Religious Studies Revision - Common Entrance part d

Part d questions are worth 6 marks, and require you to show knowledge and understanding of the text, as well as some kind of evaluation of relevant ethical problems. You will often need to relate your knowledge of the text to contemporary moral issues, and you should include sensible, mature examples to back yourself up - including referring to the Bible if possible.

You must write in paragraphs (the best answers will probably be at least five paragraphs long, and will include at least two examples and a contrast).

A good structure would be:
Paragraph One:    Brief introduction
Paragraph Two:    First example, explained and tied back to the question
Paragraph Three: Second example, explained and tied back to the question
Optional Paragraph Four: Linking sentence
Paragraph Five:    Some kind of contrast, showing that you can see another side to the issue. "On the other hand..."
Paragraph Six:    Conclusion, tying your arguments together

Whichever question you pick, please copy and paste it into the top of the writing box before you start your answer.

Old Testament

The Creation Accounts
* "Christians should try to make the earth more like the Garden of Eden." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "The creation story about God making the world in six days has great relevance today." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

The Nature of Man and the Fall
* "Humans are not naturally evil, they are simply good at learning how to be evil." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "Humans have an instinct to do what is wrong." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

Cain and Abel
* Are we responsible for those around us? Give reasons to support your answer.
* Is sacrifice still necessary in the modern world? Give reasons to support your answer.

The Near Sacrifice of Isaac
* Abraham was prepared to give up his most precious possission, in obedience to God. In what situations might we give up what is most precious to us? Give reasons to support your answer.
* Abraham showed total obedience to God. Is it always a good thing to be obedient today? Give reasons to support your answer.

The Ten Commandments
* Which do you think is the most important commandment? Give reasons to support your answer.
* How important is it to have rules? Give reasons to support your answer.

David and Jonathan
* "Jonathan was loyal to David, and not to his father. So, too, our loyalties should lie with our friends and not with our families." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* Should the command to "honour your father and mother" always be obeyed? Give reasons to support your answer.

David and Bathsheba
* David said that the rich man in Nathan's parable ought to die. Is this the right response to those who have murdered? Give reasons to support your answer.
* While David slept with Bathsheba, his army was fighting a war. Can war ever be right today? Give reasons to support your answer.

Solomon's Wisdom
* "Today, there is a temptation for political leaders to make popular decisions, not wise ones." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "Often, younger people are wiser than older people." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

Elijah Stories
* Elijah prayed to God. Today, is there any point in praying? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "Elijah wasn't at all tolerant of the prophets of Baal. Following his example, we also shouldn't always be tolerant of those who hold other faiths." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

New Testament

The Temptations of Jesus
* "Only bad people get tempted." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "It is never right to boast about your abilities." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

Jesus and the Outcasts
* "Because Jesus welcomed everyone, we in turn have a duty to look after asylum seekers." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "Based on Jesus' tolerance of all types of people, Christians today should tolerate every form of behaviour." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

On Being a Follower of Jesus
* "It is now much harder to follow Jesus than it used to be." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "It is not possible to serve two masters, God and money." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

Miracles of Healing
* "Society no longer accepts that faith healings can take place, because of its knowledge of modern medicines." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "Miracles like those Jesus performed will never occur again." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

Parables
* "We would all behave like the elder son if we were in a similar situation to the one he found himself in, in the parable of the Lost Son." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "The parable of the Good Samaritan is obviously the most important of Jesus' parables." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

Who was Jesus?
* "It is only really possible to experience God in peace and quietness." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "True followers of Jesus do not need evidence or signs to prove their faith." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

Jesus' Teaching
* "To follow Jesus' moral teaching is even more of a challenge now than it was two thousand years ago." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "It is important to leave everything to God's will." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

The Sentence, Crucifixion and Burial
* "The most impressive form of Christian love means a willingness to die for others." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* Write about someone in recent history who suffered for their beliefs. What do you think their suffering achieved?

The Resurrection
* "The Resurrection is the only really important thing about Christianity." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* "In the twenty first century, we don't believe in miracles. Therefore, one can be a Christian today without believing in the Resurrection." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.

The Early Christians
* "There can no longer be people who have the same great faith and determination that Peter showed." Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer.
* The early Christians lived together in a community. Could such "community living" be of any use to Christians in the twenty first century? Give reasons to support your answer.

Exam Practice