Existence of God and Revelation Flashcards
Omnipotent
God is all powerful
Omniscient
God is all knowing
Omnipresent
God is everywhere all at once
Benevolent
God is all loving
Transcendent
God is outside our universe and beyond human comprehension
Teleological argument
Design argument
The world is too detailed naturally and complicated for no creator
Arguments for teleological argument
Analogy of a storm going through a junkyard and forming a passenger plane
The complexity in nature ie Fibonacci’s sequence
Arguments against teleological argument
The Universe is so massive that the chance of it producing a complex world like our own isn’t entirely impossible
These complexities evolved, weren’t there from the start
First cause argument
Everything must be caused by something else and that first cause is God
And there is no beginning because it must be eternal (God)
Arguments for first cause argument
The Big Bang was maybe caused by God?
God is eternal and so it doesn’t have a beginning
Arguments against first cause argument
What made God?
If the Universe is also eternal, then why is that not the beginning instead of God?
God isn’t simply a cause because he is actively involved with us
Infinite regress is possible
Miracle
An event that can’t be explained by science
Could potentially prove existence in God
General revelation
A way God reveals himself through the natural world
A more indirect way, such as the beauty of nature reminds people of God
Forms of general revelation
Conscience (moral voice in your head)
Prophets
Scripture
God’s creation
Special revelation
God reveals himself directly to an individual
Forms of special revelation
A dream
A miracle
A vision
A prophecy (being told a future event by the divine)
What does the Bible say about visions and dreams?
Old Testament:
‘I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream.’
What does the Bible say about miracles?
In the New Testament
Saul/ Paul was persecuting Jesus’s disciples, was blinded by the light but could see again because of Jesus’s miracle
Arguments for miracles
They can’t be explained by science. Why did this happen otherwise?
Explained by God being all powerful and loving
Many verified accounts
Arguments against miracles
Why is there a need for small miracles if can just make a perfect planet
Why do they only happen to a select few people? How are they decided
Placebo effect, you really believe and it will happen
Where is evidence that God is all powerful?
He created the universe in 7 days
He has caused miracles to defy nature and help others
In the Old Testament he helped Moses by parting the sea and sending plagues
Where is evidence that God is all loving?
Psalm: ‘But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God’
Modern day people claim miracles and Jesus did that
God sent Jesus as sacrifice to forgive our sins
Where is evidence that God is all knowing?
‘Not one sparrow is forgotten by God’ = he knows everything
Evidence that God is in a trinity?
Gospel of John: ‘For i and the father am one’
Moral evil
Caused by acts of humans eg murder
Natural evil
Caused by natural disasters or things humans cant control
Inconsistent triad
God exists
He has to be benevolent and omnipotent
But evil exists
Why doesn’t he get rid of it?
Theodicy
Attempt to show how evil and an omnipotent/ benevolent God can coexist
List of theodicies
Free will
Original sin
Soul making
The Devil
Suffering is a test
God is transcendent
Free will
God has to have given us free will so he can be benevolent
Otherwise we don’t have freedom, showing a tyrannical God
Therefore the suffering caused by evil is a price to pay for our freedom
Bible about free will
‘It is for freedom that God has set us free’ Romans
Arguments for free will
It allows us to have individuality
It allows self determination and bodily autonomy
God gave us these things because he is all loving
He is also all knowing so he understands that this plan is the best way
Arguments against free will
What’s the point in giving us free will if we use it wrong and are punished eternally in hell
Why no limit on suffering? Some stuff is really bad God doesn’t need to go that far to prove a point
Suffering is a test from god
A test of faith
Like in the Bible when Jesus was tempted by the devil
Shows how evil tempts us but by following god’s plan we have greater rewards
Original sin
Disobedience of Adam and Eve caused a separation between heaven and earth
Caused Evelio to be released into the world
Soul making
Suffering allows us to grow as people and become developed and perfected to enter heaven
We can’t understand evil and suffering
God is transcendent
We just have to place more faith in him
Quote for suffering as a test
“Whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that testing of your faith produces perseverances”
What will the day of judgement be like?
People will receive special revelation:
“In the last days, god says, I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sins and daughters will prophesy”
Bible quote on omnipotence
“Great is our Lord and mighty in power, his understanding has no limit”
David Hume beliefs on miracles (against)
More evidence against miracles than not
Ockham’s razor = miracles have most assumptions so less likely
Witnesses must be well educated, not from ‘barbarous nations’ or biased
Miracles from different religions cancel each other out
