CRE Questions and Answers - Form 1 End Term 3 Exams 2023

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

• This paper consists of five questions.
• Each question carries 20 marks.

1.  
   1. Give reasons for teaching CRE in Secondary schools. (6mks)
   2. Why is the bible a library? (6mks)
   3. State the effects of Bible translation on African languages (8mks)
2.  
   1. Outline the background to the call of Abraham (6mks)
   2. What do the plagues tell Christians about Gods attributes? (7mks)
   3. What was the significance of items used during Passover? (7mks)
3.  
   1. State the duties of judges in Israel (6mks)
   2. Give four reasons why God rejected David’s offer to build him a temple (8mks)
   3. Relate Elijah’s encounter with Yahweh at Mt. Horeb (6mks)
4.  
   1. State the hierarchy of beings in African traditional Religion (7 marks)
   2. Describe the Traditional African ways of worshipping God (8mks)
   3. What were the African ways of venerating and communicating with spirits and ancestors? (5mks?)
5.  
   1. Describe the African understanding of a community (6mks)
   2. Explain the importance of Kinship system and ties (8mks)
   3. Give factors that contribute to harmony and mutual responsibility (6mks)

MARKING SCHEME

1.  
   1. Give reasons for teaching CRE in Secondary Schools (6mks)
      • Enable you to develop a personal relationship with God.
      • Help you to acquire basic principles of Christian living.
      • Help you to develop a sense of self-respect and respect for others you to develop positive attitudes and values, which help you to cope with challenges of life.
      • Contribute to the moral and spiritual development of students.
      • Help you to contribute positively to the transformation of an individual and the society as whole.
      • Help you to identify answers to situations of life, including death and Eternal life.
      • Help learners to identify answers to life’s questions.
      • Promotes international consciousness.
   2. Why is the Bible a Library? (6mks)
      • The Bible contains (66) book just like a library has many books. The Bible is a collection of books arranged in series.
      • The Bible is a reference book for Christians. The authors of the Bible had a special spiritual guidance; hence each book was written for a purpose.
      •  The Bible has literary works.
      • The Books written contain different topics.
      • The Bible has different books written by different authors.
      • The books of the Bible were written under different situations and circumstances.
      • The books were written at different times in history.
   3. State the effects of Bible translation on African Languages (8mks)
      • Increased and deepened African faith in God.
      • Led to increased literacy. After Africans acquired literacy skills, they read the Bible and improved their literacy skills.
      • Christian missionaries established schools in order to teach literacy that helped African to read the Bible.
      • Made it easy for missionaries to spread the gospel to the African communities.
      • Increased the demand for the Bible. This led to writing of Books and setting up of printing presses in African countries.
      • Made it easy for the expansion of the church i.e. more people became Christians.
      • Led to the emergence of independent churches and schools.
      • The missionaries and colonialists learnt the African languages.
      • The African converts realized that the missionaries were unfair to them. There was for example, a different treatment of
      • African by White missionaries. This was inequality of races, which was and is even now against Christian teachings.
      • Helped Africans to re-discover their cultural identity. For example the use of African instruments, dressings, and practice of polygamy, which David and other kings in the Old Testament did.
      • Led to the writings and spread of African languages. The missionaries learnt local languages.
2.  
   1. Outline the background to the call of Abraham (6mks)
      • God told Abraham to leave his country, his people and his father’s household to go to a land God would show him
      • God promised to make Abraham into a great nation and bless him
      • God also promised to make Abrahams name great to bless those blessed Abraham and to curse those who cursed him
      • God promised through Abraham all people on earth would be blessed
      • Abraham left as God had told him
      • He was accompanied by Lot his nephew and Sarai his wife
      • He took with him all the possessions he had accumulated and the slaves he had acquired in Haran.
      • He set out and arrived at the land of Canaan
   2. What do the plagues tell Christians about Gods attributes? (7mks)
      • Empowers His people to perform miracles and to do His work
      • Is Almighty and more powerful than the Egyptian gods.
      • Is determined to fulfil His plans.
      • Is a God of justice. He protects the oppressed.
      • Gives everyone a chance to repent. Notice that each time Pharaoh promised to release the Israelites; God relieved the
      • Egyptians from the plagues.
      • Fulfils His promises – He had promised Abraham to deliver his descendants from foreign lands.
      • Expects total obedience and faith.
      • Communicates His will through natural events.
      • He is caring and loving.
   3. What was the significance of items used during Passover (7mks?)
      • Roasted Meat – this is the easiest method of preparing food since the Israelites were to leave in a short time.
      • Bitter herbs – was a reminder of the suffering and hardships and slavery experienced in Egypt.
      • Eating while standing. Deliverance was near, hence the need to leave in a hurry.
      • Eating while fully dressed with their stuff at hand. This signified a quick deliverance; hence Israelites should be ready to leave Egypt at once.
      • Eating unleavened bread – the bread was to be eaten and none left over hence there was no need to add yeast for preservation.
      • Collecting Jewellery – God had promised Abraham that after slavery for four hundred and thirty years, his descendants shall be freed with great possessions.
      • Remaining indoors – for security from death. Anyone outside was killed.
      • Blood on doorposts – a sign for deliverance. The angel of death would pass over doors with blood.
3.  
   1. State the duties of judges in Israel (6mks)
      • Leading Israelites to war against their enemies
      • Settling disputes among the people
      • Acting as religious leaders and leading Israelites in worship
      • Offering sacrifices on behalf of the people.
      • Some of the judges acted as God’s prophets
      • They anointed kings, for example Samuel anointed King David.
   2. Give four reasons why God rejected David’s offer to build him a temple (8mks)
      • David had been involved in a lot of wars with the Israelites’ enemies and had thus shed a lot of blood.
      • God was a God of the people and could not be confined to a house.
      • It was the will of God to establish the house of David (build David a house) rather than David builds a house for him (God). The human body is the temple of God. God dwells in the hearts of people.
      • David had grown old. God wanted him to rest.
      • God had planned that David’s son would build a house for him – a place to house the Ark of the Covenant. King Solomon,
      • David’s son built the temple and fulfilled God’s promises to David. Solomon’s rule was peaceful and prosperous.
   3. Relate Elijah’s encounter with Yahweh at Mt. Horeb (6mks)
      • After killing the prophets of Baal, Elijah was threatened by Jezebel.
      • She vowed to kill him. Elijah ran away to the wilderness.
      • The angel of God fed him with a loaf of bread and a jar of water.
      • After eating and drinking Elijah walked to Mt. Sinai – the holy mountain of God.
      • He stayed there for 40 days and 40 nights. In the mountain God appeared to him.
      • There was a strong wind, an earthquake, a fire but the Lord was not in them.
      • Then the lord spoke to Elijah in a still small voice. God told Elijah “return and anoint Hazael as king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and anoint Elisha as a prophet and your successor.
4.  
   1. State the hierarchy of beings in African traditional Religion (6marks)
      • God as the creator occupies the highest rank in the hierarchy of being – creator.
      • The Divinities: Came next and control natural forces in the universe, created by God.
      • The Common Spirits: Comprise spirits of people who died long time ago.
      • Ancestors: (living dead): Spirits of those who died recently and are still remembered by the living.
      • Human Beings: Consist of the living and the unborn.
      • Animals and Plants: Come next – for man’s use as food and sacrifice to God.
      • Non-living things: Such as mountains, rocks, rivers, caves, dwelling places of God and Spirits.
   2. Describe the Traditional African ways of worshipping God (8mks)
      • Sacrifice: They were used to ask God’s favour, thanksgiving, to avert evil and ask for forgiveness, before planting and after harvest, epidemics, birth, naming, invitation, weddings, funerals etc. for different reasons.
      • Offerings: Foodstuffs e.g. grain, honey, beer, milk was offered in recognition of God as owner of property and provider.
      • Prayers and invocations: Commonest act of worship. A continuation activity done anytime as the need arises.
      • Song and dance: People were involved both physically and spiritually. This brought the city together.
      • Blessings and Salutations: Expressed in greetings and farewells e.g. “Go with God”, God be with you”
   3. What were the African ways of venerating and communicating with spirits and ancestors (6mks?)
      • Venerating means showing respect to somebody.
      • Spirits and ancestors were venerated because they were believed to be senior to human beings and closer to God.
      • Sacrifices were offered to them as the ways of venerating them.
      • Pouring libation was done.
      • The living invited them during ceremonies such as birth, invitation, marriage and burial.
      • They consulted diviners, mediums and medicine men to keep in contact.
      • The living named after them – thus they became immortal and members in the physical world again.
      • Their names were mentioned during prayer.
      • By maintaining their graves.
      • Giving them proper burial ceremonies.
5.  
   1. Describe the African understanding of a community (6mks)
      • Share common features, and interests
      • Have the same origin and are likely to be related by blood.
      • Share a common language and religion
      • Live together and inhabit the same geographical location.
      • Are divided into smaller units called clans
      • Members of the community include the unborn ,living dead and the ancestors
      • Carry out the same economic activities
      • Each community has its own distinct rules/ taboos/ beliefs/ customs and cultural practices
   2. Explain the importance of Kinship system and ties (8mks)
      • Kinship means being related either by blood or marriages.
      • The kinship system was important in the traditional African society because of the following factors.
      • The kinship system regulated people’s behaviour towards each other. This promoted peaceful and harmonious relationships.
      • It promoted co-operation among community members especially in times of difficulty.
      • It helped to ensure that the disadvantaged members of the community were taken care of.
      • The living dead and the ancestors were part of the African kinship system. This showed concern or the families or relatives they left behind.
      • The kinship system led to the preservation of cultural identity.
      • It provided a peaceful way of settling disputes with the elders acting as arbitrators.
      • It ensured fairness and transparency in sharing out inheritance.
      • The kinship system united the members of a family and clan by giving them a sense of belonging.
   3. Give factors that contribute to harmony and mutual responsibility (6mks)
      • Good morals: Every member of the community was expected to do the right thing according to the norms of the community.
      • Participation in communal activities: Means of the community were expected to participate in communal activities e.g. wrestling, dances and communal work.
      • Sharing: People shared ideas and even property, which created harmony among the people.
      • Division of labour: Tasks were distributed according to one’s age; gender to avoid conflicts in roles.
      • Rules: In Traditional African Communities, elders, men youth, and women had their respective roles to play that enhanced harmony in the community.
      • Virtues: Virtues like generosity, obedience, kindness and honesty were encouraged since they contributed towards harmonious living.
      • Religious beliefs and practices: A common belief in God, the spirits and ancestors created a sense of togetherness.