Step

	5
Birth and Death

Baptism and Funerals

Read through the following pages:

The GCSE RE Site Baptism and Funeral Rites
Bitesize Funeral Rites

You may get a question about baptisms or funerals like this one [1997 Q3]:

(c) 'A funeral is one of the most important occasions for a Christian family.'

Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. [5]

This is another example of a question (c) that doesn't need an 'argument'. You need explain why a funeral is very important, but then why other occasions (baptisms, marriage etc.) are also important. Your conclusion should explain which you think is most important and why.

Now try answering the following question [2000 Q3]:

(b) Describe how and explain why a Christian funeral service can be helpful to the people who have lost a loved one. [7]

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You are unlikely to get this sort of question for baptism, although you may have to explain how and why baptism is important to Christians. Could you answer a question on the differences between adult and infant baptism?