be learned from Sikh ethics and texts? Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable students to achieve the outcomes.


• Sikhi: Meditation on God’s name (nam japna); honest work (kirt karna); sharing (vand chakna); service to others (sewa) regardless of caste, class or creed; obeying God’s will. The power of spiritual practice to enable people to live well, and for others.

• Develop learning activities that enable pupils to understand, apply and reflect upon the 5 Sikh Virtues:

1. Sat is the virtue of truthful living, which means practising "righteousness, honesty, justice, impartiality and fair play." “The Lord's humble servants are True — they practice Truth, and reflect upon the Word of the Guru's Shabad. The True Lord God unites them with Himself, and they keep the True Lord enshrined in their hearts.” (Guru Granth Sahib, 600)

2. Santokh, or contentment, is freedom "from ambition, envy, greed and jealousy. Without contentment, it is impossible to acquire peace of mind."[1] Practice truth, contentment and kindness; this is the most excellent way of life. One who is so blessed by the Formless Lord God renounces selfishness, and becomes the dust of all. (Guru Granth Sahib, 51)

3. Daya: The exercise of Daya, or compassion, involves "considering another's difficulty or sorrow as one's own and helping to relieve it as far as possible. Compassion also includes the overlooking of imperfections and mistakes of others, for to err is human." “Be kind to all beings-this is more meritorious than bathing at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage and the giving of charity. (Guru Granth Sahib, 136)

4. Nimrata, translated as "humility", "benevolence" or "humbleness", is the fourth virtue. “The God-conscious being is steeped in humility.” (Guru Granth Sahib, 273)

5. Pyaar requires Sikhs to be filled with the love of God: “Let the Fear of God be your feet, and let His Love be your hands; let His Understanding be your eyes.” (Guru Granth Sahib, 139)

• Students consider the meaning, application and impact of these 5 virtues: how would their practice change our families, school, town or world?

• Reflect upon what students have learned about their own ways of thinking and deciding about moral issues.


• Explain how and why Sikh people use and make sense of the teaching of the Gurus in deciding how to live


• Show how some Sikh religious ideas, beliefs and teachings guide Sikh people in making moral decisions

Make connections:

• Offer a coherent account of the impact of beliefs on how Sikh people decide what is right and wrong



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Good, bad; right, wrong: how do I decide? What can be learned from Buddhist ethics and texts? Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable students to achieve the outcomes.


• Buddhism: The Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Moral Precepts. Find out what ‘good’ involves in Buddhist communal life. What approach to living do Buddhist principles demand? Buddhists might prefer the term ‘wise’ to ‘good’, and ‘unwise’ to ‘bad’ or ‘evil’. Discuss what difference it makes to strive for ‘wisdom’ rather than ‘goodness’. Learn that Buddhist practice is not defined as a rod to good ness or away from fixed ideas of evil. Instead, Buddhists seek to find ‘skillful means’ to move towards enlightenment. Truth is what matters on the path to goodness.

• The Five Precepts: Ask students to think over their own ideas: if they could suggest 5 precepts (not rules, but voluntary undertakings) to make the world a better place, what would their 5 be? They might write these individually then share them in groups of four. Can they agree which would work best?

• Introduce the 5 Precepts of Buddhism – here is one simple textual version, but there are others. This one emphasizes that the Precepts follow the example of the Buddha and all Buddhas.

• Note that these are expressed as things to refrain from, but they can be flipped into 5 positives – simply, respect all life, be honest with money and possessions, live with love in your sexual relations, tell the truth, be alert and mindful – or would the students put these some other way?

• Consider the ways different Buddhist temples / viharas put these into action through their generosity, charitable work and teaching.



• Explain how and why Buddhist people use and make sense of Buddhist sources of authority in deciding how to live


• Show how some Buddhist ideas, beliefs and teachings guide people in making moral decisions

Make connections:

• Offer a coherent account of the impact of Buddhist teaching on how people decide what is right and wrong


A simple version of the 5 Precepts, in the language of someone committing themselves to the Buddhist Path: 1. “As all Buddhas refrained from killing until the end of their

lives, so I too will refrain from killing until the end of my life. 2. As all Buddhas refrained from stealing until the end of their

lives, so I too will refrain from stealing until the end of my life.

3. As all Buddhas refrained from sexual misconduct until the end of their lives, so I too will refrain from sexual misconduct until the end of my life.

4. As all Buddhas refrained from false speech until the end of their lives, so I too will refrain from false speech until the end of my life.

5. As all Buddhas refrained from alcohol until the end of their lives, so I too will refrain from alcohol until the end of my life.”


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Good, bad; right, wrong: how do I decide? Non-religious worldviews, part 1



• Non-religious: Compare religious moral rules with non-religious moral principles. For example, enquire into non-religious ethicist Peter Singer’s charity ‘The Life you can Save’. Singer is not inspired by God to be good; debate how far God or religion encourages and inspires loving actions.

• Consider Humanist and other non-religious visions of goodness and evil. Consider a text such as the Humanist Manifesto, or the Humanist Ten Commandments (in the box). Obviously written in a slightly parodic style that references the ‘Ten Commandments’ of Exodus as archaic, the code is full of Humanist perspectives on ethics and morality.

• Understanding Humanism: the website can be an excellent source of RE materials for these lessons.

• Many Humanists eee their morality as a commonsense expansion of the ‘golden rule’ – to treat others as you wish to be treated. Discuss with students how far this makes sense of the text of the ‘Humanist Ten Commandments’.



• Explain how and why Humanists decide how to live


• Show how some non-religious ideas, beliefs and teachings guide people in making moral decisions

Make connections:

• Offer a coherent account of the impact of Humanist outlooks on how people decide what is right and wrong


HUMANIST TEN COMMANDMENTS 1) Thou shalt strive to promote the greater good of humanity before all selfish desires. 2) Thou shalt be curious, for asking questions is the only way to find answers. 3) Harm to your fellow human is harm to humanity. Therefore, thou shalt not kill, rape, rob, or otherwise victimize anyone. 4) Thou shall treat all humans as equals, regardless of race, gender, age, creed, identity, orientation, physical ability, or status. 5) Thou shalt use reason as your guide. Science, knowledge, observation, and rational analysis are the best ways to determine any course of action. 6) Thou shalt not force your beliefs onto others, nor insist that yours be the only and correct way to live happily. 7) If thou dost govern, thou shalt govern with reason, not with superstition. Religion should have no place in any government which represents all people and beliefs. 8) Thou shalt act for the betterment of your fellow humans, and be, whenever possible, altruistic in your deeds. 9) Thou shalt be good to the Earth and its bounties, for without it, humankind is lost. 10) Thou shalt impart thy knowledge and wisdom gained in your lifetime to the next generation, so that with each passing century, humanity will grow wiser and more humane.


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Non-religious worldviews, part 2. What do non-religious people think about evil and goodness? Is religion negative or evil? Why do some people argue that it would be a better world with no religion?


Learning outcomes (applying

this content to the RE end of key stage outcomes):

▪ Non-religious worldviews and ethics: in these lesson ideas, students will explore non-religious critiques of religious ethics.

▪ Perspectives: It’s important that students note that religion is one source for ethics, and there are others. Consider with them that a Humanist may be a good person, or do evil, as might a Muslim or a Christian.

▪ What are non-religious ethics like? Students look at some quotations and statements from humanists or other non-religious sources about deciding what is good and evil, right and wrong. They distinguish between the use of sacred texts and sources of authority in religion and the ways non-religious people make ethical choices and decisions, referring to reason, experience, consequences and motives. The Humanist critique of religious ethics includes the ideas that these codes for living falsely claim divine authority, may be repressive or oppressive of those who don’t belief the theology behind them, and lack flexibility to change when circumstances or human knowledge changes and develops. Which of these critiques do students find most powerful (Skill: evaluating arguments.

▪ Utilitarianism, altruism and egotism: consider the contributions ethical theory can make to our understanding of good and evil, right and wrong.

▪ Similar or different? Ask students to suggest what similarities and differences there would be between Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and non-religious people on issues like kindness, honesty, truthfulness, sex ethics, generosity, forgiveness, charity, or others suggested by the students.

▪ HumanistsUK offers very useful and challenging material about non-religious Humanist ethics through its website. Pupils might analyse the humanist ethics in relation to religious ethics.

▪ Some non-religious people think that religion is a cause of evil. List some examples of conflict, psychological damage, repression or other difficulties that the non-religious claim are caused by faith. Are these examples clear? Is it religion (in itself) that causes the harm of is it ‘bad religion’? (religion that has gone wrong somehow). Is religion inherently old fashioned – and does this conservatism lead to some religions being sexist or racist or homophobic, long after the mainstream of society has moved on from such prejudice?

▪ Some religious people respond to this argument by listing all the good that religion does. List the best examples of religion in action known to the pupils: sometimes religion or religious leaders or believers can practice self sacrifice, make peace, feed the hungry, tackle injustice, bring people together, support those in trouble or inspire acts of love. Is it the case that this is more likely for religious people? Religious people are (research shows) often happier than non-religious people: is that good? Why does it happen?

▪ Do pupils know more about religion as a force for good, or as a force for evil? One approach to this topic is that we are all biased: can pupils see or admit to their own pre-judgements about religion? Can they bring them into question?

• How can the argument be moved on? Ask pupils to envisage a debate between a leader from Christianity and Islam and a leader from atheisms. They could look online – there are many such debates. Stage the debate, and get pupils in groups to prepare one of their number for a speech on one side or the other. For a more profound challenge, get them to speak for the side they do not agree with.






Make connections:

• Offer a coherent account of the impact of beliefs on how people decide what is right and wrong, comparing different views


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What can the exploration of moral dilemmas and moral theory teach us about our own values?



This section of the work collects together the higher order thinking implied by this unit. Is moral autonomy valuable? ▪ Examine how five or more movies set up their heroes as people who choose and create ‘goodness’ for themselves. Does

this challenge traditional morality? Read the ‘Ring of Gyges’ (Ancient Greek philosophical parable – simple version here, parallels to Lord of the Rings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npc6wAu1ALU) and consider whether it is only the threat of shame, discovery or punishment, the social force of our communities, that makes us be moral. Is doing good just something that happens because we can’t get away with being bad?

▪ Consider what influences lead some people to altruism and love and others to egocentric or selfish ways of life. What kind of society do we have, and how is it shaped by the kind of ‘moral milieu’ of the 21st century?

Can a person choose to be a global citizen? What might this mean? ▪ Students consider the aspects of citizenship that are to do with identity, nationality and community and raise issues for

the whole of humanity about environment, poverty, equality or human rights. The work, conviction and commitment of relevant charities (eg Greenpeace, Christian Aid, Traidcraft or Amnesty International) could be studied. What might lead students to adopt a low-salary high-ethics way of life? Who is most likely to live altruistically? Why?

Why is hypocrisy such a prevalent phenomenon? ▪ This question provides the opportunity to consider issues about personal integrity and sincerity, and the moral or ethical

reactions to hypocrisy. Students might: - identify in film, religion, politics, literature or popular culture examples of hypocrisy: saying one thing, and doing the opposite. - discuss what makes these offensive, laughable or dangerous to many people. - consider the human propensity to hypocrisy: how does it happen that integrity, sincerity and consistency, almost universal aspirations, are also almost universally absent in human behaviour? - devise ways of responding to hypocrisy. - consider the teachings of religions about hypocrisy. - ask themselves about the value of sincerity or integrity in ethics and personal life and reflect on personal learning.

What ethics do I want to apply to human relationships: ▪ How can relationships between humans and between the human race and the natural world be understood? What

behaviour is good and evil in these relationships? How can engaging in dialogue enable me to become authentically human? Does the environment have rights?

• Gifted or talented students research Martin Buber’s philosophy of dialogue (‘I-It’ and ‘I-Thou’ relationships) and a variety of ethical theories such as egoism, altruism, utilitarianism, legalism, situation ethics and religious perspectives (e.g. Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism). Understanding can be explored and evaluated through role play involving the religious, ethical and philosophical positions studied (e.g an official enquiry into whether a dam should be built in a particular location) and by personal reflective expression.







Make connections:

• Offer a coherent account of the impact of beliefs on how people decide what is right and wrong, comparing two views.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npc6wAu1ALU


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Good, bad; right, wrong: how do I decide? What have we learned? Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable students to achieve the outcomes.

Learning outcomes (applying this content to

the RE end of key stage outcomes):

• Recap the work of the unit and ask students to identify questions or issues they have enjoyed, or found surprising or challenging.

• Similar or different? What similarities and differences between Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Humanist and Islamic values can be seen? Students identify shared values and those distinctive to each faith / worldview. In the light of their learning, they explore for themselves what different values and ideas about evil and goodness they hold (e.g. they play or replay the game ‘The worst thing in the world’). Students are challenged to explain the differences in human values they observe with reference to religious, social or political ideas.

• What have I learned about good and evil? Students tackle an assessment challenge that requires them to clarify and express their own views about good and evil (See the assessment tasks above, bearing in mind the wide range of abilities and achievements which may be reflected in this unit across the 13-14 age range).

• What difference can I make? Identify a key current issue of injustice or hardship. Consider the probable causes and possible consequences. Discuss how a faith organisation might take action. Think through any advantages and any difficulties which might be specific to a faith organisation. In pairs, write a letter to a newspaper editor outlining the issue, raising your concerns and suggesting a way forward. Exchange the letter with another group for proof reading and supportive critical comment. Finalise letters.

• How do religions and beliefs contribute to ethical understanding? Consider and evaluate the ways in which Humanists, Muslims and Christians would respond to and explain their attitudes to the ethical problems and theories addressed in this unit. Issues might include environmental ethics, sexual ethics, global ethics and interpersonal ethics. Using tools of social science and philosophy, account for the diversity of religious ethics.








Make connections:



© Copyright / Lat Blaylock, RE Today Professional Services 2019

Documents

Good and bad, right and wrong: How do we decide? · Significant background ideas from the religions and worldviews: In Christian traditions, belief in God as the source of goodness