1 - Belief In God

Question 0

Reasons for not believing in God

Answer 0

Big Bang Theory, upbringing, no proof, more questions than answers

Question 1

Reasons for believing in God

Answer 1

Upbringing, gives hope, something to believe in, explains things, how can so many people be wrong?

Question 2

In what ways can a child be raised Christian?

Answer 2

Christian school, Church, Getting Christened, Christian Youth Clubs

Question 3

How does attending Christian school teach the Christian faith?

Answer 3

Religious elements in assemblies and lessons

Question 4

How does going to Church teach the Christian faith?

Answer 4

Prayers, hymns, the Bible

Question 5

How does getting Christened teach the Christian faith?

Answer 5

Parents say you’re protected by God

Question 6

How do Christian youth clubs teach the Christian faith?

Answer 6

Socialising with other Christians, learning respect and compassion

Question 7

How do parents’ examples teach the Christian faith?

Answer 7

Children tend to copy their parents anyway so they might start trying to copy their religious actions too

Question 8

Four types of religious experiences are…

Answer 8

Numinous, prayer, miracle and conversion

Question 9

What is the design argument?

Answer 9

William Paley had the analogy that if a watch has a watch designer then the world must have a designer too. Everything has order and purpose. He said that throwing things together and creating chaos does not work. The world is too complicated to have happened by accident therefore God must exist.

Question 10

Arguments against the design argument are…

Answer 10

There’s still no proof - the argument just suggests God created the universe. Why are people suffering? Why would God kill off dinosaurs?

Question 11

What is the causation argument?

Answer 11

Nothing happens by itself. Everything happens because something else caused it to. Universe can’t have happened by itself. The cause of the universe had to be powerful. God is the only one omnipotent enough. Therefore God exists

Question 12

Arguments against the causation argument

Answer 12

No proof, of everything has a cause what caused God? Other possible causes such as the Big Bang theory. Does the unmoved mover have to be God?

Question 13

Why does evil and suffering suggest that God does not exist?

Answer 13

God is supposed to be omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent

Question 14

Christian explanations for evil and suffering

Answer 14

Free will - moral evil could be a result of free will given by God
Test from God - evil and suffering could be a test, makes some people stronger
God’s plan - it could be part of God’s plan, people should trust him
Jesus’ example - it allows people to follow Jesus’ examples in the Bible

Question 15

Christian responses to evil and suffering

Answer 15

Praying - hoping God will give them the strength to cope or praying for others
Helping others - becoming a doctor/nurse to help others cope with suffering
Volunteering - charity organisation to support others
Strengthening faith - God has a plan for them

Question 16

Christian responses to unanswered prayers

Answer 16

God doesn’t answer selfish prayers, not part of God’s plan, God doesn’t always answer in the way you expect, accept their faith isn’t strong enough so must continue trying

Question 17

Problems with unanswered prayers

Answer 17

God isn’t listening, if God doesn’t help the suffering they may believe there’s no one there, unanswered prayers can lead Christians to question their faith