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Describe

what one religious tradition teaches about the existence of evil

Christianity

·

The idea of free will i.e. humans have the

choice to do good or evil

·

Belief in a devil/Satan that tempts people to do

wrong

·

Garden of Eden- god asked for obedience but Adam

and eve chose to disobey him and ate fruit from the forbidden tree

·

Suffering/evil is a test from God e.g. Abraham,

a punishment e.g. Zechariah or for a greater purpose e.g. Joseph/Jesus

Explain what

one religious tradition you have studied teaches about the purposes of

suffering

·

Suffering is a test- Genesis records Abrahams

faith being tested when he was asked to sacrifice his only son Isaac

·

Suffering is a punishment for human sin-

Judaism, Christianity and Islam all teach that Adam and eve were expelled from

the garden of Eden as a punishment for their sin e.g. Zechariah

·

Suffering can bring strength and deepen faith-

may refer to the story of Joseph where god works for good through the suffering

of josephs rejection by his brothers and the suffering caused by the famine

Romans 5:3-5 “suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character and

character hope. And hope does not disappoint us”

·

Suffering is intended to encourage humanity to

freely choose the good

Explain why

some people might argue that the world is not well designed

·

The existence of natural suffering suggests that

the universe isn’t well designed e.g. the plates of the earth’s crust do not

fit together and move causing earthquakes and volcanoes

·

Extremes of weather make some parts of the world

uninhabitable

·

Nietzsche looked at the world and saw no natural

order or pattern. He observed that the world was imperfect and concluded that

there was no designer “god is dead”

·

People who accept the theory of evolution might

suggest that the world is not well designed. The universe as we know is a

result of random chance and survival of the fittest- there is no need for a

designer

“A loving

and powerful god would not allow millions of people in the world to suffer” Do

you agree?

Agree

·

Epicurus argued that the existence of evil

brought into question the goodness and power of god

·

If god was good he would want to stop it. If he

was powerful he could stop it. The existence of evil brings into question the

existence of a loving and powerful god

·

Even if we blame the inequality in the world on

the greed of humans god must have created/allowed the possibility of suffering

within his creation

·

Many find it difficult to believe that a loving

and powerful god could allow suffering on the scale of events like the

holocaust and so conclude that there is no god

Disagree

·

Many would argue that there is enough food in

the world to feed everyone. Human greed is the cause of poverty and starvation it’s

not gods fault

·

Free will means humans are free to do good or

evil. The starving millions of the world are evidence that many choose evil

rather than good

“All

suffering in the world is a punishment from god for human sin” Do you agree?

Agree

·

The book of genesis describes how Adam and eve

are cast out of the garden of Eden after eating the forbidden fruit

·

The gospel of Luke describes how Zechariah was

punished with the loss of his voice because he questioned the angels message

·

The Hindu system of karma views all suffering as

the result of negative action in a previous life. In this way it can be seen as

punishment

Disagree

·

There are other religious explanations for it e.g.

free will make sit the result of human choice/action so it doesn’t originate

with god

·

Many teach it is a test e.g. Abraham and the Qur’an

states “ and for trial we will test you with evil and with good”

·

Many believe that the suffering is caused by an

evil force e.g. Satan not god

“Religion is

a great source of good in the world” Do you agree?

Agree

·

All religions promote the power of good over

evil and many believers work to highlight and overcome injustice in the world

can reference humanitarian work

·

Most religions encourage devotees to suppress

evil in their own lives and practice what is good showing love towards humanity

and generally setting an e.g. of how to live in a way that please god. May

refer to specific teachings e.g. law of karma, Jesus teaching in the sermon on

the mount

Disagree

·

Reference may be made to the fact that religion

has historically been associated with warfare e.g. the crusades, the sectarian

conflict in NI or terrorism associated with extreme forms of Islam

·

Many experience guilt if they don’t live their

lives in the manner they were taught through their religious upbringing

·

There is often great negativity and bitterness

in the relationships between different world faiths e.g. between the orthodox

and catholic churches. In this sense religion can promote and encourage

division rather than harmony

What is

meant by special revelation?

When god

communicates directly with an individual e.g. an angel visitation

What is

meant by general revelation?

When god

reveals himself through things which anyone can see and experience if they are

interested

Name a

sacred text from any religious tradition

Bible Qur’an

Torah

Name a

leader from any religious tradition

Rabbi Priest

Vicar Minister Pastor

Give an

example of worship from any religious tradition

Charismatic

worship, sacramental worship, prayer, meditation, hymn singing

Other than

worship name three ways in which believers might learn about god

·

Sacred texts

·

Religious leaders/teachers

·

Miracles/visions/dreams

·

Through nature

Explain how

a believer might experience god through one type of worship

Christianity

– sacramental worship

·

An awareness that they are following the e.g.

and obeying the command of Jesus

·

The physical acts of eating and drinking make

the death of Jesus more real and more personal

·

A special sense of the presence of god through

taking part in sacrament

·

Within catholic a sense of physical presence of

Christ in bread and wine

Islam – Salah

(5 daily prayers)

·

Bowing down in prayer creates an awareness of

gods omnipotence

·

An awareness of gods omnipresence- god hears the

prayers of all Muslims at all times and in all places

·

Muslims learn that god is compassionate and

merciful – this phrase begins each of the 5 daily cycles of prayer

Explain how

a believer can know god through a sacred text

·

The book of exodus contains the 10 commandments

which is a guide to living for Jews and Christians

·

Religious texts might contain instructions on

how to worship god appropriately e.g. surah 5 of the Qur’an contains

information for Muslims on the ritual

washing required before prayer

·

The Quran contains the 99 beautiful names of

god. Many Muslims would reflect on these names as part of their worship

·

In many religious traditions sacred texts are

described as the word of god. In this sense many feel god speaks directly to

humans through sacred texts

·

Many believe god can inspire or guide them in

their lives through the info contained in a holy book

Personal

religious experience is the only real proof that god exists. Do you agree?

Agree

·

Since the existence of god can’t be proven by

science some may not be convinced of religious truth until they have had a

personal encounter with god

·

Other attempts to prove the existence have flaws

e.g. the design argument is rejected by many because the universe appears

imperfect

·

Until you have experienced something personally

you are relying on the testimony of others. Many have the idea that seeing is

believing

Disagree

·

There are many believers who are convinced of

the existence of god but have never experienced any kind of dramatic personal

revelation

·

Many are convinced by the logic of other proofs

of gods existence beyond the argument from religious experience e.g. the first

cause

·

Even personal experiences of god are questioned

by many they may be mere imagination or hallucination

Describe the

work of one religious leader/teacher you have studied

Islam – the

prophet Muhammad

·

His e.g. of honesty in business

·

His solution to the problem of replacing the

black stone in the kabah

·

His recitation of the Quran

·

His e.g. of living a life of submission to the

will of Allah

Describe how

god is revealed through the life of one religious leader you have studied

The

revelation of the Quran to Muhammad- Islam

·

Each year Muhammad spent time in the cave of

Hira outside the city of Mecca in prayer

·

At 40 he was praying as he normally did when he

received a visit from angel Gabriel who commanded him to recite the words which

Gabriel told him

·

Muhammad was unsure what his experience meant

but a Christian friend of his wife assured him that it meant god was marking

him out as a prophet

·

Muhammad continued to receive visits from the

angel and on each occasion he recited the angels words until eventually he had

learned the whole of the Quran by heart

·

Muslims believe Muhammad to be the seal of the

prophets and the Quran to be the complete and final word of god to humans

Explain how

a believer might experience god through worship

·

Believers may experience a sense of god’s

presence when they come to worship in a holy building e.g. places of worship

are often referred to as gods house

·

Believers may feel gods speaking to them through

the reading of scripture

·

If the words of prayers or hymns seem relevant

to their life situation 0believers may feel god is speaking to them or guiding

them

·

In charismatic worship Christians may feel

inspired by the holy spirit and may be given spiritual gifts so that god acts

directly through them

Religious

faith makes no sense in the modern world. Do you agree?

Agree

·

More and more people are rejecting religious

belief and society is becoming more secular

·

Many aren’t convinced of religious truth because

it doesn’t stand up to scientific scrutiny

·

Religious texts seem to belong to another era

where people had a more simplistic view of universe and contain little which is

relevant to modern life

·

Many view religion as a source of conflict in

the world and believe the world would be better without it

·

Medical and technological advances diminish the

need for god

Disagree

·

In many parts of the world religious adherence

is on the increase

·

Many people even if they are not part of an

organised religion accept that humans have a soul/spirit and that there may be

something beyond the physical world

·

Science has not succeeded in answering the

ultimate question of where the universe came from

·

Post modernity challenges the absolute truth

imposed by science as much as it questions the absolutes of religious belief

·

Religious belief often provides people with a

sense of purpose comfort and hope for the future

Miracles are

simply coincidences there is always another explanation. Do you agree?

Agree

·

Many offer alternative explanations for biblical

accounts of miracles e.g. feeding of 5000 may simply have been a crowd inspired

to share with those who had none

·

Science continues to provide alternative

explanations for events described as miracles

·

Accounts of miracles are often based on the

testimony of an individual can this be trusted?

·

Many look for the miraculous in their lives they

are inclined to use this explanation for events which are simply unexpected

fortunate or coincidental

Disagree

·

Often science can’t explain away the miraculous e.g.

accounts of patients recovering when medical experts have given up hope-

Lourdes

·

If god is all powerful then miracles are well

within his ability

·

Many people claim to have experienced miracles –

can they all be dismissed?

Private and

personal worship is more meaningful than public worship. Do you agree?

Agree

·

Private worship/meditation may be a more intense

and meaningful experience as it’s just the individual and god

·

Private worship can take place anytime and

anywhere it can be part of everyday life rather than being confined to set

time/places

·

Some forms of public worship may become routine

and lack meaning after a while

·

God often reveals himself to individuals rather

than to groups e.g. Moses on mt Sinai

Disagree

·

People may experience a sense of fellowship with

other believers through partaking in public worship this is a source of

strength for many

·

God may reveal himself through public worship in

the reading of scripture, preaching, celebration of sacraments and ordinances

·

Most religious traditions promote some form of

public worship

It is

possible to learn about god through the lifestyle of religious people. Do you

agree?

Agree

·

The behaviour of believers can in some way

reflect the standards of the god they serve e.g. Muhammad, dalai lama, mother

Theresa and lives of saints

·

For Christians Jesus was at once completely

human and divine he is the perfect e.g. of experiencing god through humanity

·

Lives of believers can’t give us a complete

picture of god but coupled with other forms of revelation they can form a part

of our wider understanding

Disagree

·

Experiencing god through the lives of believers

limits our understanding of god to human terms. We anthropomorphise god

·

Humans as part of god’s creation are always

going to fall short of gods standards

·

Many think of god as transcendent and unknowable

Describe a

miraculous event from one religious tradition you have studied

·

Descriptions of divine visitations e.g. the

virgin Mary at knock or Lourdes

·

An account of one of Jesus miracles from gospels

·

Revelation of the Quran to Muhammad by the angel

Gabriel

·

Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus

·

Vision of prophet Isaiah

·

Contemporary or historical accounts of miracles

Personal

experiences of god cannot be used as evidence that god exists. Do you agree?

Agree

·

Personal and private experiences of god e.g.

divine visitations, miraculous healings don’t stand up to scientific scrutiny

and so can’t prove gods existence

·

People may be mistaken e.g. a dream about isn’t

the same as god speaking to someone in a dream

·

People who claim to have experienced a divine

visitation may have been hallucinating. Hallucinations can often seem very real

·

It doesn’t make logical sense that god would

choose to reveal himself to some and not others

·

How do people know its god it could have been another supernatural

force

Disagree

·

Science questions the validity of claims but not

all can be scientifically disproved

·

Sheer number of people who claim to have had a

religious experience means such claims can’t be dismissed

·

In some cases scientific medical experts can’t

offer credible alternatives to claims of miraculous healings

·

Religious experience alone may not prove gods

existence but with other arguments e.g. universe design etc many are convinced

there is a god

Life after

death

Outline

teachings from one religious tradition you have studied about life after death

Hinduism

·

The idea that the soul (atman) is eternal and so

does not die with the physical body but lives on to be born again into another

living being

·

The nature of this rebirth is dependent on ones

behaviour in this life

·

Good and bad karma can be built up through our

moral actions in life

·

Good karma will result in a more favourable

rebirth and vice versa

Christianity

·

Salvation is achieved through belief and acceptance

of the sacrifice of Jesus to overcome the issue of human sin

·

Jesus will judge the world at the end of time

according to the parable of sheep and goats in Matthew 25. This return is known

as the Parousia

·

On judgement day humanity will be separated into

the righteous and the unrighteous. The righteous will receive eternal life, the

unrighteous will be eternally separated from god i.e. hell

How might

belief in an afterlife provide comfort to someone who is suffering?

·

Can provide a sense of purpose in present

suffering

·

Provides assurance of ultimate justice

·

It is comforting to know that the dead may live

on in some form and that this life is not the end

·

People may find comfort in the idea that one day

they might see their loved ones again

·

It may ease suffering to think that the dead

person is with god or in a safe and joyful place free from sin

“We cannot

be certain what happens after death so we should just enjoy life and live for

the moment” Do you agree?

Agree

·

Different religions promote different teachings

about the afterlife some would argue that these cancel one another out

·

People become so concerned about heaven and hell

that they fail to make the most of life in the here and now

·

The idea of afterlife is just an invention to

give people a sense of comfort and purpose in this life

·

Religious texts teach more about how to live now

in a way that pleases god than they do about the afterlife-therefore religious

believers should focus more on their life here and now rather than worrying

about the future

Disagree

·

Enjoy life and living for the moment may be

foolish viewpoints as most religious traditions teach that one’s behaviour in

this life will have an impact on ones place in the afterlife

·

Many argue that it is possible to be certain

what happens after death from religious texts e.g. what Jesus said to that

criminal crucified beside him “today you will be with me in paradise”

·

For many Christians the resurrection of Jesus is

proof that there is life after death and that our lives in the here and now are

given purpose and meaning by this future hope

“Heaven and

hell are not real-they are just human inventions to help us cope with death” do

you agree?

Agree

·

Belief in an afterlife does bring comfort to the

dying and to people who have lost loved ones. Belief that the soul lives on

gives people hope and provides a sense of purpose in difficult times

·

There is no scientific evidence to support

religious beliefs in lad or reincarnation

·

Humanists deny the idea of an afterlife and

haven hell. They believe this life is all there is. There is value in living an

ethical life not because it will influence an afterlife but because it improves

life here and now for us, others and future generations

Disagree

·

There are many egs of people who claim to have

had nde and claim to have briefly experienced an afterlife, a sense of peace or

even to have spoken to dead friends/relatives many see this as evidence of an

afterlife

·

People claim to have seen ghosts and view such

experiences as evidence of a spiritual world/afterlife. Mediums claim to be

able to communicate with people who have died

·

Most religions teach that there is an afterlife

and our behaviour determines it

·

Christians consider the resurrection accounts in

the gospel as evidence of lad. Through this resurrection Jesus defeated death and

they believe that they will also be raised to eternal life at the end of time.

Many would also argue that the accounts in the gospel can’t be dismissed as

many people witnessed the risen Christ

Describe

some features of near death experiences

·

Pleasant feelings of peace and calm

·

Awareness of being in a garden

·

Communion with dead relatives and friends

·

Bright light

·

Sense of separation from body

·

Sense of then being pulled back into the body

“People

should not fear death because there is proof of lad” Do you agree?

Agree

·

Many claim nde are evidence that life continues

after death

·

For Christians the resurrection of Jesus proves

that there is lad

·

Many religious traditions suggest there is an

afterlife e.g. Christianity-heaven, Islam-paradise etc

·

Some claim to have the ability to be able to

communicate with people who have died

Disagree

·

Many dismiss nde as mere hallucinations which

may be the result of something as simple as a sudden change in blood pressure

·

Humanists argue this life is all there is

·

Many don’t the teachings of sacred texts as

proof of anything

Outline some

arguments a person might use to try to prove that there is lad

·

For some the resurrection of Jesus is evidence

that there is lad according to the gospels many people were witnesses to the

resurrected Jesus. The disciples were able to see and touch his wound. Jesus

also taught of eternal life for those who accepted his message

·

Many argue that nde are evidence of lad and

peoples descriptions of such experiences tend to back up scriptural

descriptions of heaven

·

Many claim to have experienced ghosts and this

too may be evidence that the soul/spirit lives on after death

Explain why

some people believe that there is no lad

·

It’s something that science can’t prove

·

Many have put forward alternative explanations

for the resurrections of Jesus e.g. the disciples/religious authorities may

have stolen the body or the women might have went to the wrong tomb

·

NDE may simply be a form of hallucination or by

a sudden drop in blood pressure resulting in a floating feeling

“It is not

fair that bad things happen to good people” Do you agree?

Agree

·

Innocent people do seem to suffer greatly and

for many this does seem unfair and brings into question the existence of god.

Epicurus concluded that the existence of evil ruled out the possibility of a

good and powerful god

·

There are many egs of innocent suffering e.g.

victims of natural disasters,nazi regime and ones suffering in developing

countries

Disagree

·

Some religious believers argue that all humans

have sinned and therefore all deserve to suffer as a punishment for sin i.e.

there is no such thing as an innocent human

·

The Hindu concepts of reincarnation and karma

suggest that any suffering we experience in life is the result of evil

committed in a previous life i.e. all suffering is ultimately of our own making

·

Suffering can often ultimately have a positive

effect on all people’s lives. It can bring families closer together, build

strength of character and often deepen religious belief