Welcome to this deck on Theme B, The origins and value of human life. In this part of your GCSE Religious Studies course, we'll explore some of the biggest questions humans can ask. We'll start with creation stories and evolution, then dive into the really challenging ethical debates around abortion and euthanasia. You'll learn the key concepts of sanctity of life and quality of life, and see how they are used to build arguments. Finally, we'll look at what Christians believe about life after death, and how that belief shapes their views on life here on Earth. Let's begin.

Christian beliefs about the origin of human life come from the book of Genesis in the Bible. It contains two creation stories. The first describes God creating the world in six days, culminating in the creation of humans. The second story focuses on God forming the first man, Adam, from dust, and the first woman, Eve, from Adam's rib. A central idea in these stories is that humans are unique because they are made 'in the image of God', which gives them a special status and purpose.

Christians don't all agree on how to interpret the Genesis creation story. Some, known as creationists or literalists, believe the story is a factual, historical account of how the universe and humanity began. Others, known as non-literalists or liberals, see it as a symbolic story that contains deep religious truths about the nature of God and humanity's relationship with him, rather than a scientific explanation.