God's Help And Self Help - Class 8 CRE Revision Notes

• The Body is The Temple of God
• Various Drugs and How They Are Used
  • Commonly abused drugs
    • Alcohol
    • Tobacco/ cigaretteBhang(cannabis sativa)
    • Miraa (khat)
    • Cocaine
    • Inhalants(glue, petroleum products)
  • Preventing drug abuse
• Sexual misuse
  • Ways of misusing sex
    • Prostitution
    • Adultery
    • Homosexuality
    • Rape
    • Incest
    • Fornication
    • Bestiality
  • Effects of sexual misuse
• Misuse of natural resources
  • Effects of mining include
  • Pollution
• The View Traditional African Society on The Use And Misuse of God’s Creation
• The Christian teaching on the use and misuse of God’s creation(Genesis 1:11-29)
• How to respond to the misuse of God’s creation

The Body is The Temple of God

• In the ancient times, Israelites worshipped God from temples
• They had to travel from far and wide to go and worship God and offer sacrifices in the temple
• Through the death and resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ, God lives in our bodies, only those who have accepted the salvation of Jesus Christ
• Today we do not have to travel to the temple or churches to worship God
• We can worship God anywhere anytime
• Though we may worship God anywhere, it is still necessary to go to church to be encouraged and have our faith strengthened by others
• 1 corinthians 6:19-20, romans 12:1-3
• St Paul teaches that:
  1. Our bodies are the temples of God hence should be used well
  2. We should allow God to transform our mind through the power of the holy spirit
  3. We should offer our bodies as a living sacrifice before GOD
  4. Sin makes our bodies dirty in the eyes of God
  5. We should avoid all sins to make our bodies remain clean(drug abuse, sexual immorality) As Christians we should appreciate our bodies and take good care of them
  6. Wash your body to avoid bad smell

Various Drugs and How They Are Used

• A drug is a substance which when used it affects the normal functioning of the body Medicine: these are drugs prescribed by the doctors when one is sick
• Abuse: the wrong use of drugs and substances
• Drug abuse: taking of drugs for non-medical purposes

Commonly abused drugs

1. Alcohol
   • This drug is cheaply and readily available in cheap quantities
   • It is abused through drinking
   • It is packed in bottles, sachets, and at times in a container
   • Some types of alcohol used in the society include:
     1. Changa
     2. Muratina
     3. Busaa
     4. Mnazi
   • Genesis 9:24 states that Noah who took some wine and took off his clothes His son saw the fathers nakedness and laughed
   • When he got sober and learnt about it he cursed him
     
     Effects of alcohol
     1. Drunkards are not able to think well
     2. They walk in a staggering gait
     3. Their bodies are weak to perform duties
     4. Alcohol destroys the brain cell and liver
     5. Alcoholic mothers give birth to babies with low weight
        
        
2. Tobacco/ cigarette
   • Tobacco is abused through:
     1. Smoking
     2. Sniffing
     3. Chewing
   • People addicted to smoking are called chain smokers
     
     Effects of tobacco
     1. Lung cancer leading to breathing problems
     2. Mouth ulcers and sores
     3. Causes cancer of mouth and throat
     4. Stained teeth and bad smell from their mouth
     5. Non-smokers who inhale the smoke are affected
        
        
3. Bhang(cannabis sativa)
   • Also known as:
     1. Marijuana
     2. Grass
     3. Charas
     4. Ganja
     5. Hashish
   • It is abused through:
     1. Smoking
     2. Mixing with food and drinks
        
        Effects of bhang
        1. Causes loss of memory
        2. Causes cancer of mouth, brain, throat and stomach
        3. Sense of sight and hearing are distorted
        4. Their eyes are always red
        5. It leads to depression and finally madness
           
           
4. Miraa (khat)
   • An evergreen plant tree
   • Its young shoots are sold in bundles
   • Miraa is abused through chewing the green tender leaves It helps one remain awake for long hours
     
     Effects
     1. Causes lack of sleep
     2. Damages the brains
     3. Causes lack of appetite
     4. Slowed performance at work
     5. May lead to infertility
     6. Causes mouth ulcers and stomach ulcers
     7. Heroine and cocaine
        
        These drugs are abused through:
        1. Sniffing
        2. Injection
        3. Smoking
           
           
5. Cocaine
   • Cocaine comes from a leaf known as coca
   • It has no smell
   • It is white, crystal and is like powder
     
     Effects
     1. They cause hallucinations
     2. They are dangerous stimulants
     3. Increase body temperatures and sweat a lot
     4. They cause stroke and heart attacks
     5. They cause liver and kidney failure
        
        
6. Inhalants(glue, petroleum products)
   • These are drugs that are abused through:
     1. Inhaling
     2. Sniffing
   • They are put in a bottle and brought closer to the nose
     
     Effects
     1. Cause brain damage leading to slurred speech
     2. Breathing problems leading to nose bleeding
     3. Sniffing causes dizziness and vomiting
     4. Liver and kidney failure

Ephesians 5: 18

Apostle Paul teaches that:

• We should not get drunk with alcohol because it has negative effects Instead e should be filled with the Holy Spirit who influences our lives positively

Preventing drug abuse

1. Educating the users the dangers of drugs through drug fighting body NACADA: national agency for the campaign against drug abuse, ministry of education, ministry of health, parents, teachers, etc
2. Avoid the company of drug users
3. Stiff penalties should be issued to drug traffickers
4. Drug barons should be exposed to the public at large
5. Mass education through the radio, television, films, seminars, bill boards and posters Young people should engage in active leisure and do something constructive

Sexual misuse

• Sex is an act of intercourse between a male and a female
• Sex is sacred/ holy
• Sex is ordained by God
• Sexual misuse is having sex with wrong purpose
  NB:Our bodies are the temple of the holy spirit and they should not be misused
• People should avoid irresponsible sex behaviors
• Sex is meant for married partners

Ways of misusing sex

1. Prostitution
2. Adultery
3. Homosexuality
4. Rape
5. Incest
6. Fornication
7. Bestiality

1. Prostitution
   • This is the act of commercializing your body for material gain
   • It is the work done by a prostitute
   • Hosea 2:5-7It states of Gomer, Hosea’s wife
     • She practiced prostitution
     • She looked for lovers who would give her food, water, clothes, olive oil and wine.God was not happy
   • Prostitution is shameful, sinful and degrading
   • We should refrain from prostitution and work honorably
     
     
2. Adultery
   • This is the act of having sex outside the marriage bond
   • Exodus 20: 14 The seventh commandment states that “do not commit adultery” Marriage partners need to love and respect one another
   • 2 samuel 11: 2-15 It sates about David.
     • He took Bethsheba, uriahs wife and committed adultery
     • He killed uriah trying to cover this sin
     • God sent prophet Nathan to warn him against these
     • God punished him through the death of his son
   • John4:16
     • It teaches about Samaritan woman at Jacobs well
     • She did not have a defined husband for she had five different me
       
       
3. Homosexuality
   • This is sex between two people of the same gender
   • God hates sexual intercourse between people of the same gender
   • During the times of Moses homosexuals were punished through stoning
     
     
4. Rape
   • This is forced sex
   • Rape involves use of violence
   • Genesis 34:1-29 It states of Dinah Jacobs daughter who was raped by Shechem
     • This act caused death to Scechem and his father Hamor
     • Rape cases are on the rise and children are being molested
     • Do not leave children with people who have questionable behavior
       
       
5. Incest
   • This is sexual intercourse between relatives: father, brothers, sisters. Cousins Leviticus 18: 6-18
   • God forbids us from having sexual intercourse with relatives
   • I cor 5:1-3 It teaches that Paul was annoyed with a man who had sexual intercourse with the step mother .
     • He ordered this man to be expelled from the church
       
       
6. Fornication
   • This is sex between two people who are not married
   • This is commonly practiced by young people who disobey God’s commands
   • Young people should abstain from sex before marriage
     
     
7. Bestiality
   • This is sex between man and animals
   • Leviticus 18:23 It states that anybody who may have sexual relations with an animal is condemned by God

Effects of sexual misuse

1. Sexually transmitted diseases eg: syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, chancroid, HIV/ AIDS, etc
2. Early pregnancies which may lead to girls being affected physically, mentally and psychologically School dropout for one may not remain in school and still bring up the baby
3. Early marriages
4. Death in case the girl may decide to abort and complication arise. Abortion is removal of foetus before the time of birth
5. Guilt and stress

Quiz

1. State 5 effects of sexual misuse
2. Identify 3 sexually transmitted diseases
3. Give 2 reasons why we should not conduct abortion
4. Which king committed adultery

Misuse of natural resources

• A resource is an asset that can be used to generate wealth
• Natural resources are found in nature. These are things like trees, water, soil, air and minerals Human beings should be responsible and take care of the environment
• Human beings use the resources to derive their livelihood
• Man has misused the resources in the following ways:
  1. Deforestation
  2. This is cutting down of trees
  3. This causes:
  4. Soil erosion
  5. Global warming
  6. Change of rain pattern
  7. Famine
  8. Drying up of water reservoirs
  9. Desertification
  10. Mining - This is the act of getting minerals from the earths surface

Effects of mining include

1. Open pits
2. Breeding sites for mosquitoes
3. Ugly sites
4. Destroys fertile agricultural land
5. A lot of dust from the mining area
6. Mining interferes with eco-system

Pollution

• This is the act of making dirty or impure
• Pollution is caused on:
  1. Land
  2. Air
  3. Water
• Chemicals released into water bodies make it unfit for drinking
• It also causes water borne diseases eg. Typhoid, cholera, bilharzias etc
• Air is polluted by the gases of emitted from the loud noise from the music shops, vehicles Land pollution occurs when refuse is disposed anyhow anywhere

Questions

1. Write down 2 effects of desertification
2. Give three reasons why human beings take care of the environment

The View Traditional African Society on The Use And Misuse of God’s Creation

• According to TAS, God is the creator of everything
• Man is in charge of all God’s creation
• African man considers the earth as the mother because it provides for his food Some plants provide medicine for him
• Rivers were considered as sources of water
• Some places were considered sacred: God’s dwelling place
• In the past, environment was given special care
• It was a taboo to destroy the environment
• Anyone who destroyed it was punished heavily

The Christian teaching on the use and misuse of God’s creation(Genesis 1:11-29)

• All plants were created by God on the third day
• On the fourth day He created heavenly bodies
• On the fifth day He created animals which live in the water and the birds
• On the sixth day He created all and animals and man
• God created everything and for a purpose
• Christians should:
  1. Care for the environment
  2. Use it responsibly
  3. Preserve water catchment areas
  4. Cultivate and guard it
  5. Improve on areas already destroyed
  6. Consider the earth to be the source of life and respect it

Questions

1. Write four effects of misuse of God’s creation
2. What did God mean by telling human beings to control His creation
3. Describe 2 ways in which people misuse animals
4. tate one way in which rivers and lakes water is misused

How to respond to the misuse of God’s creation

1. We should join together and campaign for the restoration of the environment that has been destroyed Educating people to avoid cultivating near the river bank and other water resources
2. Plant cover crops on bare land, dig terraces and build gabions in sloppy areas to control soil erosion Dispose garbage carefully to avoid pollution
3. Regulate mining activities
4. Protect animals and give poachers stiffer punishment
5. Plant trees where there were no trees
6. Plant trees where they were cut(prof Wangari Maathai)
7. Prevent desertification after cutting one tree plant two

Work to do:

• Pry cre pupils bk 8 page 29-31