Flashcards
Verifying religious experiences
Cards in this deck (13)
- 1What are the challenges from philosophy and theology against verifying religious experiences?We only have the word of the experient
The experiences are highly subjective and personal so they are simply interpreted
The inability to describe the experience suggests it is not real
Religious experience is so alien to the experience of the most people it cannot be believed
Mystical experiences are elitist. Only a few have that intimate connection with God - 2What are the religious and secular responses to the challenges of Philosophy and Theology?There are some group experiences recorded
People who have had religious experiences have claimed they are objectively true
Ineffability is a key characteristic of mystical experiences in all religion
Many people i all walks of life have reported having some kind of religious experience
Mysticism is a gift that is open to all as stated in the bible - 3What are the medical and scientific challenges against verifying religious experiences?Freud claimed they were just illusions created by subconscious fears and desires
The experiences can be explained psychologically and medically
God helmet and neuroscience
TLE (temporal lobe epilepsy) which is suggested for Paul's vision - 4What are the religious and secular responses to the challenges of Medical science and psychology?Jung challenged Freud as he said most people benefited from the religious experiences
That they can be explained scientifically, does not mean they are not real
When God chooses to communicate with someone the message must go through the brain so seeing it in neurology does not break down the argument
God may work through people's conditions - 5Who came up with the principles of credulity and testimony?Swinburne
- 6What is the principle of credulity?In the absence of special considerations, how things seem to a person is how they really are. This is about the believability of the individual's own experience
- 7What is the principle testimony?In the absence of special considerations, we should believe what people tell us. This is about the reliability of what others claim about their personal experience
- 8What are the four special considerations?If the person is known to lie in the past
If the claim seems beyond the realms of possibility
it is difficult to show God was present
There are other ways of accounting for the experience (eg migraines) - 9Why could we reject these special considerations?Having lied in the past does not mean you will lie now
Just because one claim is false does not mean others are false also
If God is everywhere, the burden of proof is with the doubter, no the experient
As God underpins all processes, there is no reason why he should not work through the intense electrical activity of the brain - 10What are the points against Swinburne's approach?Huge leap to go from saying that normal observable sense experiences are reliable to claiming the same for religious experiences, which are metaphysical
Others can confirm claims about ordinary sense experiences, where as religious experiences are essentially private and incapable of scientific investigation
Even if every person thought it was an experience from God, doesn't mean it is the right answer - 11What are the points supporting Swinburne's approach?Transformation in people's lifestyles after
Other people's claims to such experience - 12What is the influence of religious experiences on faith?Abraham's religious experience confirmed his faith
Foundation of religions as Abraham started the three religious traditions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam
Inspirational leading others to faith
Life changing
Have been pilgrimage sites - 13Name a quote said by Abraham?"believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness"
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- A level Religious Studies Flashcards on Verifying religious experiences, created by Jess Todd on 06/04/2022.
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- Jess Todd
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