Experiencing God

Question 1

what do all christians believe about experiencing God?

Answer 1

when they were converted they were filled with God’s Holy Spirit and they experience his impact in his life

Question 2

what are the ways christians believe God might be revealed?

Answer 2

meeting inspirational people
bible / scriptures 
jesus 
figures from Christian history 
god acting in world 
conscience 
miracles

Question 3

those who believe that the bible is the word of God, what do they believe?

Answer 3

literally God’s words
no errors in bible, all it says is true
bible > science

Question 4

christians that take the bible literally, what are the called?

Answer 4

fundamentalists

literalists

Question 5

what do fundamentalists argue?

what denominations are fundamentalists?

Answer 5

god = infallible (free of sin) unlike humans
to get the truth, important to trust word of god rather than words of ideas of humans
Protestant, Charismatic

Question 6

what has living in strict accordance to the bible resulted in?

Answer 6

Amish community
don’t adopt any modern culture or technology
no photos taken due to second commandment that says not to make “graven images”
peaceful
separate selves from rest of society = written in old testament

Question 7

how has the literal interpretation of the bible been used in the wrong way?

Answer 7

used to support prejudice
segregation of different races - South Africa
Used Genesis 11 to separate people of different nations
claimed that people were spiritually similar, but not physically equal before God

Question 8

what is the conservative interpretation of the bible?

Answer 8

bible writers inspired by god - human writers, bible may have mistakes
bible needs to be interpreted so it’s relevant and applicable to modern world
Adam and Eve, David and Goliath may be seen as myths
issues within christian community should be checked with bible - if conflict with bible should then be rejected

Question 9

what are the liberal views of the bible?

Answer 9

stories in bible = mythical and symbolic
scientists have better understanding of world than anything recorded in bible
christians reject belief that god created world in 6 day < Big Bang
bible = inspiration and guidance for believers
no claim that it is without error

Question 10

how is liberal view of bible lessened?

Answer 10

as it all comes down to each individual person’s response

each seeks to find meaning in writing in bible then apply to own lives

Question 11

quote for god revealed through jesus

Answer 11

“the Word became flesh”

Question 12

how is God reveal himself through Jesus? and what does it show about him?

Answer 12

came to earth as jesus
took human form to show humans what he was like
demonstrates his great love for humanity
took limitations of human body to teach people and provide example
miracles and sacrificial death = shows how loving he is
understood the human experience, but was still god = still perfect

Question 13

what is a miracle?

Answer 13

a supernatural event of act

god intervenus and breaks laws of nature

Question 14

how does God act in the present world?

Answer 14

many christians believe god gets involved in world through miracles

Question 15

what 4 categories can miracles be divided into?

Answer 15

1) healing miracles - when someone unwell an immediately returns to health, of when recovers when meant to die
2) miracles over nature - e.g. storm suddenly ceases
3) raising the dead
4) exorcisms - when person possessed by evil spirit and it is sent out

Question 16

what message is demonstrated through miracles?

Answer 16

God’s love for humanity

Question 17

Quote for healing

Answer 17

“the dead man sat up and began to talk, and jesus gave him back to his mother”

Question 18

christian views on modern day miracles?

Answer 18

largely agree that god is able to perform miracles
Catholic and Anglican churches both accept ongoing work of god through miracles
believers have personal relationship with god

Question 19

why pray to god?

Answer 19

jesus says to pray to god and he will reply
christians pray for miracles
bring “prayers and petitions”

Question 20

benefits of miracles?

Answer 20

miracles help christians reinforce their faith and personal relationship with god
reveal god’s glorious perfection = what heaven will be like
able to demonstrate to others that god exists and that he cares

Question 21

what is Lourdes?

Answer 21

miraculous healing happened here
6,500 claimed miraculously healed there
Catholic Church - recognised 67 healing miracles there
Place of pilgrimage
14 year old girl claimed to experience 18 separate visions of Virgin Mary
Catholic church careful to authenticate miracle claims

Question 22

Miracle healing at Lourdes

Answer 22

Anna Santaniello
1952 - Age 41, cured of several diseases after being bathed in water
Secrète heat disease and breathlessness = couldn’t walk and difficult to speak
2005 - 93 years old and in good health

Question 23

why do some christians see miracles as immoral?

Answer 23

god may be presented as cruel if he decided to miraculously heal someone but not ebola and malaria in other areas
raises questions about his power and how he uses it
also argued he revealed himself through jesus and there is no further revelation

Question 24

how does meeting inspirational people have an effect on people?

Answer 24

they hear the way god has worked in and through their life
feel a sense of god’s presence
Mother Theresa - through her work she was serving god in a way he had called her to
“pure, selfless goodness”
those who met her - speak of peace and holiness radiated off her

Question 25

why do christians look at historical figures?

Answer 25

in order to understand how god has worked through their life in past
positive impact they had on world = source of revelation to many people
see how their faith brought social change

Question 26

Who is george cadbury?

Answer 26

Quaker

developed a village that offered improved living conditions for the workers in his chocolate factory

Question 27

who is Jom Elliot?

Answer 27

missionary, traveled to Ecuador to share christian message with Indian tribe
on second mission, he and 4 other missionaries were massacred
after his death, wife and daughter and another woman moved to work with the Indians
love of Christ shown through forgiveness = success in work, many Indians converted