4316703
Description
Flashcards by Lilac Potato, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Lilac Potato
over 8 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| Agnosticism | Not being sure whether God exists |
| Atheism | Believing that God does not exist |
| Conversion | When your life is changed by giving yourself to God |
| Free will | The idea that human beings are free to make their own choices |
| Miracle | Something that seems to break a law of science and makes you think only God could have done it |
| Moral evil | Actions done by humans which cause suffering |
| Natural evil | Things which cause suffering but have nothing to do with humans |
| Numinous | The feeling of the presence of something greater than you |
| Omni-benevolent | The belief that God is all-good |
| Omnipotent | The belief that God is all-powerful |
| Omniscient | The belief that God knows everything that has happened and everything that will happen |
| Prayer | An attempt to contact God, usually through words |
| What is a religious upbringing? | • Babies Baptised - Promise to bring children up to believe in God • Teach to pray - Direct relationship with God • Take to worship - Worshipping as a community shows other people who believe • Church school/Sunday school - Teaching children in a Christian environment |
| How does religious upbringing lead to belief in God? | • Children will believe what parents tell them about God - have authority • Because parents pray, children believe it is normal part of life • Seeing people worship in Church reinforces belief • At school/children’s liturgy - teachers tell children God exists/teach bible stories |
| Describe religious experiences | • Numinous feelings • Conversion • Miracles • Prayer |
| How do religious experiences lead to belief in God? | • Numinous feeling - if you sense a presence greater than yourself you will believe this is God • Conversion - sensing that God wants you to change • Miracles - if no scientific explanation, only possible explanation is God thus he must exit • Prayer - answered prayers will lead to belief in God |
| What is the design argument? | • Lots of evidence of complex things in the world which appear designed • Anything that has been designed needs a designer • The only thing powerful enough to design the Earth is God • Therefore, God must exist |
| What are criticisms of the design argument? | • No designer would have created natural evil • Science can explain appearance of design without God - evolution & natural selection • Argument does not explain how dinosaurs could have been part of a design plan • If argument is true, only proves there is a designer - may not be God |
| What is the causation argument? | • Everything in the world needs a cause - nothing can cause itself • If working backwards, will get to cause of the Universe - the First Cause • Only thing powerful enough to have caused the Universe is God • Therefore God must exist |
| What are the criticisms of the causation argument? | • If everything needs a cause then who caused God? • If matter is eternal, then the process goes on forever • Even if there was a First Cause it would not have to be God • If you can argue that God does not need a cause, you can also argue that the Universe did not need a cause |
| What is the scientific explanation for the Universe? | • About 15 billion years ago, Big Bang happened & formed our solar system • Gases on the Earth’s surface produced primitive life forms • Lead to evolution of new life forms & eventually humans (2.5 million years ago) |
| How do scientific explanations lead to Atheism? | • Science can explain where the world came from without God • People become agnostic because there is no need for God as an explanation • Atheists believe if God did exist, there would be no other explanation for the world • Atheists argue that proof of the dinosaurs shows God does not exist - why would he create & destroy them? |
| How do Christians respond to science? | • Fundamentalists reject scientific explanations - Genesis is the truth that can be supported by their faith • Creationists believe the Earth was created by an omnipotent God in 6 days - can fit with time periods of Earth’s evolution • Creationists also believe that fossils may have been put in the ground by God, or humans, to trick people • Some say Bible can be interpreted - some stories represent greater truth - science tells us how, Bible tells us why • Some agree with explanations for formation but the world is so beautiful - God must have been involved |
| How does evil & suffering cause people to reject belief in God? | • If God were omnipotent he would be able to stop suffering • If God were omniscient he would know all about suffering • If God were omnibenevolent he would want to stop suffering • If God exists, evil & suffering would not |
| How do Christians explain evil & suffering? | • Was planned after Adam & Eve chose to disobey God - separated from God which lead to suffering, sent Jesus to restore • Suffering is a test from God - see whether a person rejects or grows close to God, determines afterlife • We have been given free will - cause of suffering, we can choose evil • Suffering has a purpose - may be part of a greater plan, must trust God • Should follow Jesus’ example - Jesus had to endure suffering, taught need for prayer & kindness |
| What are the Christian responses to unanswered prayers? | • If you pray for something selfish, God will not answer your prayer • God may have different plans for you against your prayer - have to trust God • God hears & answers all prayers - the answer may be ‘no’ or ‘not now’ • God may answer your prayer, but not in the way you expect |
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