Different Religious Views on Human Nature, the Human Condition, Freewill and Fatalism, Equality and Difference and the Value of Human Life

Different religions will always have different views when it comes to issues, arguments and factors of the world that may arise. Even with these differences there maybe similarities but different interpretations are made by the religions followers. I will be looking at how Christianity and Islam see 4 different topics: Human Nature and the Human Condition, Freewill and fatalism, Equality and difference plus the value of human life. When considering a Christian approach to answer to answer how there see the 4 topics the bible maybe looked at for references

When looking for how Christianity views "Human Nature and the Human Condition we must look to the Bible because it teaches how people should love God, and their neighbours. This links into a fundamental rule of self respect and respect to others because it's argued it is not just a moral teaching but a central Christian value linked to the nature and value of Humans.

Christianity teaches that humans have a unique nature. They have a sort of purity which ties into their dignity. A human's dignity has 2 dimensions - the natural whereby rational thoughts and moral decision making powers are characteristics and the Supernatural dimension which links to their purpose and destiny to be with God. This idea that God has given humans a distinct purpose is picked up on by the Christian thinker Lactanius who says that God made humankind as a sacred animal and thus humankind has dignity. This dignity means humans should not be sacrificed. This is shown in the story of Abraham being ordered to replace the sacrifice of his son with a ram because sacrificing a child to bring good harvest is forbidden.

However humans can reject God's Love and fail to show love to others, they can choose to wrong instead of good. They are seen as imperfect and flawed with the tendency to sin this is why they supposedly need to saved and redeemed by God.

There are some protestant traditions that hold human's dignity has been lost due to sin - they have their rational thought and will but it has been corrupted and lost. However even with knowing this I can be regained. This is supposedly because Gods intention for every person is salvation and even if the person shows no dignity because of their sinful behaviour they still have the potential to be saved and therefore have value.

Catholic Christianity uses the doctrine of original sin to explain human nature. Romans 5:12 talks about the Fall of man (where by when Adam ate the forbidden fruit in Genesis) because due to this human beings have been stained by the original sin. Also this act is argued to have brought sin into the world and because of these acts Humans must work harder especially the men because women suffer for Eve's part in the fall of man through child birth. Christianity has found ways in which the original sin can be washed away - through the baptism of a child. Although Sin and the devil will still have some influence over the world because human nature is tainted and because of this humans are inclined to sin but the are still free to choose how they act. This leads me on to my Second topic Free Will and Fatalism.

Christians state that humans have been created with thinking intellect and a will to act morally. Traditional Christian views see human beings a free, autonomous agents, responsible for their own actions. This is shown in Genesis when Adam and Eve exercise there freewill to choose to eat the forbidden fruit. However they must face the consequences. Many Christian denominations support he view that we are free to choose to do good or sin because it is an important feature of human dignity. Though it is argued those humans who live their lives following Christ, becoming more Christ like strengthen and grow their dignity which leads them closer to their final destination with Christ. Thus humans are made free and able to choose and think for themselves. They are made special by virtue of this gift. However many Christians believe their conscience to the voice of God guiding them and telling them what to do, but because of free will they can choose to listen to the voice of not. Nevertheless because Christians believe it to be the voice of God there is a conflict of interest to do what they want or what God wants of them to do.

Equality and Difference is looked on by Christians in high regard, because equality is said to be a central idea within Christianity as all human beings are made in the image and likeness of God and that within in Christianity social differences disappear. There is no longer divisions such as Man or Woman, Slave or Free and Jew or Greek to name a few because everyone is on in Jesus.

However, if this is looked at historically women have not been treated with the same equality within Christianity as men. There are Christian denominations where the women's role is not considered the same as the man's. For example in Catholicism the priesthoods are roles in which only men can adopt.

Although Christian teachings challenge traditional roles when it comes to race. This is shown in the story of the good Samaritan whereby Jesus uses a member of the community who was widely discriminated against as an example of moral goodness. Nevertheless Christian responses to equality are varied, while there is a strong sense of equality the way in which it is expressed in the attitudes and approaches to the places of men and women etc tends to vary a lot.

Finally Christianity sees making human beings in the