Belief about Deity Flashcards
The Story of Jonah and the Whale
This shows how God is omnipresent- Jonah tries to hide and run away from God, but God is still able to find him and take him back to to the job he set him, because he is everywhere.
‘I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?’ Jeremiah
This demonstrates the Christian belief that God is omnipotent; nothing is beyond his power.
He is able to perform miracles and has power over the natural World (parting of the red sea).
The Omnipotence Paradox
This is the belief that an omnipotent being cannot exist as it is impossible and is used as an argument against the idea of an omnipotent God, raising questions such as ‘Can God create a stone so heavy the he cannot lift it?’
If he can, then he cannot be omnipotent because he cannot lift the stone.
If he can’t, then he cannot be omnipotent because he cannot create a stone.
Thomas of Aquinas.
‘Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.’ Daniel
This demonstrates the idea that God is omniscient (all knowing). This is not just limited to knowledge (there is nothing secret or hidden from God, God knows every event that has ever happened ect.) but also extends to God being wise and always knowing the best thing to do..
‘God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him’ John
This is showing God as an omnibenevolent being. God has perfect love for his creation and that all love comes from God. This means that Christians believe that all loving relationship has God in it (against gay relationships= hypocritical).
‘For God so loved the World that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ John
This shows one of the central teachings to Christianity: God showed his love for the World through the life, teachings and death of Jesus. When Jesus was born he was the Son of God, coming to demonstrate his love for humanity; God loves the World enough to suffer and die so that people could have everlasting life in heaven.
‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.’ Genesis
This demonstrates the idea of God the Creator. Because of him creating the World Christians believe that they have the duty of stewardship.
‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit’ Matthew
This demonstrates the Christian belief about the Holy Trinity, showing that God can be understood in three different ways: as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God has three different aspects.
This is contradicted by the Muslim belief of Tawhid which is the ‘oneness’ of Allah.
‘Christ Jesus: Who, in being very nature God’ Philippians
This shows the idea of God the Son- that Jesus was God incarnate (in physical, human form). Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, which makes him the Son of God.
‘Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?’ Corinthians
This shows how the New Testament conveys the idea that the Holy Spirit is within everyone; the Holy Spirit being the aspect of God who intervenes in the World today- through the lives of people.
this can be seen through Pentecostal Worship, where they believe the Holy Spirit guides them, giving them things to say.
‘The heavens declare the Glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands.’ Psalms
This is a line often used to support William Paley’s teleological (design) argument- the World portrays a picture of organisation and fitting together just like that of a watch- showing how through the creatures of the World, we can see how it must have a designer- God
‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control’ Galatians
This shows how Christians believe the Holy Spirit is a way of god intervening in the World- it’s how God is able to act today trough the actions of others by using the Holy Spirit to guide them.
