Existence of God

Question 1

What is a Theist?

Answer 1

Somebody who believes in God.

Question 2

What is Monotheism?

Answer 2

Belief in ONE God.

Question 3

What is Polytheism?

Answer 3

Belief in many gods.

Question 4

What is an atheist?

Answer 4

An Atheist is someone who does NOT believe in God.

Question 5

What is an Agnostic?

Answer 5

An Agnostic is someone who is not sure whether or not God exists - or someone who believes that God is not relevant to their lives.

Question 6

What is the Design Argument?

Answer 6

The belief that the world is so perfect, it must have had a designer - who is God.

Question 7

What is the first cause arguement?

Answer 7

The belief that there was a first cause that started everything else off - this cause was ‘uncaused’ and was God.

Question 8

What is the Moral Argument?

Answer 8

The belief that everyone has certain rules inside of them that have been given to them by a universal law giver - God

Question 9

What is Infinite Regression?

Answer 9

The belief that time has no beginning or end.

Question 10

What is incompetent design?

Answer 10

If there is a designer of the world - then it is not a good designer as the world is so badly designed - e.g. earthquakes etc

Question 11

Who is this and what did he say?

Answer 11

William Paley

He believed the world was so complex - it must have a designer!

Question 12

Who is this and what did he say?

Answer 12

Immanuel Kant - He believed people know what is right and what is wrong - because God tells them. There is a Universal Moral Law.

Question 13

Who is this and what did he say?

Answer 13

St Thomas Aquinas - He believed everything has a cause - including the world - which was caused by God - who caused God? Nobody, God is the Uncaused Causer!

Question 14

Can you outline (say in your own words) Paleys watch??

Answer 14

1. A watch is so complex it must have a designer.

2. The eye is even more complicated - so by using the same argument, it must have a designer.

3. The world/universe is more comlex than the eye - this also, therefore, must have a designer.

4. The designer is God.

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Question 15

Can you outline the ‘First Cause’ Argument for God’s existence?

Answer 15

1. Everything that exists has been caused to exist.
2. For example, this phone/computer/ipod thing you are looking at this on didn’t just magically appear - it had a cause.
3. The universe also didn’t just magically appear - it also had to be caused.
4. The cause must have been caused by something that was uncaused - it all had to start somewhere.
5. God caused everything and He is the ‘uncaused causer.’

Question 16

Outline the argument from morality.

Answer 16

1. People know that certain things are right and wrong.
2. E.g. Murder - nobody told you that it is wrong, you just know that it is.
3. These are Universal Morals that people just know they are right and wrong.
4. If there are Universal Laws there must be a universal law giver - this person is God.