Christian Beliefs Flashcards
What is authority?
Something which influences others
What are positives of authority?
- Authorities have greater power to bring in positive changes
- There is always someone accountable for you
- It sets balance e.g. holy laws
What are negatives of authority?
- Authority should set good standards but they might be immoral
- You might disagree or feel conflicted
- Authorities can abuse their power
What does omnipotent mean?
All-powerful
What does omniscient mean?
All-knowing
What does omnipresent mean?
Everywhere
What does omnibenevolent mean?
All-loving
What does eternal mean?
Lasting forever
What does transcendent mean?
God is beyond time and space
What does immanent mean?
God is present within the world and us
What does infinite mean?
Ongoing; doesn’t have limits
What is the holy Trinity?
The belief that there are three persons in one Godhead
What does incarnate mean?
God in human form
What is moral evil?
Evil caused by humans
What is natural evil?
Evil caused by nature
What is the Inconsistent Triad?
If God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent then why does evil exist?
Who created the Inconsistent Triad?
J.L. Mackie
What are two explanations for evil?
Humans abusing their freewill and a test of faith
What is a Bible quote that shows God’s omnipotence?
Genesis 1:1-2: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty.”
Who is The Father?
The Father is the Creator and the ‘Father’ of all humanity
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the aspect of God that lives in the world today, working through the lives of Christians
Who is the Son?
The Son (Jesus) is God incarnate (God in human form)
What does Genesis mean?
Origins; beginnings; how something starts
What do Christians believe about the creation of the earth?
They believe that God created the universe and everything that is in it, including animals and human beings.
What is creed?
Statement of belief
What do Fundamentalist Christians believe?
- Take the Bible literally
- Universe was created in 6 days (of 24 hours)
- Reject scientific theories as they are not mentioned in the Bible
- God put fossils in the ground to make the earth appear older
What do Conservative Christians believe?
- Allows for science and religion to co-exist
- The 6 days of creation could represent 6 periods of time, each lasting millions of years. This can account for fossil records which seem to suggest that evolution has taken place
- God could have been behind the Big Bang
What do Liberal Christians believe?
- Genesis stories are understood in a mythical sense
- Provide important information but not factually accurate
- Tells us why rather than how the world was made
- God made the earth so that he could have a relationship with humanity
Why did Jesus have to be human?
In order to shed blood for the forgiveness of human sins
What is the belief about Jesus’s humanity and divinity?
He is fully human and fully divine
Why is it important for Christians that Jesus experienced life as a human?
It lets Christians know that God can relate to human struggles, suffering, fear and pain.
How could Jesus be born of Mary as fully human and fully divine?
By the power of the Holy Spirit
Why was Jesus’ death important?
Because, as the Son of God, his innocent death was able to become an act of atonement, taking away people’s sins.
- It gives us salvation
- Shows that God is forgiving
- Shows that God is omnipotent
- Shows that God is all-loving
- Shows that God understands humans
For what reasons was Jesus sent to death?
- People didn’t really believe He was the Son of God
- He was threatening the Roman’s power and influence - He claimed to be the ‘King of the Jews’
- Jesus’ teachings and miracles upset the Pharisees (knew deeply about the Torah) and Sadducees (priests in the Jerusalem temple)
- He was part of God’s plan
- Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus
What is atonement?
Atonement is making amends for a wrong/sin, it is the reparation of the relationship between humans and God, destroyed by sin
How did Jesus suffer?
- The crown of thorns on His head
- He had to carry the cross on his back
- They nailed His hands and feet to the cross
- People were watching Him on the cross - to set an example and humiliate Him
- He was stripped
- He was verbally abused
- A banner above Him saying INRI (Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum)
Why is atonement good?
Atonement gives the possibility of life after death
What are the three parts of Jesus’ death?
Crucifixion, resurrection, ascension
What impact could the crucifixion have for Christians today?
- It will encourage Christians not to sin
- Christians celebrate the Eucharist to remeber Jesus’ sacrifice
- It’s going to encourage Christians to follow His teachings
- Christians are going to feel grateful
- They’ll use Jesus as a role model - imitatio christi
- Christians celebrate Easter in rememberance of Jesus’ sacrifice
- Christians believe Jesus died for them, they keep their faith in Christ
- Christians believe that their relationship with God is restored
- Christians believe that God suffered with humanity out of love
When did Jesus resurrect?
Three days after his death
What is resurrection?
Rising from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead on Easter day
What did the resurrection prove?
That Jesus was divine
What is ascension?
When Jesus returns to God the Father in heaven after 40 days
What is evidence to prove that Jesus rose from the dead?
- His tomb was empty
- The stone that was at the entrance moved
- Mary Magdalene saw Him
- He was seen by any of His disciples
- There were still holes in his hands - stigmata
What are arguments against the belief that Jesus rose from the dead?
- Maybe Jesus was never in the tomb
- The Roman’s could’ve stolen His body
- Mary may have been looking in the wrong place
- Many people saw Him die on the cross
- Maybe they were hallucinating
- Scientifically, it is not possible for one to rise
What is the Divine Exchange?
When Jesus ascended to Heaven, the Holy Spirit came to earth
Why is the resurrection important for Christians?
- Without the resurection, the Christian faith would be useless
- Our sins wouldn’t have been forgiven
- Only a very powerful being could take human form and then resurrect. Reinforces the belief in Incarnation
- Jesus’ resurrection is proof that resurrection is true
- Jesus told His disciples to spread the word of God
- Shows the power of good over evil and life over death
- No need to fear death, if Christians accept Jesus they will be resurrected
- It’s important as it’s evidence of the divine nature of Jesus
Why is ascension important for Christians?
- It allowed the Holy Spirit to come to earth
- It concludes God’s plan for Jesus on earth
- Shows Jesus is with God in heaven
What is an argument for there being life after death?
Humans are made out of body and soul, the soul experiences afterlife because it can’t be killed
What are arguments against there being life after death?
- Scientists say there is no soul we are made out of cells
- Nobody has resurrected to tell us that there’s heaven
- Religion and the afterlife are tools to control people
What are different Christian views about resurrection?
- Some Chistians believe that a persons soul is resurrected soon after death
- Other Christians believe the dead will be resurrected at some time in the future when Jesus will return to judge anyone who has ever lived
- Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe in bodily resurrection. This means resurrection is both spiritual and physical: the physical body lost at
death is restored and transformed into a new spiritual body. - Some other Christians share the belief that resurrection will just be spiritual not physical.
What denomination of Christianity believes in purgatory?
Catholics
What is purgatory?
Purgatory is a place where souls go when they’re not ready for heaven. The souls stay in purgatory until they’re free from sin and can go on to heaven.
What is the Day of Judgement?
A time when the world will end and every soul will be judged by God and rewarded or punished
How will God judge people?
Based off of their life and how hard they tried to have a relationship with Him.
What are the seven deadly sins?
- Pride
- Greed
- Gluttony
- Envy
- Sloth
- Lust
- Wrath
What is sin?
Sin is any action or though that separates humans from God.
What is Original Sin?
Original Sin is a Christian doctrine that says everyone is born with a built-in urge to commit wrongdoings and disobey God. We inherit this from Adam and Eve.
What is salvation?
Being saved; being forgiven from sin and being admitted into heaven.
What are the two ways you can be saved?
- Salvation through Good Works: You are saved by doing good, e.g. following the Ten Commandments
- Salvation through Grace: You are saved by faith in Jesus. This is a gift from God.
