FCT- theme one origins and meaning

Question 1

Define Creation Ex Nihilo

Answer 1

-the belief God created the universe out of nothing because nothing existed before he created the universe
-Creation from nothing

Question 2

Define Imago Dei

Answer 2

In the image of God. The belief that human beings are
uniquely a reflection of God’s personhood. Unlike the other animals, human beings are rational, free and moral.

Question 3

Define inspiration

Answer 3

‘God breathed’
The belief God guides an individual to make the right choices, for example the Bible is inspired by God

Question 4

Define omnipotence

Answer 4

the belief God is all powerful and this is how he created the world out of nothing

Question 5

Define revelation

Answer 5

The word used to describe all of the ways in which God
makes himself known to human beings. Christians believe that God does this finally and fully in the person of Jesus Christ.

Question 6

define transcendence

Answer 6

the belief God is beyond space and time, makes him above and beyond creation

Question 7

Catholic Christian beliefs about the creation of the universe

Answer 7

-created Ex Nihilo, expressed by St Augustine in ‘Confessions’
-Genesis account tells us some truths about the creation but should not be taken literally, more like a parable
-Big Bang theory is most likely story

Question 8

St Augustine belief on creation

Answer 8

-Thinks God is perfect but acknowledges faults in universe, therefore they could not be the same substance so the universe is made form nothing
-Bible made it clear there was nothing before God created everything- “formless and void”- Genesis
-Bible made it clear God only used his words to create the universe- “God said…”- Genesis

Question 9

Roman Catholic Pope’s views on creation

Answer 9

• does not contradict science
  Pope Pius XII wrote ‘Humani Generis’ which does not deny Darwin’s theory of evolution
  -Pope John Paul II said evolution “was worthy of serious study”

Question 10

Fundamentalist Christian beliefs about creation

Answer 10

-accept Genesis account for what it is
-God created the world and everything in it
-Believe Bible is the word of God, dictated by him to the prophets

Question 11

Athiest views on creation

Answer 11

-Darwin’s theory of evolution, we all evolve to adapt to the changes in surrounding and the universe was created by the Big Bang
-No need for creator, like God, to be at the heart of creation- science alone is sufficient

Question 12

Dawkins view on creation and evolution

Answer 12

-creation of humans was just a lucky mutation
-Humans have no greater importance that animals
-rejects notion of God
-Evolution repeated several times to give us new species

Question 13

St Catherine of Sienna beliefs about Imago Dei

Answer 13

• believed God made humans in his image
  -Humans originate from God Genesis said ‘let us make mankind in our own image’
  -Conscience, we have God’s truth and therefore a a conscience to tell us right and wrong
  -Humans were made out of love, humans were made with such dignity as a reflection of the love God holds for us- we were the first species God made and Imago Dei gives us dignity

Question 14

Catholic belief about sanctity of life

Answer 14

human life is sacred as it is made in the image of God
-CCC states human life is sacred as it involves the creative action of God’
-Jeremiah ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you’
-Genesis ‘God breathed life into Adam’
Catholics use the writings of Catherine of Siena to help them explain the
three reasons for the belief that life is sacred:
 ORIGIN: Life is a gift from God ~ it originates from Him so is holy.
 DIGNITY: Humans are made in God’s image and have immortal souls
 DESTINY: The goal of this life is eternal joy with God in heaven.

Question 15

UK law on abortion

Answer 15

-2 doctors consent
-mother’s life at risk
-baby could be handicapped
-mother under severe mental/physical stress
-would affect existing children

Question 16

Catholic view on abortion

Answer 16

life is sacred so abortion is forbidden
‘thou shall not kill’
CCC ‘Human life must be protected and respected from the moment of conception’

Question 17

Liberal Christian view on abortion

Answer 17

abortion can be justified in circumstances like rape or declining health of mother

Question 18

Humanist beliefs on abortion

Answer 18

• value human rights to choose whether or not to have an abortion
  -don’t believe in sanctity of life
  -believe in quality of life, so if the mother was declining physically abortion would be acceptable

Question 19

Peter Singer and his views on specesism

Answer 19

• belief that one species, like humans, are considered more important
  -believes the quality of life for all animals, including humans, is determined on their suffering or pleasure
  -distinction between human and a person, a person is someone who can think rationally and make decisions, therefore a foetus is not a person and can be aborted

Question 20

Catholic beliefs about the environment

Answer 20

• Humans are important in protecting the environment because God
  instructed us to do so in Genesis when he created us in his likeness.
• Humans should protect the environment because God gave it to us to be
  stewards ~ it does not belong to us.
• Humans should continue to populate the world because God said in
  genesis “Go forth & multiply, populate the earth and multiply in it”
• All Catholics recognise the superiority of humanity as a species because
  we are made in God’s image.

Question 21

Humanist beliefs about the environment

Answer 21

Humans are important in protecting the environment because we have
the intelligence to preserve and cultivate the land.
* Humans should protect the environment because it must be kept in a
way that benefits all of humanity and makes them happy in their world.
* Unlike Catholics, Humanists support birth control programmes (eg one
child policy) because overpopulation threatens the happiness and safety
of humans.
* Some humanists believe that animals may sometimes be more
important than humans (they’re only one kind of animal after all!)

Question 22

Catholic views on the Bible being the Word of God

Answer 22

-The Bible is inspired meaning influenced by the holy spirit
God guided and inspired the events of those living in Biblical events
God guided and inspired the men writing this down
-The Bible is a revelation, meaning God shows himself to us
God’s presence was seen in the Old Testament, such as Moses and the 10 Commandments
God’s presence seen in the New Testament through Jesus

Question 23

Catholic belief about the Bible

Answer 23

-Bible written in different styles so this must be taken into account
-Contains moral truths rather than actual truths, like in parables

Question 24

Fundamentalist belief about Bible

Answer 24

-each passage should be read in the same way, no different literary forms
-only contains literal turths, cannot be interpreted in more than one way

Question 25

Laudato Si teachings

Answer 25

encyclical from Pope Francis
-Earth is God’s gift to us
-Earth is for everyone, including future generations
-need to stop using up finite resources