Existence of God Flashcards
Briefly outline the Design Argument, after William Paley and Aquinas
Paley - Every watch had a watch maker, so therefore the earth must have an “earth maker” ie. God
Aquinas - If there is an arrow stuck in a tree you can infer that someone must have shot the arrow
Give two criticisms of the Design Argument:
Evolution - not everything is perfect
Faults - natural disasters
What is F.R. Tennant’s Anthropic Principle? (Think Goldilocks!)
The odds and conditions for the universe to exist, let alone exist with life are so extreme and finely tuned it is almost impossible that there must be a fine tuner
Give one criticism of the Anthropic Principle:
There could be infinite universes and therefore infinite chance for the right conditions
Briefly outline the Cosmological (causation) argument, after Aquinas
Everything has a cause that is not itself, therefore there must be a initial cause as there cannot be infinite causes, so the initial cause must be God
Give two criticisms of the Cosmological Argument:
- What is God’s cause
2. Just because we observe the rule of cause and effect, does not mean that the rule apply to the universe itself
Why did Cardinal Newman believe your conscience was proof of God?
Newman believe that our conscience was God telling us what is right or wrong
Give one criticism of Newman’s belief about conscience:
People can still do bad things without knowing, or feeling bad (ignorance)
What are the four types of miracles that Jesus performed?
- Healing - Jesus heals a sufferer
- Nature - Where nature is controlled
- Raising the dead - bringing someone back to life
- Exorcism - Expelling a spirit from a body
What are two different Sacraments?
- Marriage
2. Eucharist
Why is the Eucharist important for Christians?
It represent the body and blood of Jesus (or is for catholics) and brings you physically closer to Jesus and therefore God
Why did Lourdes become a place of pilgrimage?
A vision of the Virgin Mary and a spring of water appeared
What do Catholic
Christians do at Lourdes?
- Pray
- Drink Water from the spring
- Eucharist during congregation
Describe in detail a example of a conversion religious experience
At Paul (formerly saul) was a devout Jew that would kill and persecuted christians who were often in hiding, one day while riding to damascus he fell, and God/Jesus asked “why do you kill my people” Saul went blind for 3 days and then “at once he started preaching in the synagogues, Jesus is the sons of God” he changed his name to Paul and became a very influential Christian
What is a Vision in a religious experience
seeing something supernatural, such as a religious figure
