Exam Question Practice

Question 1

Explain two similar beliefs found in the idea of Christian evangelism

Answer 1

Christina beliefs should be spread everywhere and to anywhere eg the fresh expressions of different churches set up in different places
To persuade people to accept Jesus as their lord and saviour eg through public preachings and personal witness.

Question 2

Contrasting beliefs about whether baptism is necessary.

Answer 2

Unnecessary because God’s love is not dependent on our actions eg unconditional love (grace)
Should be baptised because Jesus was eg follow his teaching “baptise them in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit”.

Question 3

Beliefs about the important of the Eucharist?

Answer 3

Important for Catholics because they believe in transubstantiation eg the idea that the bread and wine turn into the actual body and blood of Jesus.
It is a bond uniting Christians with each other and Jesus, known as communion eg Anglicans believe this because they think Jesus is spiritually present in the bread and wine.

Question 4

How do food banks demonstrate ‘faith in action’?

Answer 4

Anyone is helped, despite gender or race eg Bible teaches we are “all one in Christ” so no one is discriminated against.
People are physically being helped eg in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, it shows how we need to help anyone who needs it.

Question 5

How is pilgrimage important for Christians?

Answer 5

Allows focus on faith eg visiting Iona makes you think about the history of Christianity and how Columba aimed to spread the Christian message.
Can bring healing, either spiritual or physical eg in Lourdes Bernadette’s friend bathed her dislocated arm in the River Gave and it healed. Now people visit in hope for healing. If they don’t experience physically healing, they claim to have been healed spiritually.

Question 6

How does the resurrection influence Christian’s today?

Answer 6

Belief that God is omnipotent.
God will resurrect us in Heaven.
Reinforces the idea that Jesus is the son of God.

Question 7

How does the trinity influence Christians?

Answer 7

God is not a normal person, he is a spiritual experience whose mystery inspires.
God is loving eg he sent his only son down to earth to spread the Christian message.
God understands the world because he has seen it throw a human form.

Question 8

How does the Creation story influence Christians?

Answer 8

God is omnipotent.

We are special because God created us “in his own image”.

Question 9

How does the belief in hell not fit with the idea of a loving God?

Answer 9

People are banished to a place without God (hell) eg God doesn’t give second chances and is not accepting of mistakes, therefore suggesting he is not loving.
God separates some people to heaven and some to hell eg this suggests we are not “all one in Christ” and eventually God defused who is essentially worth it.

Question 10

Two Christina beliefs about salvation?

Answer 10

Jesus died to allow salvation eg “we are healed by the punishment he suffered”.
Find salvation by following God’s teaching eg we will be delivered from sin and admitted to Heaven.

Question 11

Two Christian teachings about the incarnation?

Answer 11

God took human form on earth as Jesus eg “the Word became flesh and lived among us”.
Demonstrates God is benevolent eg he sent his only son to earth to atone us for our sins through the crucifixion.

Question 12

Explain two Christian teachings about the afterlife.

Answer 12

We will be judged on judgement day eg in The Parable of the Goat and the Sheep God says he will “separate the sheep from the goats”.
Catholics believe in purgatory eg this is a waiting place where a person’s sins are re going to Heaven.

Question 13

Explain two similar features of Buddhist temples.

Answer 13

Shrine room containing rupa
In Mahayana the rupa is a statue of a Bodhisattva - tyre are usually three main rupa known as a triad. In Theravada Buddhism they generally have one key rupa surrounded by smaller ones. In both of these schools of Buddhism, the rupa is used to aid mediation, or symbolic offerings will be made in front of the rupa.

Question 14

Explain two contrasting ways a Buddhist might worship.

Answer 14

Making offerings - the offerings have religious symbolism eg flowers symbolise anicca.
Bowing to the Buddha rupa - a Buddhist might bow three times to represent the three jewels, The Buddha, The Dhamma and The Sangha.

Question 15

Explain two similar features of a Buddhist funeral in two religious traditions.

Answer 15

In Theravada Buddhism, monks will sit facing the coffin. They do this to remind themselves of anicca, the idea that nothing is permanent.
In Japanese Buddhism,
Roasts will kneel before the coffin as they recite the sutras. This will also remind them of the Three Marks of existence, as well as sending the deceased good merit for their next life.

Question 16

Two ways Wesek is important for the life of a Buddhist.

Answer 16

Inspires Buddhists to become enlightened. Because it focuses on the day the Buddha was born, enlightened and died. Buddhists remember what the Buddha did to become enlightened, so can try to replicate that themselves.
Inspires Buddhists to follow the Buddha’s key teachings. Eg they might be encouraged to follow the noble eightfold path so they can live a good life like the Buddha.

Question 17

Two contrasting aims of Buddhist meditation.

Answer 17

The aim of Samatha meditation is the encouragement of stillness and focus/concentration. A Buddhist would do this through the eight trance levels and mindfulness of breathing.
Whereas the aim of Vipassana meditation is insight. Eg they focus on analysing the mind and the attachment to the material world in order to relieve insight into the Three Marks of existence.

Question 18

Explain two ways death ceremonies are important to Buddhists in Tibet.

Answer 18

Preparation for Bardo. Tibetan Buddhists believe that a dead person will go to Bardo for 49 days where they will experience a glimpse of enlightenment. If the sense of “I” is too strong they will be pulled away and sent to their next life.
Also important because it is the final act of Dana for the dead: this is one of the six perfections and means generosity. This is because during a sky burial the body is dismembered and offered to the vultures.

Question 19

Two ways in which the five precepts are important in a Buddhists life.

Answer 19

Accumulate good karma - eg by “not harming any living being” they are following the key concept of Metta which will bring good karma as they are behaving in a skilful (upaya kusala) way.
Brings the Buddhist closer to enlightenment. By following the precepts they are living closer to the way the Buddha did, and following his teachings, consequently making them more likely to achieve enlightenment.

Question 20

Two ways retreats might be important for Buddhists in Great Britain today.

Answer 20

Allows a Buddhist to escape the stresses of Western Society. This is because a retreat can be considered a ‘spiritual battery recharge’ so Buddhists will return relaxed and content with their religion.
Form a sense of community. Buddhists have the chance to meet other participants and develop their understanding of The Dhamma. They would find this important as it was the Buddha himself who encouraged monks to secluded themselves during the three month rainy season.

Question 21

Two ways the belief in Pure Land might influence a Buddhist today?

Answer 21

To believe in Amitabha - the principle Buddha of Pure Land Buddhism. He said that anyone who believed in him could go to his Heaven.
Influenced to chant. This is because a monk names Honen said that chanting “Nama Amida Butsu” was enough to attain birth in Pure Land Buddhism.

Question 22

Influences of the three noble truths.

Answer 22

Encourage them to accept that nothing is permenant so will encourage them not to care about material possessions.
Not to be selfish - the self is an illusion (anatta) so would be silly to put it first.

Question 23

Explain two ways in which the belief in magga (the path) might influence Buddhists today.

Answer 23

To meditate - Right Concentration is one element of the eight sections. Also an element of the threefold way.
To not lie and only speak kind words. This is because Right Speech is one elect on The Noble Eightfold Path.

Question 24

How might dependant arising influence Buddhists today?

Answer 24

Merit make and build good karma - this is because the life we live now will affect their next life in the cycle of samsara. Eg whether they are reborn as a beetle or a lord.
To be kind to people. As independent events cause the occurrence of other events, being kind to someone may cause them to be kind to someone else.

Question 25

Two Buddhists teachings about the human personality.

Answer 25

We are made up of five aggregates/skhandas: physical form, mental formation, perception, sensations and consciousness.
It is impermanent, due to the belief in anicca. Th s means the skhandas are constantly changing within us and our personality does not remain the same - this explains anatta (non-self).

Question 26

Two Buddhists teachings about enlightenment?

Answer 26

Experience a state of nirvana. This is complete peace without the presence of suffering or the three poisons. This is the main goal of all. Dud hosts and the Buddha described the journey to it as a “chariot”.
Once you reach enlightenment you will be relaxed from the cycle of samsara. This means that they will no longer be reborn into a new life.

Question 27

Explain two Buddhist teachings about the importance of the Buddha (five marks).

Answer 27

Both Theravada and Mayhayana Buddhists believe that the Buddha is important, demonstrated through the rupa in the shrine room. Buddhists will worship and make offerings to these statues of the Buddha/A Bodhisattva.
Buddhists try to lead their lives as similar to the Buddha as they can. For example, after the Buddha was enlightened under the Bodhi tree he returned to the ascetics and helped them achieve enlightenment themselves. Therefore, Buddhists should try and lead a life filled with helping people.