A glossary of Perspectives terms
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This is a collection of general RE Terms.
 A
B
C
D
E
F
I
J
K
M
N
O
P
Q
R
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T
U
V
W

A

Abortion The termination of a foetus before it is capable of life outside of the womb.
Atonement  Making amends for your sins or wrong deeds. Trying to put things right. 
B
Baptism The entry rite into the Christian church, which can take place as a baby or as an adult.
Bible  The Holy Book of the Christians, contains the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), the New Testament and sometimes the Apocrypha
Blasphemy  Words that are spoken against God
Blessed  Rewarded by God. 
C
Celibate  In many Christian sects the priest or bishop is not allowed to be married or have sex.
Chastity  The state of being sexually pure.
Christ  Another name for Jesus Christ
Christening  Another word for Baptism
Christian(s)  Those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ
Christianity  The faith of the Christians
Church of England  The part of the Anglican Communion in England. 
Cold War  The period between 1939 and 1991 when the USA and the USSR were in a state of tension and opposition. 
Commandments  Rules given by God. The most famous are the 10 commandments given to Moses
Conception  The union of the sperm (male) and egg (female). Some believe this is the moment when life begins. 
Confession  Words spoken about your sins, asking God for forgiveness. 
Conscience  Our internal 'voice' which tells us right from wrong, some people believe that this is the voice of God within us. 
Contraception  A physical or chemical barrier to conception. 
Creation  When God made the world. 
D
No entries
E
Evil Things that are not of God.
F
Faith A belief in God.
Feminist theology  A movement in the church to get equal treatment for men and women. 
Foetus  The developing baby while it is in the womb. 
G
Gender Another word for sex; we all have a gender either male or female.
God  The supreme being, who created the world. 
Golden Rule  quoted by Jesus as 'Love your neighbour as yourself' (Mark 12:31). 
Grace  The loving help that God gives to all human beings. 
H
Heaven The place where God lives and where Christians go after their death.
Hiroshima  The location of the dropping of the first nuclear weapon on August 6th 1945. 
Holy  Special to God
Holy matrimony  Another term for Christian marriage. 
Hospice  A hospital for the care of people with terminal illnesses. They specialise in pain control, making life as comfortable as possible. 
I
Infanticide The killing or murder of a small child (Infant).
J
No entries
K
No entries
L
Love A emotional, spiritual or physical realtionship with another person. Often a combination of some or all of these. See also 1 Corinthiams 13 and John 3:116.
M
Miracle An event that cannot be explained by normal or scientific means.
Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)   The threat common during the cold war that if nuclear weapons were used then they would be used to retaliate. 
N
New Testament Part of the Bible together with the Hebrew Scripture. The New Testament contains the Gospels, the Epistles and the book of Revelation.
Nuclear Weapons  Weapons of mass destruction the first of which was used on Hiroshima
O
Old Testament Another name for the Hebrew Scripture, part of the Bible
Orthodox Church  See Eastern Orthodox
Ovum  Another name for the egg produced by a woman each month. 
P
Prayer Talking to, communication with God.
Procreation Having babies. 
Q
No entries
R
Race A group of people with common ancestors, who have similar physical characteristics eg: hair colour, eye colour or skin colour, or belong to the same group or country.
Racism  Making negative moral judgments about someone because of their race. 
Reconciliation  To get closer to God through the forgiveness of your sins
Repentance  To be sorry for the sins that you have committed. 
Roman Catholic  The denomination, based in Rome, that is headed by the Pope
S
Sacrament An outward sign of something special and holy. The Roman Catholics, Orthodox and the Anglicans believe in 7 sacraments.Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, holy orders, forgiveness of sins, anointing of the sick, and Marriage. Most Protestant churches recognise only the first two of these.
Sacred  Something which is holy or devoted to God
Salvation Army  A protestant church formed by William Booth to help the poor. It works to help people's physical needs as well as their spiritual ones. 
Secular  Anything that is not religious. 
Sexism  Treating people differently because of their gender. 
Sin Doing something wrong that separates you from God
T
Temptation Being persuaded to do evil or to sin.
Ten Commandments  The rules given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai
U
No entries
V
Virgin A person who has not had sexual intercourse.
Vows  Promises made in the sight of God
W
War An act of armed agression against another group or country.
Worship  The act of prayer or actions dedicated to praising God
Worshipper  A person who is involved in an act of worship
XYZ
Zygote The joined sperm and egg from the moment of contraception until thetime it "beds" into the wall of the womb and develops an umbilical cord.