existence of god Flashcards
What are Christian beliefs on the Trinity?
- MOST CHRISTIANS BELIEVE in the Trinity
exceptions include: - Unitarian - God is only one being
- Jehovah’s Witnesses - Reject Trinity, believe Jehovah created Jesus (and therefore isnt eternal), Holy Spirit is the force in which he acts through
- Orthodox - God the Father is the source of all things
SOA that supports existence of Trinity?
Matthew 3:16
As soon as Jesus was baptized , he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
What story showcases God’s relationship with THE WORLD?
What does it reveal about God?
-The Creation story, Genesis
* natural world is a witness to the existence of God - proof of God’s power
* God sustains the earth, provides everything that’s needed, God’s involvement continues
SOA showing God sustains the earth?
can be used to proof God as a ‘sustainer’ (nature of God)
Pslam 147:8
‘He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills’
SOA showing God’s existence through the natural world?
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities…have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse’
What is meant by ‘ex-nihilo’ and what does it say about God?
God existed before all things out of nothing
-he exists beyond the world, doesn’t need anything to exist
What is meant by ‘atemporal’ and what does it say about God?
God can see all things PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE, created time and is not limited by it
-could be interpreted to mean that HE CANNOT INTERVENE WITH CREATION (e.g answer prayers), already has a set plan
SOA for God being atemporal?
Jeremiah 29:11
‘For I know I have plans for you, declares the Lord… plans to give you a hope and a future.’
Why is God’s relationship with HUMANITY considered ‘unique?’
‘Let us create mankid in our image, in our likeness’ (Genesis)
* Created in his image
* God breathed life into them
* Gave humans responsibility and power
Examples of God’s relationship in the Bible?
-God’s covenant with Abraham
-Existence of laws and commandments
-means of salvation
Why are there different beliefs about God’s relationship with humanity and the world?
-IF GOD IS ATEMPORAL, he has a plan for everyone, therefore peoples prayers will not make a difference - God not interacting with humanity
-RCC - Priests called into ministry BY GOD, when priest is ordained he is acting in the power of Christ, INITMATE RELATIONSHIP
-Protestants - no mediator required between believers and God, Jesus enabled all people to pray directly to him
How is God’s goodness revealed?
four (long) points here
- CREATION- describes his creation as “good”, everything he provide sustains the world
- (provision of) LAWS- God wants his people to act in morally good ways, God’s rules are the best way of life because he is good, God allows free will and doesn’t force goodness
- JUDGEMENT- God knows and sees everything, ensures fair judgement after death, reflects goodness
- SALVATION- offers humans forgiveness through Jesus’ resurrection, ultimate sacrafice, able to spend eternity with God if they repent and have faith
How is a Christian affected by God’s goodness?
- would mirror the goodness God gives
- forgive others (as they know God forgives them)
- protect the environment (God made the earth to sustain us)
Who might challenge God’s goodness?
- SECULARISTS (ALL CHRISTIANS BELIEVE GOD IS THE SOURCE OF GOODNESS!!)
- e.g. Richard Dawkins (famous secularist) gives example in Joshua 1:11 - God allowing his people to destroy other nations to take land for themselves
Christian beliefs about evil and suffering?
- evil as a TEST (of faith)- think story of Job, evil as a punishment for non-believers
- evil as aRESULT OF HUMAN SIN- Adam and Eve, The Fall,St Augustinetaught evil as the responsibility of humans creating the wrong decisions
- evil as a LESSON - Iraneus, believed humans were created immature + need to develop to perfection, planned by God
What is the DESIGN/TELEOLOGICAL ARGUEMENT?
The complexity of nature proves there must be a designer (God)
* evidence of design + purpose = perfect amount of gases in the atmosphere to sustain life
* WILLIAM PALEY - analogy of a watchmaker
* Find watch in a field, it’s complex design would be proof that someone must’ve designed and made it (acceptence of watch being well designed in such a state must mean God is also a designer)
Problems with the telelogical arguement?
- existence of evil/illness = bad design
- whole universe not explored, other parts may be chaos
- existence of scientific arguements, the Big Bang
What is the FIRST CAUSE ARGUEMENT?
Everything in the universe has a cause/needed to be caused by something else, the first uncaused causer is God (ex-nihilo)
* arguement created by Philosopher Thomas Aquinas
What is the MORAL ARGUEMENT?
Feeling of a moral conscience is universal, existence of morals = existence of a moral lawgiver (God)
* Cardinal John Newman, feeling of guilt is God speaking through us, reminder that we are responsible to him
* Immanuel Kant, people commit to doing morally good things in life to recieve good judegement when they die, proves existence of God as people wouldn’t have incentive otherwise to be good
What are the three different ways of interpreting scripture?
Fundamentalist - ABSOLUTE TRUTH
-Bible = literal word of God
-live strictly according to the Bible
Conservative - HUMANS INSPIRED BY WORD OF GOD
-Bible was written by humans, bound to have mistakes, should be interpreted to be applicable and relevant to the world
-e.g. Adam and Eve could be interpeted as myth
Liberal - BIBLE AS A SYMBOLIC GUIDE
-science > Bible
-individuals seek meanings from the Bible and apply it to their own lives
SOA for a fundamentalist view of the Bible?
‘For the Word of God is alive and active…it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart’ (Hebrews)
How is God revealed through Jesus?
GOD IS SHOWN IN A WAY HUMANS CAN UNDERSTAND
-demonstration of His agape love (e.g. crucifixion, performing miracles)
-Jesus as a human example of godly living, people should try to live like him
SOA for God revealed as Jesus?
‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory…’ (John)
What is a miracle? Give examples of miracles in the Bible.
A wonderful event or act that cannot be explained by the laws of nature
-Wedding of Caina, water into wine
-Feeding of the 5000
-Jesus’ ressurection
God intervening with the laws of nature
