Christianity

Question 1

why is the incarnation important?

Answer 1

• christians believe that Jesus came to earth to enable the relationship between humanity and god to be restored
• gives Christians an example - can’t be like god, but can be like Jesus
• his death saved humanity and atoned for our sins

Question 2

why is the Trinity important for christians?

Answer 2

• promotes the monotheistic teachings while allowing god to have different qualities
• allows them to connect w god e.g. gifts from the HS

Question 3

why is the creation story important

Answer 3

it appears in the Bible which is the word of God
it is an important gift from God showing he loves us
it shows gods power
it could describe how God made the universe
sets out the role of humans as stewards of the earth

Question 4

events of the passion

Answer 4

last supper - ate w/ disciples n predicted 1 would betray him
betrayal+arrest - Judas betrays Jesus, Jesus is arrested in the garden of Gethsemane
crucifixion- jesus is crucified, forgave barrabas
resurrection- jesus is back 3 days later
ascension - jesus ascends into heaven 40 days later

Question 5

importance of the passion

Answer 5

provides evidence of Jesus’s divine and human status (died and resurrected)
gives hope of life after death
shows the relationship between God and Jesus
Jesus’s death redeemed humanity bcos sacrifice
Eucharist (one of the sacraments) is taken from the last supper + is a tradition at the centre of Christianity today

Question 6

what is salvation

Answer 6

being saved from sin through belief in Jesus

Question 7

what is atonement

Answer 7

the idea that humans are reconciled and forgiven by god, and redemption is how Christians believe this can be achieved
Jesus atoned for humanitys sin with his death

Question 8

different understandings of atonement

Answer 8

Jesus’s death as a divine sacrifice represents god’s love for humanity
Jesus’s death was a sacrifice - an offering to god to mend the broken relationship ( he is free from sin and so is able to take the role of the sacrifice)
Jesus’s death is the victory of good over evil as jesus was used as a ransom to stop the devil having a hold over humanity
Jesus’s death represents the price being paid for the forgiveness of humanity

Question 9

significance of atonement and salvation

Answer 9

restore the relationship between Jesus and god
confirm belief in an omnipotent loving God
allow humans to understand the importance of being reconciled with other humans
give humans hope that they can follow the example of Jesus to be rewarded in the eternal afterlife

Question 10

beliefs about resurrection

Answer 10

they believe that death is not the end and that the resurrection of Jesus proves life after death

Question 11

beliefs about the soul

Answer 11

death is only the end of the body - the soul is immortal
souls that have been saved either go to heaven or to purgatory ( catholicism) where they are cleansed
souls that have not achieved salvation will go to hell or cease to exist

Question 12

belief about judgement

Answer 12

god is just
god will decide the destination of every human soul after death
Jesus is also involved in the judgement and will offer every human the opportunity of salvation, those who refuse face the last judgement

Question 13

beliefs about heaven

Answer 13

mentioned in the Bible but rarely described
physical place?
spiritual state of being United with God?
no sin sadness or suffering

Question 14

beliefs about hell

Answer 14

unrepentant sinners go to hell if they don’t accept god’s offer if forgiveness and salvation
a godless place of pain and suffering.

Question 15

the inconsistent triad

Answer 15

if god is all loving he would want to remove all evil and suffering
if god is all powerful he would be able to remove all evil and suffering
if god is all knowing he would know about all evil and suffering and how to remove it

Question 16

responses to evil and suffering

Answer 16

book of Psalms - give people the opportunity to follow the example set by Jesus
job - they may not understand why they suffer, but need to trust in God and will be rewarded for doing so
free will - humans sometimes turn away from God (explains many acts of moral evil)
vale of soul-making - baso character building
prayer - god will give them strength to cope with the problems

Question 17

purpose of marriage

Answer 17

provide companionship
enjoy a moral sexual relationship
raise a family
make a lifelong commitment to another person
provide stability

Question 18

beliefs about marriage

Answer 18

a sacrament
vows are made to between the couple and god showing it is sacred and binding
a gift from God
provides security and a stable environment for kids to grow up in
not essential - some Christians believe they gave a vocation and will become a nun/monk/priest etc.

Question 19

beliefs about sexual relationships

Answer 19

casual relationships are wrong - marriage is the place for sex
adultery is forbidden and faithfulness is spoken in vows
homosexual acts are shameful
abstinence is advised before marriage
!!!some Christians believe some ideas are outdated and believe that love should be celebrated in whatever form it occurs, allowing them to accept cohabitation, homosexuality etc.

Question 20

importance and purpose of family

Answer 20

provide the right place for married couples to have kids
provides stability and security for society as kids can be raised in the correct social and moral setting
teach children the difference between right and wrong
raise kids as Christians
what God intended
provides a support network between parent and child

Question 21

ways parishes can help families

Answer 21

supporting expecting couples with classes and social events
family friendly events and special family worship
services
parental support classes
being involved with rites of passage - christenings, marriages etc.
Sunday school
counselling supportj

Question 22

Catholic beliefs about contraception

Answer 22

every sexual act should be open to the possibility of a child so artificial methods shouldn’t be used
prevents one of the main purposes of sex - kids
could encourage promiscuity or casual sex
natural contraception is acceptable as procreation is still possible
Pope Paul vi says no in humanae vitae

Question 23

protestant beliefs about contraception

Answer 23

agree
main purpose of sex is procreation but it’s also for pleasure and an expression of love between a married couple
sensible method of family planning
artificial methods don’t go against god’s teachings

Question 24

atheist + humanist beliefs about contraception

Answer 24

each person’s sitch should be taken into consideration because
- they want to plan when they have a family
- they aren’t ready to have children
-prevents spread of stis
-the couple carry genetic disorders
- pregnancy could be harmful
- the couple’s lifestyle isn’t compatible with kids
every child is wanted with contraception

Question 25

Catholic beliefs about marriage

Answer 25

divorce isn’t recognised because marriage is for life
Jesus said divorce is wrong
marriage is a sacrament and divorce would break the promises made with god
the marriage bond isn’t broken even if a legal divorce is received
remarriage after divorce is not accepted

Question 26

protestant beliefs about divorce

Answer 26

not to be encouraged but is sometimes necessary
must be acceptable as UK law allows it
people make mistakes and god is ready to forgive sins
it is up to the individual minister to decide whether a couple is allowed to remarry in their church
must be allowed because the CofE was founded so Henry VIII could get a divorce

Question 27

Christian beliefs about men and women

Answer 27

not equal - different roles
women were made as helpers for man
equal - made in god’s image
many modern Christians feel that traditional views of men being providers is outdated

Question 28

types of worship

Answer 28

mass/Eucharist - formal liturgical service where bread and wine are distributed
charismatic worship - often in Pentecostal churches, music, emphasis on the importance of spreading the gospel, speaking in tongues
private prayer - meditation, spending time alone praying, some do this on a retreat
silence - like private prayer but done collectively

Question 29

what is a sacrament

Answer 29

a rite of passage or ceremony where the grace and the power of God can be received

Question 30

seven sacraments

Answer 30

baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, penance and reconciliation, anointing of the sick, ordination, marriage,

Question 31

baptism

Answer 31

cleanses person of the original sin

welcomes them into the church

Question 32

purpose of prayer

Answer 32

to get closer to God
to praise God and thank him for what he’s done
ask for gods help
to apologise to god when a person feels they have sinned

Question 33

types of prayer

Answer 33

set prayer
the lord’s prayer
informal prayer

Question 34

importance of different types of prayer

Answer 34

different types suit different occasions

reflects the many denominations and the different ways they communicate with god

Question 35

what might a Christian do on a pilgrimage

Answer 35

visit a shrine
pray to a statue of a saint
light candles
pray for forgiveness
ask to be healed
meditate

Question 36

places of pilgrimage

Answer 36

Lourdes
Jerusalem
Santiago de Compostela
Taize
Walsingham
Iona

Question 37

Easter Vs Christmas

Answer 37

Easter proves jesus divine and human status
saved humanity and atoned for their sins
gives hope of life after death

without Christmas there would be no Easter
more widely celebrated
when God made his dwelling among us

Question 38

evangelical work
what is it?
examples?

Answer 38

spreading of faith
events open the church to non believers
providing community support
going to underdeveloped areas and help with building work, education, etc.

Question 39

role and importance of the church community

Answer 39

unites the local community
provides support and comfort when needed
offers advice and support
gives identity and belonging to people in a community

Question 40

importance of the worldwide church

Answer 40

gives a global identity to Christians
promotes unity
provides support when needed to christians, non religious individuals and other religious believers
shows how Christian teachings can be put into action globally

Question 41

Christian teachings about charity

Answer 41

treat everyone with love and compassion
Jesus’s taught about helping others
god made all humans in his own image so all people should have equality and dignity
they believe humans are held accountable for their actions in this life

Question 42

interpretations of the creation story

Answer 42

literal - science and religion DON’T complement each other - everything happened exactly as it says in the Bible 6000 years ago, reject the big bang and evolution
metaphorical - science and religion DO complement each other - they interpret genesis metaphorically, believe evolution and the big bang are part of god’s plan

Question 43

why is life sacred? why is that important

Answer 43

man was made in god’s image
we are god’s creation and he loves us
our bodies are temples of the holy spirit

it determines beliefs on issues such as euthanasia and abortion
they will value human life which impacts how they live
guides them to make moral decision

Question 44

arguments against life after death

Answer 44

humanist beliefs - when a person dies their body decays and there is nothing else, life after death is a an impossibility
comfort - it provides a false sense of comfort and control over what they fear most (death) and that’s why people believe in it
lack of evidence
fraudulent accounts - people have old others that they can contact the dead and take advantage of vulnerable people, causing many to reject the idea of an afterlife completely
social control - some believe that the idea of an afterlife is used to control people’s behaviour

Question 45

Christian responses to arguments against life after death

Answer 45

they believe:

• there is evidence of life after death - the resurrection of jesus, amongst others
• having faith is accepting things without question - life after death is part of this
• God created the world and lived his creation so he wouldn’t just allow it all to end
• their belief in the afterlife gives their lives purpose

Question 46

types of euthanasia

Answer 46

voluntary euthanasia - a person’s life is ended deliberately and painlessly at their request
assisted suicide - a person is given the means to end their own life
non- voluntary suicide - ending a person’s life even they are unable to ask but there is good reason for thinking that it’s what they would want (e.g. if they are on life support and there is no medical chance of recovery)

Question 47

arguments against euthanasia

Answer 47

all life is sacred
slippery slope - what warrants euthanasia? where do we draw the line?
hospices provide palliative care - relieving the symptoms of a condition a person is dying from so it’s not needed
it’s murder and therefore against the 10 commandments
only God can give and take away life
we are stewards of god’s creation, and part of god’s creation so we must look after ourselves

Question 48

arguments for euthanasia

Answer 48

it is the kindest thing in some sitches
allows the person to die a painless gentle death
patient dies with dignity
saves medical, time, space and money
relieves the burden on families and society
it is abiding by a person’s wishes if they asked for it

Question 49

arguments against vegetarianism

Answer 49

god gave animals to humans for food
humans were given dominion over animals
humans were made in god’s image so animals are not as important as people
it might be for the greatest good

Question 50

arguments for vegetarianism

Answer 50

God created animals so they are also important and should not suffer
time believe God only have plants and trees as food, not animals
it is better for the environment and as stewards of the earth we should aim to be veggie

Question 51

why should Christians care for the earth

Answer 51

the Bible teaches that we should care for the earth
the world is a sacred gift from God
humans will be judged after death by how they treated the earth among other things
god gave humans responsibility of stewardship of the earth - caring for it for future generations