Christian Beliefs Flashcards
omnipotent
all powerful
omniscient
all knowing
omnibenevolent
all loving
transcendent
apart from creation
god the creator
God spoke logos ( the word ) which created the world and bought order to it
creation truths
- god created everything
- god is responsible for the order of the universe
- everything that god created was good
- humans are made in the image of god
- humans were given dominion
the problem of evil
if god is all omni, why does he let suffering happen?
3 solutions to the problem of evil
- free will
- the devil
- a test
problems with the solutions
- free will doesn’t natural disasters
- the devil was created by god and can be destroyed by him
- god tests some people more than others
the story of Pentecost
the disciples were hiding afraid they might be put to death for being jesus’ followers then the holy spirit appeared as wind and fire and gave them the power to speak different languages
how the holy spirit changes lives
- gives them healing powers
- gives them courage
- gives them ability to speak in tongues
incarnation
to become flesh, when God took the form of Jesus
the gospels of Matthew and Luke
the story of Jesus’s birth was literally true
John’s gospel
God spoke the word (logos) and bought order to creation
why was the story of Jesus’s birth important?
- it shows he was fully human as he was born
- it shows he was special as he wasn’t conceived normally
why was the incarnation important?
it shows God loves us so much that he was prepared to become a humble man
atonement
restoring the relationship with God so we can go to heaven
3 examples of proof of the resurrection
- he ate with the disciples
- Thomas put his hands through Jesus’ wounds
- he walked down the road with some men
why is the resurrection important?
- it shows God is more powerful than death
- it shows there an afterlife
- Jesus was the son of God
- Christians are praying to someone who understands what human life is like
near death experiences
people believe they are travelling towards a light but God tells them its not their time
out of body experience
people look down on themselves in a near death experience
atheists belief on life after death
our brains die with us so there’s no soul to carry onto the next life
we must accept life is arbitrary where good and bad things happen to random people
resurrection of the body- Apostles Creed
‘I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting’
christian beliefs on the resurrection of the body
our whole body will be resurrected like Jesus was and we will still be a normal human
Day of Judgement
we are just lying in our graves until at the end of time, when Jesus will return and take the ‘saved’ to Heaven
Heaven or Hell is symbolic
Heaven is what we desire most in life
Hell is eternity separated from God
C.S. Lewis
suggests Heaven and Hell are the same place but we either enjoy being in God’s presence because we believe we are forgiven or we hate it as we feel guilty
Catholics view on Heaven and Hell
we will spend time in purgatory paying for our sins before we go to Heaven
how to get into Heaven
Some Christians believe we go to Heaven by doing ‘good works’ like following the 10 commandments or Jesus’ example
they are a way of thanking God
story of the sheep and the goats
Jesus illustrates good works by letting the people who have done good for society go to Heaven
Protestant Christians view on Heaven
we are all sinners because of original sin so we don’t deserve Heaven
Afterlife- John 3:16
‘for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life’
how does the belief in the afterlife influence Christians today?
- they will do good works
- evangelise to convert others to Christianity
- it helps with grieving
- repays God for sacrificing Jesus
