Module 1 Flashcards
Describe what Christianity teaches about the nature of God.
God is One - Montheism
• God is described as the Creator.
• God is described as having the omni-attributes
o Omnipotent – All-Powerful
o Omniscient – All-Knowing
o Omnibenevolent – All-Loving
o God the Father is the source of all life, the creator. Everything
that exists has been brought into existence by God.
o God the Son is Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man; God incarnate. Through his life, death and resurrection, humanity is saved from sin and the relationship between God and humanity is healed.
o God the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. The Spirit of God is the source of wisdom, strength and creative inspiration.
• God loves his creatures and wants to have a relationship with them
Describe what Christianity teaches about the nature of human being.
• Human beings are made in God’s image and likeness
• Human beings are stewards of God’s creation.
• Human beings have free will.
o free will is the ability humans have to make a real choice between genuine alternatives.
o Christians believe it is a gift from God, given to human beings at creation.
o free will means that human beings aren’t like programmed robots, which means their obedience to God and their worship is meaningful.
o when human beings go against God’s will, they are misusing free will, so it can be seen as a cause of suffering and alienation from God, the world and each other.
o the misuse of free will is shown in the story of Adam and Eve who disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit.
o all human beings misuse their free will. No one is perfect. This is because we all give in to temptation.
o free will means people can be held responsible for what they decide to do.
• Sin:
o sin is an inherent part of being human, it is the urge to do bad
things and disobey God
o original sin – people are stained by original sin handed down through generations due to the sins of Adam and Eve. Original sin is part of the human condition. All human beings are affected by sin and its consequences, even before they are born.
G o some Christians see sin as the state of their existence, and not something that you do
o other Christians may believe that human beings ‘sin’ when they do bad things and act against God and that this damages our relationship with God
o people cannot cure themselves of sin, the only way to be redeemed is through Jesus
o Jesus is a sacrifice for the sins of humans, through his atonement people are able to be reconciled with God
o some believe that sinners who do not turn to Christ or repent during their lifetime will be condemned to eternity in hell and/or separation from God.
Explain why beliefs about the nature of human beings are important for Christians today.
• they might find it demoralising/worrying that they will not always use
their free will in the right way.
• they could feel they need to take personal responsibility for their choices and behaviour, and might encourage others to do the same.
• free will means that people really have the ability to change for the better.
• they might approach decisions thoughtfully, maybe by looking at the guidance in scripture or by asking ‘What would Jesus do?’
• they might ask for God’s help to keep out of temptation’s way.
• if they believe in predestination, they might feel they can’t be held
responsible for their choices, as they are already decided
• free will means that people are able to make a genuine choice between alternatives. This means that they are responsible for their own actions and can’t blame anyone else for their choices
• in the story of Adam and Eve, the decision to eat the forbidden fruit resulted in judgement from God, and they were punished by being banished from Eden
• Christians believe that after death, God will judge them too for the way they used their free will
• for some judgement is about whether they decided to live a good or bad life, following the guidelines found for example, in the Bible
• for others judgement is about whether they decided to put their faith in Christ and accept his forgiveness, or to go their own way
• free will is essential for judgement to make sense, because it could only be seen as just where people are truly responsible for their decisions.
“Humans can’t be made in God’s likeness because they are sinful.”
How far do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.
Positive:
If Christians understand sin better, then they can do something about it. They are able to overcome the consequences of original sin and be better people, making responsible moral decisions.
it may make Christians seek redemption for their sins, they may repent and seek forgiveness from God
• they may feel love and gratitude to Jesus for his sacrifice, and work to become a better Christian, living by Jesus’ example and following his teaching
• they may feel that there is little they can do about sin, that it is a part of them that they cannot change. This could be seen as a negative way of thinking and lead to feelings of shame, or it could lead to them excusing negative actions as something they cannot control
• it may make Christians feel closer to God as they know that through his grace they can be forgiven for their sins
• they may look for ways to help others to find God’s forgiveness, eg. through spreading the Christian message.
