christian beliefs and teachings Flashcards
what evidence could be used to prove God?
empirical evidence
circumstantial evidence
experimental/ testimonial evidence
anecdotal evidence
intuition
what is empirical evidence?
information that is gathered using sensory observation and experimentation
most scientific investigation involves gathering and interpreting this type of evidence
what is ontological proof?
people describe God as “that than which nothing greater can be conceived”
you cannot think of anything greater/ more important than the idea of God so therefore there must be God
what is Cosmological Proof? (first cause argument)
everything that happens has a cause so therefore something must have caused it to happen
the first cause has to be very special- God
what is teleological proof (design argument)
William Paley- watch- designed for a purpose- the world is so complicated it must have been designed- the designer must have been God
what is the moral argument?
God exists because within ourselves, we have the ability to know the difference between right and wrong and this ability must have come from God
what is religious experience?
this proof comes from Christians who believe God has spoken to them or revealed his wishes to them through visions, the Bible etc
what is revelation?
God can be known as humans though what he chooses to reveal of Himself
revelation is an example of religious experience
what is the Son of God?
Jesus is an incarnation of an aspect of God
what do Christians believe about Jesus?
a teacher and a guide
saviour
human
divine
eternal
what is ascension?
the event 40 days after the resurrection when Jesus returned to God, the Father, in Heaven
what do Christians believe about resurrection?
shows the power of good over evil
what does salvation mean?
to be saved from sin and be granted eternal life from God
which 2 ways can Christians gain salvation?
salvation through good works and following the teachings and the laws in the Bible
salvation through grace and the work of the Holy Spirit
what is the Inconsistent Triad?
evil exists
God is omnibenevolent (all loving)
God is omnipotent (all-powerful)
what is the inconsistent triad?
if God exists then he must be omnibenevolent and omnipotent
if God is omnipotent, then he is able to prevent evil
if God is omnibenevolent, then he should want to prevent evil
evil exists
therefore God is neither omnibenevolent or omnipotent
what do Roman Catholics believe?
the largest Catholic denomination in the world
the Pope is the head of the Church
Bishops are thought to be successors of their disciples
Catholics will often confess their sins and ask for forgiveness
what do Protestants believe?
(Church of England/Anglican)
modern in their views- they allow women to be vicars and bishops
the King is the head of the Church Archbishop of Canterbury is their leader
what are Non Conformists?
made up of many groups of Christians including Baptists, Methodists and the Salvation Army
they regard the Bible as highly important
they worship as they wish
do not tend to have a head of the Church
what are Orthodox?
some churches have their own head while others are self-governing
icons are of great importance
prayer is important and they fast to show their commitment to God
