Module 3 A Living Faith:

This module follows a thematic approach. It focuses on sets of moral

issues and asks students to explore religious teachings in relation to

them. The views and values of the students are juxtaposed with the

moral visions of two religious traditions on the issue. Students will be

asked to explore moral dilemmas and observe or participate in a

religious service relevant to the issue under examination.

This module aims:

• to guide the students in the identification of values

in moral issues

• to introduce students to a process for moral decision making

• to explore issues of Christian morality

• to recognise the potential for growth in moral values

and decision making

• to compare and contrast the moral visions of a variety of

religious traditions.

This module follows a thematic approach. The following themes
should be studied:
• Life Issues
• Relationship Issues
• Justice and Peace
• Morality in the Workplace.
Teachers will choose four issues from each theme.
The focus is to examine the current reality of each issue in society today.
Then the views and values of the students are juxtaposed with the teachings of two religious traditions on the issue.
Students will be asked to explore moral dilemmas and observe or participate
in a religious service relevant to the issue under examination.
It is important to stress that the religious dimension of
each issue is to be studied.
How to teach Module 3:

Learning Outcomes

/ Teacher Guidelines / Teaching Suggestions
The Students will be able to:
1. state the current reality of each
moral issue studied
2. compare and contrast the teaching
of two religious traditions on
various moral issues
3. apply a moral decision making
process in solving moral dilemmas
4. participate in or observe a religious
service on each theme. / Exploration of the theme to identify the main issues involved.
Use webbing exercise to achieve this.
Choose four issues from each theme and study them in detail.
Fact file: information gathering exercise to establish the current reality in relation to these issues. This can be done through
interviews, questionnaires, surveys, newspaper articles, videos, television programmes, films etc.
Students identify their own values in relation to the issues and try to examine influences on their moral growth.
Examine the teaching of two religious traditions on these issues.
Outline a process for moral
decision making.
Examine case studies/dilemmas on the issues. Apply a process of decision making to each moral dilemma.
Hold a religious service on each theme. / Good idea to start with a look at “what is morality?” worksheet with dilemmas:
  1. You are given change of a 20 euro note when you handed in 10 euros. Would you give back the money?
  2. Hospital in a rural town has one ventilator. Two teenagers after a car crash require it.The father of one boy is a big $ supporter of the hospital .Who gets the ventilator?
  3. Boss goes golfing you take a half day.
  4. You work for a stationary company. You help yourself to paper pens etc on a regular basis. Is this stealing?
Ask 3 questions for each dilemma
1.What would you do?
2.What would be the right thing to do/
3.How do you know it’s the right thing to do?
The Inner Place Tom Gunning Veritas 2006. Good dilemmas
The teacher guidelines apply to each of the 4 themes to be studies
  1. Life Issues
  2. Relationship Issues
  3. Justice and Peace
  4. Morality in the Workplace
Choose themes that are current and relevant to student needs, interests and ability.
Conducting a vox pop in the school corridors/main shopping area etc. is a good way of establishing current reality of any issue. Collate and display main findings.
Class discussion/debate on each issue “what do we think?”
Exploration of these issues in two religious traditions. Guest speaker opportunity or internet research.
How do we make moral decisions? Handout for this ?
Dilemma worksheet would be good here?????
See Module 1 Unit 6
The Inner Place Tom Gunning Veritas 2006
THE THEMES

LIFE ISSUES

• Sanctity of human life
• Respect for persons, physical/sexual abuse. stereotyping
• Abortion
• Suicide
• Family planning
• Euthanasia
• Birth Technologies
• Violence
• War
• Terrorism
• Capital punishment.
• Drugs/alcohol/smoking. / Comments
Life issuescould be done using video and worksheet.
For suicide: an RTE documentary
Where those left behind talk about coping after a suicide. Also an article by Brian Darcy for those who have been bereaved by suicide. Follow these with a worksheet all the time focusing on how those left behind cope rather than on the mechanics of suicide.
The old Radharc video “Dying for a Drink” is still the best. The students can laugh at the clothes and music but the stories are still real.
With these issues it can be useful to try to see how does my behaviour affect or hurt others rather than just looking at facts.

RELATIONSHIP ISSUES

• Human relationships
• Sexuality
• Family planning
• Marriage
• Divorce
• Sexual orientation
• Aids
• Rape
• Sexual abuse
• Pornography. / Comments
This section could be done over a day.
Perhaps invite Womens aid/Teach Tearmann/Accord/Aids Alliance/Cura-has new name now. A Gov body chaired by Olive Braiden.
There are groups that still do retreat type days on relationships
Could easily cover 4 of these in one day
We had a drama group in our school last year. They worked with each group in the school for 1 hour on theme of relationships.

JUSTICE AND PEACE

• Human dignity and equality
• Global solidarity
• Social justice
• Discrimination
• Civil Rights
• Homelessness
• Poverty in Ireland and the Third World
• Distribution of wealth
• Institutional structures Personal experience of being wronged
• Human Rights
• Peacemaking
• Social teaching of the Churches. / Comments
A good opportunity here for a project.
Do a survey as part of it as a Key Assignment.
Perhaps do brief classwork on 4 of these and then divide class onto 4 groups to work on agreed projects .
All the usual suspects here for resources. Trocaire Combat Poverty Amnesty etc.
Hunger Pack Trocaire 2006
With good readers you could examine church documents on these issues
See resources

MORALITY IN THE WORKPLACE

• Why work?
• Work and a job
• Work and young people
• Values and work
• Rights/responsibilities of the worker
• Rights/responsibilities of the employer
• Women’s work/Men’s work
• Work and technology
• Work and the environment
• Work and leisure
• Unemployment
• Honesty
• Fraud
• Trade Unions. / Comments
Perhaps invite a representative of a trade union to speak
Again a good opportunity for a project and a survey.
Combat Poverty has good resources on this. Also a book “Sugar and Spice” National Youth Coucil
KEY ASSIGNMENTS
I participated in or observed a religious service
on a moral theme and reported on it to my class/group
I surveyed people in my local area on their attitudes
to one moral issue that I have studied
I made a presentation on the religious perspectiveof two religious traditions I have studied
I kept a journal for the duration of the module and
recorded my own experience, thoughts and feelings.

Module 3:A Living Faith

Units:

1.Life Issues

2.

Relationships Issues

3.

Justice and Peace

4.

Morality in the Workplace