Analyse the key beliefs of a religious tradition (Catholic) and a secular worldview in relation to ultimate questions. (More scaffolding)

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One of the challenges for International students on this topic is the questions are highly abstract. Quotes on this topic need to be discussed and rephrased in concrete terms before drawing out the implications of the belief. Students need to be able to identify sweeping statements and to phrase arguments in nuanced terms. Examples of useful expressions to do this are:

I believe this is true in part because.....

To some extent this is common knowledge but there are always exceptions to the rule....

Some possibilities of what would happen are .....

The impact of this belief is seen most clearly in ........

These are the ultimate questions for discussion with more questions to help draw out a personal point of view):

origin: where did we come from? Where are we going? How is human dignity shaped by origin myths?

suffering: why do we suffer? Why do we feel guilty? Is life about the avoidance of suffering?

meaning: what is the meaning of life? Does death cancel out meaning? Which community defines the purpose and meaning of an individual's life?  

anxiety: is there a basic fear driving human life? How do Catholics and Atheists deal with anxiety as a result of our beliefs? 

death: what happens after death? How does having to die or not die affect the way we live our lives?

Overview of questions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMWozl95_Gc 



I suggest the students analyse Catholicism and Atheism because atheism is more straightforward to explain and does not require a lot of clarification of terms unlike beliefs like secular humanism.

Analyse the key beliefs of a religious tradition, Catholicism and a secular world view (atheism/ secular humanism/ Epicureanism /  secular materialism/ Marxism/ communism) in relation to ultimate questions involves:  

  • considering the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions:

  • breaking them down into components or essential features  drawing conclusions about the key beliefs, supported by evidence.

  • discussing the similarities and differences in the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions  drawing conclusions supported by a range of evidence. 

  • critically evaluating the key beliefs of a religious tradition and a secular world view in relation to ultimate questions  drawing conclusions that address the wider implications arising from the analysis., 


(Start with a hook: quote from a famous person/ Surprise with a misconception/ Use statistical data/ Share a fact or a definition)

Thesis statement: This essay will explore two ultimate questions related to the origin of life from a religious tradition, __________ and a secular world view,_________ . The questions are where did we come from and where are we going? 


One key belief of Catholics with regards to the two ultimate questions is that if we are created by (God/ a deity) then we are in a relationship with him whether we choose to believe in a God or not. God is with his people, leading and guiding them for eternality. Their views can be found in ________________ (Give a bible verse/ quote from the Pope/ Vatican/ Catholic church/ Saints).


In contrast, the secular worldview often held by Atheists is that humans evolved rather than being designed and created by God. Humans no need to consider or help anyone outside of your immediate circle of family and friends, as there is no designer, no creator to take into consideration. Their views can be found in _______(Quote from a reliable website/ book/ famous person) 


Both the Catholics and the secular worldview agree that something happened in the universe a long time ago for the initiation of human life to happen here on Earth. Scientifically complex organic molecules found in the solar system and in interstellar space may have provided molecules, the starting materials for the development of life on Earth. (Give evidence that both believe in the same start to life) Another similarity is that both believe there are those who are able to choose to live good lives by showing love and kindness as well as those who choose to do evil. (Give evidence that believe in the ability for humans to choose good and evil)  


The wider (social/ historical/ geographical/ political/ personal) implication of the secular worldview is not believing in deities or a God is that there is no sense of a plan or purpose other than what they choose to implement themselves. They believe we are all heading towards death, without any afterlife, and that life and death is the natural cycle of all living creatures. This can result in _______________( social/ historical/ geographical/ political/ personal result). 


However, the wider (social/ historical/ geographical/ political/ personal) implication of the Catholic view that followers obey the teachings of Jesus such as ___________________. This can result in _______________( social/ historical/ geographical/ political/ personal result). 


In conclusion, to analyse the answers to the question of the origin of life is to examine human motivation and behaviour. _____________(summarise your key points) These have wider (social/ historical/ geographical/ political/ personal) implication on humans such as _______. 

(Quote that summarises the essay/ go back to something you said in the introduction and make some concluding remarks.)


Now write about another issue.





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