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Flashcards by eliana daza, updated more than 1 year ago
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| Question | Answer |
| Give the definition of 'agnosticism' | Not being sure whether God exists |
| Give the definition of 'atheism' | Believing that God does not exist |
| What 3 things do Christians believe that God is? | Omnipotent Omniscient Omni-benevolent |
| Give the definition of 'omnipotent' | The belief that God is all-powerful |
| Give the definition of 'omniscient' | The belief that God knows everything that has happened and everything that is going to happen. |
| Give the definition of 'Omni-benevolent' | The belief that God is all-good |
| Why do some atheists not believe in God? | Science explains how the world was created There is no physical proof of God's existence Many events that theists believe in are due to God (such as miracles) can be explained by science or as coincidences Evil and suffering in the world prove that an all-loving and all-powerful God cannot exist. |
| Why are some people agnostic? | Agnostics are unsure about God's existence because they believe there is no reliable evidence in support of God's existence or against it. |
| Why do Christian families raise their children to believe in God? | Because they believe it's their duty to marry, have a family and raise their children within the Christian faith. They believe their religion gives children a secure basis and helps them through difficulties. |
| How do Christian families encourage their children to believe in God? | Baptism, Worship, Confirmation, Community, Parents' examples and School. |
| Baptism | A child is welcomed in the Church with family, friends and the worshipping congregation promising to support them within the Christian faith. |
| Worship | Children attend Sunday School to learn about Jesus, God and the Church. They also attend Church services and celebrate Christian festivals. |
| Confirmation | A child will be encouraged to confirm and renew the vows made them in Baptism when they are old enough to make this decision for themselves. |
| Community | Young Christians can meet and share in activities such as Bible study groups, youth clubs, prayer meetings or other events. This offers a sense of belonging and community. Young adults are supported by the Church and may also meet partners in the Church community. |
| Parents' examples | Through their own examples, Christian parents will encourage their children to believe in God. By seeing their parents praying, hearing about God through the Bible Stories and attending Church, children will be more likely to believe in God. |
| School | Christian parents may choose a Church school that helps to educate children in the Christian faith. |
| What are the types of religious types of experiences? | Numinous experience, conversion, prayer, miracle |
| Explain a numinous experience | An experience which completely amazes someone and often inspires awe and wonder. Usually words are not enough to describe the experience but it leaves a person aware of a being greater than themselves. |
| Explain conversion | An experience that causes an individual to change their beliefs, ideas or complete lifestyle. An atheist may suddenly become a believer in God or a person may change from on religion to another. |
| Give an example of a conversion experience in the Bible | In the Bible, Saul originally persecuted Christians. After his conversion experience he became a Christian. |
| Explain miracles | An act of God that appears to be impossible as it goes against the laws of nature. It is usually performed a religious reason. |
| Give examples of miracles that Jesus performed | Calming of the storm, the feeding of the 5000 or the healing of the crippled man. |
| Explain prayer | A method which believers use to communicate with God. Prayer can be personal, or an be a group experience when believers worship together. Believers pray to share their ideas with God, to praise him, to thank for what he has provided, to ask for forgiveness or to show gratitude. |
| Give the overview of the design argument | Design is the result of intelligent thought. The universe shows evidence of being designed (gravity, ozone layer) This suggest that a being with intelligence designed the universe. The universe is too complex to have happened by chance or be designed any being other than God. Therefore God exists. |
| Give arguments against the design | We cannot possibly 'prove' God's existence and the design argument only suggests he is the designer. The appearance of design could actually be the result of evolution: the scientific theory that everything has evolved and only has the appearance of design. |
| What is evolution? | This is the idea that species developed gradually over millions of years and adapted to their surroundings. For some, evolution may suggest the appearance of design. |
| Give an overview of the causation argument | Nothing happens by itself. Everything that happens must be causes by something else. The universe cannot have happened itself. A powerful causes was necessary to cause the universe. This cause has to be God. Therefore God exists. |
| What is the cosmological argument? | In the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas argued that everything happens is caused by something else. However, he argued that you cannot go back indefinitely and that there must have been a first cause of the universe. Aquinas believed this fist caused had to be God and called him the 'unmoved mover' because he is the start of the universe. |
| What is the Big Bang Theory? | The idea that an enormous explosion started the universe around 15 billion years ago. |
| What are the arguments against causation? | The causation argument cannot be proved. Even if everything in the world seems to have a cause, it doesn't mean the universe had a cause. The argument only suggests that God is the cause of the universe. There are other possible causes of the universe such as the scientific 'Big Bang ' theory. If everything has a cause, what caused God? |
| What are the three main scientific explanations of the origins of the world? | The Big Bang theory, natural selection and evolution. |
| Explain what natural selection is | The way in which species naturally select the best characteristics for survival. |
| Why do scientific theories about origins of the world lead some people to doubt God's existence? | They offer alternative explanations of how the world and humans came to exist, with no reference to God. Science offers evidence that can be seen and tested whereas God cannot be seen or proven in the same way. |
| Why do some Christians believe that scientific theories are compatible with God? | The Bible's description of the creation of the world is more of a story. The six days of creation were 'stages' not actual periods of time. Science describes how the world came to exist and the Bible explains why. |
| Why do other Christian believe that scientific explanations are wrong? | Because they conflict with what is written in the Bible. These Christians are called creationists. |
| What are the problems with unanswered prayers? | Prayers are communication with God. If they are not answered, people might think that God isn't listening. Many people who experience pain and suffering in their lives pray to God, but if God does nothing about it, they may feel their prayers have been unanswered. Unanswered prayers may lead to Christians to question their belief in God, to reject him or believe he does not exist. |
| What are Christian responses to unanswered prayers? | They may accept that they do not have enough faith that God will answer their prayers, so they must go on trying. They may fell that God is not listening to them. Some may accept that God does not answer selfish prayers. Some may believe what they are praying for is not part of God's will or divine plan. They may accept that God hears and answers prayers but not always in the way they hope or expect. They do not fully understand God but go on trusting in him. |
| Why is suffering not always caused by evil? | Because sometimes a person's choices and actions can cause suffering. (Drug abuse) |
| What are the two types of evil? | Moral evil and natural evil. |
| What is moral evil? | Actions carried out by humans that cause suffering, for example, murder, rape, war and theft. |
| What is natural evil? | Things that cause suffering, but have nothing to do with humans, for example things that humans have no control over such as famine, disease and natural disasters. |
| What problems do evil and suffering have? | Omni-benevolent: if God is all-good, he would want to remove evil and suffering as he cares for his creation. Omniscient: if God is all-knowing, he would know how to remove evil and suffering. Omnipotent: if God is all-powerful, he would be able to remove evil and suffering. |
| How does evil and suffering effect whether a person believes in God or not? | Because they see evil and suffering all around them. As evil and suffering are present everywhere, either God is not Omni-benevolent, omniscient and omnipotent or he does not exist. |
| What does the Bible say about evil and suffering? | Genesis says that God created a perfect world. The fall: Adam and Eve used their free will in the Garden of Eden to disobey God which allowed evil and suffering to enter the world. Christians believe that God sent Jesus to Earth to overcome the evil in the world and die for the sins of humanity on the cross. |
| What is free will? | The idea that humans are free to make their own choices. |
| What Christian explanations are there for evil and suffering which still make people remain believing in God? | Free will, test from God, God's plan, following Jesus' example. |
| Explain free will | God gave people free will. This is the ability to make choices for themselves. Some accept that evil and suffering can be a result of free will. |
| Explain the test from God | Some Christians accept that evil and suffering may be a test from God. Believers are allowed to go through difficult times to see how they react. Some people become stronger, for example. |
| Explain God's plan | Suffering happens for a reason: Evil and suffering are part of God's plan. People should trust God because he knows why everything happens. |
| Explain Jesus' examples | Evil and suffering allows people to follow the example set by Jesus in the Bible. People can strive to do good. |
| What are the Christian responses to evil and suffering? | Praying, helping others, strengthening their faith and volunteering. |
| Explain praying | Christians pray because they are hoping that God will give them the strength to cope with what they face or they could pray for others. |
| Explain why Christian help others | Christians may take on jobs like becoming a doctor or nurse so they can help others to cope with suffering. |
| Explain why Christians may want to strengthen their faith | Because with the knowledge God has a plan for them. |
| Explain why a Christian may volunteer | Christians may volunteer with charity or organisation that supports others when they are suffering. |
| Give an example of a TV programme that portrays the belief in God. | Songs of Praise: shows worship in church, speaks to religious famous stars and teaches about religion and religious ideas. The Vicar of Dibley: a sitcom which features a female vicar and deals with many religious ideas. |
| Give an example of a documentary that questions God's existence. | Tsunami- Where was God? : question God's existence in the face of evil and suffering. |
| Give an example of radio stations that portray belief in God. | Radio stations feature a segment about worshipping or religion, whether it is a 'Thought of the Day' or highlighting of a religious idea. |
| Give two films which portray belief in God. | Bruce Almighty: based around the idea of taking on the job of God The Da Vinci Code: dealing with issues to do with Jesus and hidden religious ideas. |
| What are the positive effects from the media on the belief in God? | Some religious programmes show how religion can benefit the life of an individual and how it can be a positive thing. |
| What are the negative effects of the media in the belief in God? | Some religious programmes can portray religion as something to laugh at and ridicule, or question God's existence. They may suggest religious believers are crazy or that there is something wrong with being religious. |
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