Hello, my name is Mrs. Rawbone and I'd like to welcome you to this lesson on impact of beliefs about death and the afterlife on the value of human life.

In today's lesson, you will be able to explain how Christian belief in life after death influences views on the value of human life.

Some keywords that we will be using today are afterlife, compassion, eternal, and purpose.

Afterlife is what follows the physical life on earth or life after death.

Compassion is the feeling of caring for someone's suffering and wanting to alleviate it.

Eternal means lasting forever or without end.

And purpose is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.

Today's lesson will be split into two parts.

We'll be looking at beliefs about the afterlife and the value of life, and then we'll be looking at beliefs about the afterlife in action.

So let's start looking at beliefs about the afterlife and the value of life.

The Bible teaches Christians that life has value.

It is sacred and God-given.

All humans have equal worth, life has value even in suffering, and how people treat others affects their afterlife.

Tamara and Charlie are discussing how the Bible teaches Christians that life is sacred and God-given.

Tamara says, "I believe human life is sacred and has value because the Bible says, 'So God created mankind in his own image.

'" Charlie says, "I agree.

If life is a gift from God, it has an eternal purpose.

That's why life is so precious and shouldn't be taken lightly." Tamara responds, "Every moment is meaningful, and if life is eternal, then only God has the right to decide when life begins or ends." Asher and Danielle are discussing how the Bible teaches that all humans have equal worth.

Asher says, "The Bible teaches, 'There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female.

For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

' Galatians 3:28.

That means every person has equal worth and can receive eternal life." Danielle says, "Yes, salvation isn't just for some, it's offered to everyone." And Asher responds, "And if everyone has the same chance of eternal life, then no one is more important than another." Think carefully about the discussions that those Christians have had about those biblical teachings.

I'd like you to give one way in which believing humans are made in God's image leads to the idea that all people have equal worth.

So take your time to think about what you've learned.

Pause the video.

Come back when you're ready to check what you could have written.

You could have said any one of the following.

Every person has inherent value because they reflect God's image.

Since everyone is made in God's image, no one is superior to another.

All people are equally valuable because they are created by God.

God's image in each person means everyone deserves respect.

Since all are made in God's image, everyone should be treated equally.

If we reflect God's image, we are all deserving of compassion.

So well done if you manage to get any one of those points or something similar.

Rachel and Fiona are discussing how the Bible teaches that life has value even in suffering.

Rachel says, "Jesus said, 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

' Matthew 5:4.

This tells us that suffering isn't meaningless." Fiona replies, "Yes, and because there's life after death, suffering isn't the end.

Those who endure hardship will be rewarded." Rachel responds, "That's why Christians value every life.

Even in pain, life has value, and it's not for us to decide when it should end.

Tia and James are discussing how the Bible teaches Christians that the way they treat others affects their afterlife.

Tia says.

"The 'Parable of the Sheep and Goats' teaches that when we show compassion to others, we are really helping Jesus." James replies, "Yes, and when Jesus warns, 'Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life,' in Matthew 25:46, he is telling us that the way we treat others has consequences beyond this world." Tia responds, "You're right, when Jesus says, 'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,' Matthew 25:35, he's reminding us that showing compassion prepares us for eternal life." According to "The Parable of the Sheep and Goats." Who are the righteous truly serving when they help those who are suffering on earth? Take a moment to think about your answer.

Pause the video if you need to, then come back when you're ready to check.

Well done if you put Jesus.

For task A on beliefs about the value of life and the afterlife, I'd like you to complete this table by explaining what each biblical source teaches about the value of life.

So we have, "So God created mankind in his own image.

You are all one in Christ Jesus.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." And "The Parable of the Sheep and Goats." So think carefully about each of them and what their teaching on the value of life might be.

And then link this to a belief in the afterlife.

So take your time to look carefully each of those again and make the links with what it says about the value of life and also potentially about the afterlife.

Pause the video, take as long as you need to, and then come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

"So for God created mankind in his own image," you may have put human life has inherent value because all people reflect God's nature.

And the link to the afterlife is that if life is God given, it has an eternal purpose beyond this world.

"For you are all one in Christ Jesus," you may have put something like all people are equal in God's eyes regardless of background, status, or gender.

And this would link with the idea that if we're all equal in Christ, then all souls are valuable in eternity.

For "Blessed of those who mourn, for they will be comforted." You might have put suffering has meaning and a purpose, those who experience it will find comfort.

So the link to belief in the afterlife is that suffering is temporary and those who remain faithful will be rewarded.

And for "The Parable of the Sheep and Goats," you may have talked about helping those in need, such as the hungry and sick, being equivalent to helping Jesus.

And the link to the afterlife here is that Jesus teaches that people will be judged in the afterlife based on their compassionate actions in this life.

So well done if you manage to explain what each of those is saying about the value of life and make a link to beliefs in life after death.

For the second part of our lesson, we're going to be looking at beliefs about the afterlife in action.

For Christians, belief about the afterlife reinforces their beliefs about the value of life and it impacts on their behaviour in many ways.

So they might oppose abortion and euthanasia because they might think that life is valuable and therefore, they should not interfere and they should not take over God's role of being in charge of life and death.

They might reduce suffering whilst also acknowledging its value.

So it could be that they work in services that help people, such as medical services, trying to reduce people's suffering, and it may be that they support people through suffering because they see that there is some value and purpose to it.

They might work against discrimination and injustice because they believe that salvation is for everyone and that everyone potentially can have life after death.

So that would prompt them to work for equality in this life.

They might also give practical support to those in need, prompted by the idea that they will be judged on how they have helped people with their compassionate actions.

David is an Anglican and Niamh is a Catholic Christian, and they both have strong beliefs about the value of life, which they try to put into practise.

David is a doctor who performs life-saving surgery, Niamh volunteers at a hospice in her spare time.

David says, "I see medicine as a way to honour life's sacred value and purpose, knowing each person is made in God's image and destined for eternity.

As a member of the Christian Medical Fellowship, I connect with others who share this belief and navigate ethical challenges like end-of-life care.

My faith in the afterlife strengthens my commitment to treating patients with compassion, offering care that respects their life now and their eternal future." So how does belonging to the Christian Medical Fellowship reflect David's beliefs in an afterlife? So pause the video, turn and talk to someone nearby if there's someone available, or you can talk to me.

And once you've done that, come back and rejoin the lesson.

Niamh says, "Volunteering at hospice gives me the chance to help people face death with peace and comfort, knowing that their life has a purpose and there is something greater beyond it.

By supporting people in their final moments, I am helping them as they prepare for eternity.

Life is precious, and the way we live and treat others, especially in times of suffering, has eternal significance.

By acting with compassion, I try to bring people closer to God's love in their final days." So how does volunteering at a hospice reflect Niamh's beliefs in an afterlife? If you can turn and talk to someone nearby, please do, or you can pause and talk to me.

Come back when you're ready to rejoin the lesson.

Let's check your understanding.

Why might a Christian volunteer at a hospice? I'd like you to choose two answers.

Is it A, because they believe suffering is meaningless and should be avoided at all costs? Is it B, they believe in caring for the sick as a way of acknowledging the value of each human life? Is it C, they want to help people end their lives early to avoid pain? Or is it D, they think everyone deserves good end-of-life care? So remember, you're choosing two answers.

Have a look carefully at the options, pause the video, jot down what you think the answers are, and come back when you're ready to check.

So well done if you put B, they believe in caring for the sick as a way of acknowledging the value of each human life, and D, that they think everyone deserves good end-of-life care.

Here you can see a photograph of a statue of Mother Teresa who lived from 1910 to 1997 outside a church in Albania.

Mother Teresa became a nun at the age of 18, a move from Albania to Ireland and then to India where she taught at St.

Mary's High School in Calcutta, which is now known as Calcutta.

In 1946, she felt that God was calling her to dedicate her life to serving the poorest of the poor.

She founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order devoted to helping the sick, homeless, and dying.

At a hospice for the dying, she and her fellow nuns care for people who were abandoned often by their own families, offering them dignity in their final moments.

Mother Teresa also founded homes for lepers, orphanages, and clinics to treat those without access to healthcare.

Mother Teresa's deep Christian faith, particularly her understanding of "The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats" in Matthew 25:31-46 profoundly influenced her approach to life.

In this parable, Jesus teaches that at the final judgement , people will be separated into two groups, the sheep who cared for the needy and the goats who ignored them.

Jesus says, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Mother Teresa understood this teaching as a call to value every person as by helping the sick and the suffering she was serving Christ himself For her, each act of kindness was not only valuable in this life, but would also have an eternal significance.

Mother Teresa's beliefs in the eternal value of life drove her to treat each individual with respect and dignity, regardless of their social or physical condition.

She saw every person as created with inherent worth made in the image of God and deserving of love.

As she famously said, "We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love." Through work, she demonstrated that even the smallest acts of kindness have great value when done with love and compassion.

Every human life, no matter how poor, sick, or marginalised, holds immeasurable value in God's eyes and she dedicated herself to reflecting that belief through her service.

So why did believing in an afterlife make life on earth more valuable for Mother Teresa? I'd like you to take some time to think about her story and about her actions.

Pause the video, have a conversation with someone nearby if you can, or you can talk to me, and then come back when you are ready to move on.

Let's check our understanding.

Is this true or false? Mother Teresa dedicated her life to helping the sick and dying, believing that every person, regardless of their condition, had inherent dignity and worth.

So take a little bit of time to decide on whether it's true or false, but I'd also like you to think about why.

Pause the video and come back when you're ready to check your answer.

Well done if you put that this was true.

But why is it true? Well, Mother Teresa believed that every person, regardless of their condition, had inherent dignity and worth, and it was this belief that drove her to dedicate her life to helping the sick and dying offering both care and love to those most in need.

For task B on beliefs about the afterlife in action, I'd like you to explain how a Christian's belief in the afterlife might influence them to give practical support to those in need, reduce suffering, whilst also acknowledging its value.

So we're looking at two things that it might influence them to do.

As guidance, I'd like you to give an example of how a Christian might do this, so give practical support and reduce suffering, and I'd like you to explain how this action reflects their belief in an afterlife.

So take as long as you need to think about how you could come up with an example that covered both of those things and how you could explain the link with belief in the afterlife.

Pause the video.

Come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said that A, a Christian might volunteer at a food bank, help at homeless shelter, or support organisations that provide aid to those in poverty.

They may believe that helping those in need demonstrates their commitment to living a good and faithful life, which will be recognised after death.

B, a Christian might work in a hospice, supporting those at the end of their lives with care and comfort, rather than focusing only on preventing death at all costs.

They may believe that life on earth is temporary and that the way they respond to suffering matters in the afterlife.

By easing others' pain, they're showing love and compassion while accepting that suffering is sometimes unavoidable.

So well done if you came up with an example of practical support, such as the food bank example and an example of trying to reduce suffering such as working in a hospice.

In today's lesson, we have learned that Christians believe life is sacred and a gift from God.

That Christians believe Jesus' sacrifice offers salvation to all.

So every human life has worth.

That Christians believe suffering can lead to spiritual growth.

That Christians believe that earthly actions impact their eternal destination.

That belief in an afterlife leads Christians to support organisations such as the hospice movement and the Christian Medical Fellowship.

And that it is also what inspired Mother Teresa to show compassion and dedicate her life to helping the vulnerable and suffering.

Thank you very much for all of your hard work today and for all of the effort that you have put into it.