Existence of God

Question 1

What is the Nature of God?

Answer 1

God is:
- omnipotent
- omniscient
- immanent
- benevolent
- atemporal
-transcendent
- not limited by the laws of nature
- no physical body
- possessing Holy characteristics

Question 2

Quotes for God as the creator

Answer 2

“your Father, your creator”

Question 3

What is God’s relationship with the world like?

Answer 3

Our understanding comes from scriptures e.g. genesis
- the world is dependent on the command of God: he causes all things to exist, ensures everything is provided

Question 4

God’s relationship with humanity?

Answer 4

• Humans are unique, made in his image, stewards of his creation
  “let us man man in our image, in our likeness”
  God shows his care for humanity:
• Adam and Eve are provided everything in the Garden of eden
• provision of salvation, promised land, laws etc.

Question 5

Different views on God’s immanence.

Answer 5

traditionally- God is timeless, outside of time, atemporal, seeing and knowing it all
some - God is outside time, so cannot relate and interact with humans?
others - God is just everlasting, in time but eternal and personal, engaged

Question 6

How can you communicate with God?

Answer 6

Catholics: priests called into ministry by God, ordained in power of Christ
priests act an additional link between humans and God (Confession)
Protestant: no mediator, Christ enabled all people who truly believe to have personal relationship

Question 7

How was God’s goodness revealed through the incarnation?

Answer 7

God became human as Jesus, to
- teach people about God’s love
- show how to live in obedience to God
- die as a sacrifice for human sin
- providing opportunity for salvation
- repairing broken relationship

Question 8

How was God’s goodness revealed through creation?

Answer 8

God created the world to be ‘good’ and fit for humans

Question 9

How was God’s goodness revealed through the provision of law?

Answer 9

God gives rules on how to live a good life, wanting us to act in a way morally good and caring
but we have free will, and God never forces

Question 10

How was God’s goodness revealed through judgement?

Answer 10

God will judge fairly, giving justice
“he rules the world in righteousness”

Question 11

Challenges to God’s goodness?

Answer 11

non Christians - how is God good?
in the Old testament, floods and other examples show God’s anger, jealousy, and lack of justice

Question 12

Relationship between God and human suffering?

Answer 12

Evil as a result of human sin
Evil as a lesson - man was not created perfect, necessary to understand goodness
evil as a test - suffering is test of faith or punishment for the wicked

Question 13

What is the design argument?

Answer 13

Observations of natural world reveal complexity and order only achieved through intelligent design
Intelligent being who designed universe - God
(teological argument) e.g. william paley and watch, john mills opposite idea of cruelty in ‘God’s design’

Question 14

What is the anthropic principle?

Answer 14

uinverse is so perfectly structured to ensure life would develop
evolution was guided by God

Question 15

What is the first cause argument?

Answer 15

cosmological argument, everything in natural world has a cause, so God is the prime mover, first cause causing development of universe

Question 16

What is the moral argument?

Answer 16

The sense of guilt when someone does wrong is God speaking through their conscience. God enables a person to know right from wrong. When people do wrong, they become aware of it within themselves

Question 17

What is the soul making theodicy?

Answer 17

In this life, humans have to make decisions about what is right or worn gin any given situation. suffering and evil are opportunities for humans to learn and act in a way to please God.
The process of becoming more like God.

reject: doesn’t God judge people after death? no mention of hell or heaven?

Question 18

What is ethical living?

Answer 18

The belief in God means humans aim to live ethically.
- stewards of God’s creation -> environmental conservation
seek to follow Jesus’ example

Question 19

How do literalists/ fundamentalists experience God through scripture?

Answer 19

God revealed himself through the Bible, Word of God
Literalists/fundamentalists:
- Bible is God’s literal word recorded
- authority of Bible above all else
- God is infallible, we must trust
- live strictly according to God
- can use this to justify prejudice
(protestant, charismatic)

Question 20

How do conservative and liberal Christians experience God through scripture?

Answer 20

Conservative:
- Bible writers are inspired by God, but still human and make mistakes
- Bible needs to be relevant and applicable in today’s world
Liberal:
- bible is more mythical and symbolic
- seek to find meaning, to apply in our lives

Question 21

What are the 4 types of miracles?

Answer 21

A miracle is a supernatural event or act, where God intervenes and breaks the laws of nature
- Healing miracles (e.g. “immediately he was cured of Leprosy”)
- Miracles over nature (e.g.” “Be still” and the wind came down”)
- Raising the dead (“The dead man sat up and began to talk”)
- Exorcisms (evil spirit sent out of body)

Question 22

What do different Christians believe about modern day miracles? (denominations)

Answer 22

Catholic, Anglican:
- accept ongoing work of God through miracles
- (belief of God being immanent, personal relationship, demonstration of love and care)
Charismatic: “miracles still happen”
Some:
- God doesn’t perform miracles anymore
- he already revealed himself through Jesus and Bible (no further needed)
- questions of fairness
- God created laws of nature, why constantly break them?

Question 23

What can meeting inspirational Christians do for a believer?

Answer 23

• it can help them feel a sense of God’s presence
• it highlights to transforming power of the HS, encouragement

Question 24

What are some figures from Christian history?

Answer 24

Elizabeth Fry -> driven by God’s command to show love
George Cadbury -> built a village, improving living conditions for workers
John Weasley -> leading a revival (period of Christian growth)
Jom Elliot -> travelled to tribe to preach, massacred, his family forgave and continued mission

Question 25

What is a religious experience, and what does it lead to?

Answer 25

A religious experience is where someone has a direct encounter with God,
it frequently leads to a change in a person’s life and behaviour

example - conversion: where someone adopts a belief in God, gains new sense of direction
(Saul’s conversion as example)

Question 26

What is a mystical experience?

Answer 26

it is an overwhelming awareness of God’s presence, leaving feelings of wonder and awe, powerful, significant

example: Vision - claims of seeing something supernatural

Question 27

What are the dismissals of mystical experiences?

Answer 27

• it implies God’s revelations (Bible and incarnation) aren’t significant
• secular: how are you certain its God? perhaps misinterpretation of psychological experience?

Question 28

What do Charismatic Churches believe about ecstatic experiences?

Answer 28

Religious ecstasy:
- altered state of mind
- less aware of the world around them
- experience intense emotional and spiritual feelings about God
- trance like states
“slain the spirit”
e.g. involuntary falling when touched by minister, overcome by HS

Question 29

What do Pentecostals believe in?

Answer 29

They believe in the baptism of the HS:
- experience where believers give control over themselves to HS
(immersion, adult baptism)
(action of God’s grace, knowing Christ personally)
Belief in being filled with HS: regular relationship with God
Being equipped with gifts of HS:
-prophecy, healing, speaking in tongues (glossolalia) (ecstatic language, enabled by HS)

Question 30

Where was ‘Pentecostalism’ founded?

Answer 30

based on coming of HS to 12 apostles during first festivals of Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension
they emphasise work of HS, faith must be experienced

Question 31

Are ecstatic experiences really God?

Answer 31

• in the Bible it says “fell to ground” “Fell flat of face”
• but not explicitly referencing ecstatic experiences

Question 32

How can a believer experience God through worship?

Answer 32

Worship gives praise to God, a method of communication, God can speak to us thru prayer

Liturgical worship: provides structure, increased sense of his presence, direction
Charismatic worship: freedom allows greater personal expression and relationship

Question 33

What are sacraments?

Answer 33

outward acts, sing of inner grace, they help believers worship God correctly

Question 34

What is the sacrament of Eucharist? How do different groups experience God through it?

Answer 34

Catholic, orthodox: transubstantiation during Mass (real presence of Christ)
C of E: consubstantiation, accepting real presence of Christ, but food is unchanged
Protestant: entirely symbolic, time to encounter God thru prayer and reflection

Question 35

What is the sacrament of Penance? How do different groups experience God through it?

Answer 35

Catholic: confessing sins to the Priest, they give absolution (sins are forgiven if the person is remorseful and regretful), enabling Catholics to draw closer to God
Anglican and Others: not a sacrament, all Christians can come to God directly, confess sins, be forgiven