Belief About Deity (P) Flashcards
What’s the cosmological argument?
Theory by St Thomas Aquinas - backed by Big Bang.
The universe must have come from something or somewhere, questioned by the quote “why is there something rather than nothing?”
He wanted to prove this theory saying that everyone can be traced back to the beginning (meaning god).
Big Bang is proof as it wasn’t something that happened in the universe; it created the universe, proving it can be traced.
Flaws would be that we are unable to understand what caused the Big Bang and science tells us how it works but not a plan or creator.
What’s the teleological argument?
A theory involving Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and William Paley.
The world is so complex and intricate that it must have been designed by someone and couldn’t be done by chance.
Isaac Newton argued that the human thumb is so detailed and unique that it must have been designed. DNA shows how it must have been designed.
Paley came up with the watch idea that if someone saw a rock, they’d think it was always there whereas if they saw a watch, with many moving parts, they’d think it was made by someone.
Darwin contradicted the point with the theory of evolution and genetic mutation.
Richard Dawkins disagrees with the argument and says that the blind watchmaker is true: the only watchmakers are the blind forces of physics
What’s the experience argument?
The argument involving Rudolph Otto.
It is simply that people believe in God after experiences about god through various ways e.g. Miracles and near death experiences.
He believed in numinous which is fear and fascination in an experience believing that it’s the only possible experience. He doesn’t take other emotions such as euthanasia into account.
On the other hand, experiences can be provoked by the mind and beliefs so a main opposition is that not everyone experiences things so not everyone will believe. These experiences may be the imagination as no one can prove them.
What’s the moral argument?
It includes John Newman.
The main goals for humans is to achieve pure, perfect happiness therefore they believe that God and the afterlife must exist in order for us to achieve happiness.
This was backed by Newman’s quote “we feel responsibility, are ashamed, are frightened at transgressing the voice of conscience, this implies that there is one to whom we are responsible”
He believed the reason we have a conscience is because God had given every individual the ‘mechanism’ to be good and honourable.
Flaws however, are that God is symbolising something we already know exists (morality). Also, morality isn’t used by all religions plus, some believe that there are other reasons for morality.
Who’s Nietzsche and the theory of the imperfect world?
He was one of the people speaking on this topic, saying that if God is omnibenevolent and omnipotent plus, as he is ‘perfect’ why does he allow an imperfect world filled with evil, pain, injustice and sadness, even to believers.
He was against the moral argument and argued that god was dead, he didn’t believe in an ultimate purpose or reason for our existence.
On the other hand, the experience argument is against this since many people have had a real experience with God.
Who is Epicurus and the evil theory?
He is an Ancient Greek philosopher who backed his argument with how there is evil in the world.
His quote “Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
This is counteracted as people believe that God gave us free will to choose what we become plus the moral argument shows we have a good ‘mechanism’.
What does messiah mean?
One who has been chosen by God to lead people towards peace.
Who is Richard Dawkins and what was his view?
He is a British author, biologist, animal behaviourist and atheist who became quite famous after his book “the selfish gene”.
He became well known as quite a strong atheist when he published “the god delusion”. But despite his strong feelings, he said we can never be 100% sure of god’s existence or not and so calls himself agnostic rather than atheist.
He lost belief in God at a young age and feels strongly against ‘labelling’ children e.g. Islamic children who won’t think of their own opinions as they grow up.
He said ‘I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world’. Which is his main argument towards religion. Some religious people are doing things which they believe in but don’t fully understand.
What do Christians believe that God is like?
Christians are monotheists – they believe that there is one God.
Very difficult to describe God as everyday language is about ordinary things and God is not ordinary.
God is often described as holy to show God is different and special.
God is eternal – beyond time and space.
God is immanent and transcendent, (both near/ within us but also beyond us.)
God is the creator of the world and humanity. ‘Is He not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?’ (Deuteronomy 32:6)
God is interested in people and how we treat one another.
God is omnipotent (all powerful)
God is omniscient (all knowing)
God will judge each individual. ‘In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead…’ (2 Timothy 4:1)
Christians try to describe God as the Trinity, the Father (God in heaven),the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit (a spirit which guides and inspires people). The Holy Spirit was sent to earth after the ascension when Jesus went back to heaven.
Why do Christians believe in God?
Generally Christians put forward two main arguments for the existence of God, the teleological argument and the cosmological argument.
The teleological argument is sometimes called the argument from design – basically the complexity of life on earth leads towards their being a creator.
The cosmological argument states that everything in the world has a First Cause – the first cause of all life must point to God.
William Paley’s watch theory (18th century) as proof of a designer.
Sir Isaac Newton, 1642-1727 one of the founders of modern science said, ‘ In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.’
Nietzsche a German philosopher concluded that God was ‘dead’ because all the above theories did not work for him, he argues there was no perfect design and that the world was actually created imperfectly. He concluded that there were no natural laws, no order and therefore no God!
We all have a sense of right and wrong – this conscience must have come from God. (some say this has come from the way you are brought up.)
Some have had a personal experience of God, had a prayer answered or been healed. (some say these personal experiences could just be mistakes.)
Some people have been brought up in a Christian family and this is just part of their lives. (some may say always having a faith in your family history is more to do with custom as opposed to faith)
No-one can prove God exists; but no-one can prove God does not.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that: God sent his Son to earth to save humanity from the consequences of its sins. Jesus was fully human, and experienced this world in the same way as other human beings of his time.
How has God intervened since the creation?
The most important way God showed his involvement and care in the world was when He came to earth as Jesus Christ, ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.’ (John 1:14)
God has acted in the world through miracles, showing both God’s power and compassion. Eg: power through the Flood, parting the Red Sea for Moses, compassion through Jesus healing the sick, making the blind see and the dead come back to life (Lazarus).
Christian beliefs on God
Christians are monotheists. This means that they believe there is only one God. It is very difficult to describe God, because everyday language is always about ordinary things but God is not ordinary.
The Trinity is a way of describing the three ways of being God – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah (Christ) for Christians, is important. He not only taught people about God, he showed them what God is like. Jesus was put to death on the cross. This was the crucifixion.
The cross is an important symbol for Christians. Christianity says that because Jesus (who was God) chose to die because he loved humanity and wanted to save them, all people were forgiven their sins and so had a chance to go to heaven.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Islamic beliefs on God
The most important belief about Allah (God) in Islam is the concept of Tawhid, which means ‘oneness’.
Tawhid begins with the idea that there is one God (monotheism), and teaches that oneness is central to the nature of Allah.
So according to Muslims, Allah:
has no partners
is omniscient (knows all things)
is omnipotent (can do anything, is all-powerful)
is the one God of all time and all humankind
He is known to have 99 names Some examples of the 99 names: Al-Rahman, the All-beneficent (the Compassionate) Al-Rahim, the Most Merciful Al-Aziz, the Almighty (the Victorious) Al-Hakam, the Judge
“Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; None is born of Him, nor is He born; And there is none like Him.”
Sikh beliefs on God
Belief in one God is central to Sikhism. Sikhs are monotheists. They believe it is important to keep the name of God in their mind and live their life as God would wish.
Sikhs believe that God:
cannot be described and is neither male nor female
is eternal truth, timeless, beyond the cycle of birth and death, and self-existent
is both sargun (immanent – everywhere and in everything) and nirgun (transcendent – above and beyond creation)
created the world for people to use and enjoy
created people, and made them know the difference between right and wrong
is present in everyone’s soul but can only be seen by those whom he blesses
is personal and available to everyone
is the only one to be worshipped; no images of God are to be worshipped
is made known by the grace of the Guru
“God is One. He is the Supreme Truth. He the Creator, is without fear and without hate. He is immortal. He is neither born and nor does He die.”
What’s the ontological arguement?
An argument put across by St Anselm of Canterbury.
Not dependent on observations but on logic and writing.
God is the most perfect being imaginable and that, if god weren’t real, we couldn’t produce such a description. God must exist - there’d be no point on our existence.
It’s fault is that it says we can know the nature of an unknowable god.
