Dialogues

1. Humanists UK
   1. Secularism
      1. Human Rights
         1. Human Rights Act 1998
            1. Equalities Act 2010
            2. Clash between rights and characteristics and between rights/characteristics and religious belief
               1. Sarah Kuteh - praying for patients
               2. Ashers' Bakery - the 'gay' cake row
               3. Gary McFarlane - sex therapist and gay couples
               4. Joshua Sutcliffe - sacked by a Catholic School for denying the prophethood of Muhammad
            3. Autonomy
               1. Abortion
                  1. Pro-Life
                     1. '[God said,] “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”' Jeremiah 1:5 (NRSV)
                     2. Sanctity of Life
                        1. 'So God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.' Genesis 1:27 (NRSV)
                        2. 'Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a human shall that person’s blood be shed; for in His own image God made humankind.' Genesis 9:6 (NRSV)
                     3. The Catholic Church
                        1. Double effect

                           Annotations:

                           • The Principle of Double Effect in the Church's moral tradition teaches that one may perform a good action even if it is foreseen that a bad effect will arise only if four conditions are met: 1) The act itself must be good. 2) The only thing that one can intend is the good act, not the foreseen but unintended bad effect. 3) The good effect cannot arise from the bad effect; otherwise, one would do evil to achieve good. 4) The unintended but foreseen bad effect cannot be disproportionate to the good being performed. This principle has been applied to many cases in health care, always respecting the most fundamental moral principle of medical ethics, primum non nocere, "first, do no harm." The classic case of a difficult pregnancy to which this principle can be applied is the pregnant woman who has advanced uterine cancer. The removal of the cancerous uterus will result in the death of the baby but it would be permissible under the principle of double effect. One can see how the conditions would be satisfied in this case: 1) The act itself is good; it is the removal of a diseased organ. 2) All that one intends is the removal of the diseased organ. One does not want the death of the baby, either as a means or an end. Nonetheless, one sees that the unborn child will die as a result of the removal of the diseased organ. 3) The good action, the healing of the woman, arises from the removal of the diseased uterus, not from the regrettable death of the baby which is foreseen and unintended. 4) The unintended and indirect death of the child is not disproportionate to the good which is done, which is saving the mother's life.
                        2. Moral absolutism
                  2. Pro-choice
                     1. 'An adult person of sound mind is entitled to decide which, if any, of the available forms of treatment to undergo' UK Supreme Court
                     2. 'you feel the glaring light of equality and human rights illuminating the women of Northern Ireland ... this is their moment and they will have my full support.' Heidi Allen MP, House of Commons debate on Northern Ireland abortion rights
                     3. ECUSA (limited)
                     4. Church of England (limited)
                     5. United Church of Christ
               2. Euthanasia
                  1. Active euthanasia
                  2. Passive euthanasia
                  3. Quality of life
                  4. Involuntary euthanasia
                  5. Voluntary euthanasia
                  6. Hospice
                  7. Tony Nicklinson
                  8. Diane Pretty
            4. Article 12 of the Human Rights Act - the right to get married and start a family
               1. Tension with demand for fertility treatment
                  1. IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation)
                  2. AID (Artificial Insemination by Donor)
                  3. IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation)
                  4. Reproductive cloning
                  5. Therapeutic cloning
      2. Moral relativism

1. Monarch head of the Church of England
2. 27 Church of England bishops in the House of Lords
3. School terms and public holidays structured around Christmas and Easter
4. National events marked by Christian celebrations
5. Existence of state funded faith schools and how Christianity influences all schools
6. Exclusivism
   1. 'There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church' “extra ecclesiam nulla salus,”
   2. 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me' John 14:6
   3. inclusivism
      1. Anonymous Christians
         1. Karl Rahner
      2. Nostra aetate
      3. '[Jesus said,] "In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?"' John 14:2
      4. 'I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.' John 10:16
   4. Karl Barth
   5. The Great Commission - Matthew 28:18-20

      Annotations:

      • And Jesus came and said to them [the disciples], “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”[d]
      1. Proselytism

         Annotations:

         • https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/research/2015/10/20/the-problem-of-proselytism
         1. Human Rights Act - Article 9 protects your right to freedom of thought, belief and religion
   6. The Nicene Creed

Annotations:

• “Christian Universalism” is the position that all of mankind will ultimately be saved through Jesus whether or not faith is professed in Him in this life. It claims that God’s qualities of love, sovereignty, justice, etc., require that all people be saved and that eternal punishment is a false doctrine. Salvation is not from hell, but from sin.

1. John Hick
2. Unitarian Universalism
3. '[The voice of God said,] “See, I am making all things new.”' Revelation 21:5
4. 'Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."' John 10:10

1. '[God said,] "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. " Jeremiah 29:7
2. Cohesion