Believing in God Flashcards
1
Q
How can a religious experience lead to a belief in God?
A
- Miracles break the law of science and make you think only God could’ve done it eg Chilean miners
- Numinous gives you a feeling of the presence of something greater e.g. looking at stars
- Answered prayers show that you have contacted God and God has responded to you
- Conversion experiences show that a life has changed perhaps following a vision or hearing the voice of God eg Davey Falcus
2
Q
Some do not accept religious experiences because…
A
- Miracles may simply be coincidence or luck – there is usually a simple reason
- The numinous is simply a feeling – it offers no real evidence of God
- Many people pray and they go unanswered thinking God is not real
- Visions and voices may be the product of other things e.g. drugs/alcohol/hallucinations
3
Q
Argument from design can lead to a belief in God because…
A
- If something has been designed then it must have a designer. Must have been designed by a powerful figure due to its complexity
- The universe we live in is governed by laws which all involve complex things working together.
- There seems to be many examples of things that have been designed in the world such as the human eye
- Logical, step-by-step argument, easy to follow
4
Q
How can a religious upbringing lead to a belief in God?
A
- Going to Church and surrounded by believers
- Going to a Catholic school – prayers, assemblies, RE lessons
- Praying with your family as a child
- Sacraments like Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation
5
Q
Some disagree with the argument from design because…
A
- All the evidence for design can be explained by science not God.
- The argument proves there could be a designer but it doesn’t prove that the designer is God.
- There are many examples of poor design such as volcanoes and earthquakes which seem to prove that God doesn’t exist.
- Fossil records show that humans were not designed but evolved
6
Q
Argument from causation can lead to a belief as …
A
- If everything has a cause, then the universe must have a cause so we need something that has always existed to cause the world and this is God.
- People believe that the universe must have had a beginning therefore there must have been a first cause.
- This is God as God is uncaused.
- The world we live in is intricate and complex and many Christians believe that God caused the world to work in this way as he is omnipotent.
- Must have been designed by an Omniscient figure who knew what the effect was going to be , this is God
7
Q
Some do not accept the argument from causation because…
A
- If God caused the universe then what caused God? This could show that God does not exist.
- The universe could have existed forever which means it doesn’t need a cause.
- Even if there is a first cause it does not prove that this cause is God.
- If God is the cause then that means God caused natural evil.
8
Q
Scientific explanations for the origin of the universe
A
- The Big Bang is a theory that means God did not create the world
- The theory of evolution shows that life has developed over millions of years, disregards Adam and Eve story
- Fossil records show that many of the stories in the Bible about how the world started are wrong
- Carbon dating has proven that the world is far older than the Bible says it is, older than 2000 BC
9
Q
Christians believe scientific explanations prove God’s existence as …
A
- The Big Bang had to happen at the exact micro second to support life
- The universe is very complex so only God could have created it
- The Bible and science fit together – one day in Genesis could represent millions of years
- The order in Genesis is similar to the order of the Big Bang
10
Q
Unanswered prayers
A
- God is supposed to care for world and answer prayers but He does not e.g. world peace or an end to starvation.
- Someone may have prayed to God asking for a loved one to be healed and they die.
- God is meant to be all-powerful (omnipotent) so he should answer all prayers
- God is meant to be all-loving (omni-benevolent) which means He should help all those people who pray
11
Q
Christian responses to unanswered prayers
A
- God does answer our prayers but sometimes he says ‘no’ or ‘not now’.
- God does not answer prayers because they are selfish
- God answers all prayers but often not in the way we expect them to be answered.
- We cannot understand the reasons why God has not answered prayers but we have to just accept it.
12
Q
Evil and suffering
A
- If God is all- powerful (omnipotent) he must be able to stop evil and suffering.
- If God is all-loving (omni-benevolent) he must not want any evil or suffering.
- If God is all knowing (omniscient) he would know what is going to happen and use his power to stop it.
- If God exists there should be no evil and suffering. As there is evil and suffering either God is not all-powerful, all loving and all knowing or God does not exist.
13
Q
Christian response to evil and suffering
A
- Praying for those who suffer and helping those who suffer e.g. CAFOD, New Testament teaches that Jesus taught that evil was something to be fought against
- Saying that evil and suffering are not God’s fault and it is the result of human free-will.
- Believing that evil and suffering are not a problem because they are part of a plan in which those who suffer will be rewarded in heaven when they die.
- Suggesting that God must have a reason but humans cannot know or understand because they are not God.
14
Q
How does the media portray belief in God?
A
- Bruce Almighty shows that God is said to perform miracles – people question why God doesn’t perform more miracles
- God does not answer people’s prayers in the film which can affect belief
- The homeless man in the film shows suffering which affects belief
- God cannot make Bruce’s girlfriend love him which shows free will and affects belief
- Homer the heretic shows that going to Church is not exciting which affects belief
- Homer the heretic shows that God helps those who believe in Him
15
Q
Agnosticism
A
Not being sure whether God exists
