Nature of God - AO1 - God and the Human Situation

Question 1

Thomas Aquinas - Dependent on God

Answer 1

• Argued relationship between God and humanity is one of complete dependence
• Depend on God for initial and continued existence, this is shown by Aquinas’ Cosmological argument
• Gods continual presence sustains the causal chain within universe, if God were to end the causal chain then existence would end
• This type of cause is called ‘Cause in Esse’, can be illustrated with electricity suppply and tv screen
• This is why Aquinas thinks humans depend on God
• God is needed as a constant presence to keep all causal chains working

Question 2

St Augustine - Fallen from God’s Grace

Answer 2

• Believed relationship between God and humans began in a state of total perfection
• Perfection was corrupted by human actions and relationship with God became tainted
• Humans fell from state of perfection because of their free will to make choices that drove a wedge between God and the world
• Concept is based on the Genesis account of the fall of Adam and Eve
• Augustine’s soul-deciding theodicy means humans were created with free will
• Relationship with God is based on our ability to make free decisions
• Our free actions resulted in evil and suffering entering the world
• Relationship can only be repaired through the actions and example of Jesus

Question 3

John Hick - Soul Making

Answer 3

• Developed understanding of relationship between God and humanity through Iranaeus
• Irenaeus argued God created the world imperfectly so humans could become perfect (in Gods likeness) with their free willl
• God gave humans free will so humans could co-operate to become in Gods likeness
• Hick argued if God made us perfect we would have the likeness of robots
• If God interfered or became too close humans would not be able to make free choices
• Therefore God created humans at an epistemic distance, a distance of knowledge
• Concept is summed up by Peter Vardy’s analogy of the King and the peasant girl
• Vardy accepted if humans are to have a truly loving relationship with God then the relationship has to be completely free

Question 4

John Calvin - Predestined by God

Answer 4

• Believed human situation in relation to God was based on an idea known as predestination
• Calvin focused on idea that God alone determines who will be saved (The Doctrine of Divine Election)
• Calvin meant some people are destined for a relationship with God and some are not
• Whether a person is among Gods elect is a matter for God, who is omnipotent and omniscient
• Calvins understanding of predestination is often referred to as ‘Double Predestination’
• Refers to the dual concept of his view that God has elected some to be saved and some not to
• God will positively intervene within the elect’s lives thus giving them the opportunity to have a relationship with God
• On the other hand, God does not negatively intervene but rather does not offer the same opportunity

Question 5

Under Judgement

Answer 5

• Christians have belief that Go holds everyone to account and judges them accordingly to their actions
• Concept of being under Gods judgement derives from the Bible
• Bible makes it clear that human actions will be taken into account throughout their lives and used by God to make a final judgement
• Both Old and New testament make references that God will judge humans on their conduct and reward those who lived a moral life
• ‘Noah’s Ark’
• If people lead a good life and choose to have a relationship with God then they will go to heaven
• Equally if people choose to live a life of wrongdoing they bring hell upon themselves
• Roman Catholic’s reject predestination and accept God loves everyone which means we all have an opportunity to be in a relationship with God

Question 6

Secular (Non-Religious) understanding of God

Freud

Answer 6

• Religion was an illusion based on wish fulfilment
• God was created by the mind to help us overcome problems in our lives
• 2 main theories regarding the development of God
  1. Primal Horde - Oedipus Complex - Guilt
  2. Helplessness - Extenal forces - Internal forces - Father figure
• Primal Horde idea was that an event took place in the past which formed the basis of belief in God
• Primitive society lived in groups led by a strong male
• Other members became jealous and grouped together to kill him
• This led to a mixture of feelings, mostly guilt
• Group created a statue in honor of the dead leader and offered sacrifices
• Over thousands of years this worship developed into the divine we now call God
• Freud also said the idea of God was so strong that it survived century after century
• Survived because the idea helped people deal with suffering and also that humans longed for the support of a father figure and God was the ultimate father figure

Question 7

Freud’s impact on society

Answer 7

• Became the first psychology based challenge against God and led to a rise in atheism
• Freud was confident that as science progressed the future of religious “illusion” would eventually disappear
• Reduced the religious impulse to one that can be explained in entirely materialistic terms
• Concept of God is a manifestation of a faulty mind which can be cured
• In the most recent census in the UK 32% of the population said they had no religion and only 18% are said to be a practicing member of an organised religion
• These statistics highlight that atheism has risen

Question 8

Secular (Non-Religious) understanding of God

Durkheim

Answer 8

• Believed religion has a unifying role in society - Unites groups in a moral community who share a set of beliefs
• Durkheim doe not say religion relates to a God that exists
• Religion is a reality that exists in society, religion cannot be separated from society
• Religion is a ‘Mode of action’ meaning it was something that united people in society and enable people to act together
• Religion was in some ways like glue that held society together to achieve results
• Durkheim’s theory challenges beliefs in God as the origin of God is from the social interaction between people
• Earliest tribesmen invent God in their discussions and represent God through the totem
• God has no divine origin; God does not found religion, instead belief in God is a product of society passed down through generations
• If we did not live in societies then God would not have been invented

Question 9

Durkheim’s impact on society

Answer 9

• Just as the body consists of different organs that enable it to survive and which depend on each other
• Every society will have a religion as religious institutions have certain functions which contribute to the survival of the social system
• Durkheim’s views led people to question the origin and purpose of organised religion
• People turned to religion we are now seeing people moving toward a more civil religion such as the royal family or national sports
• The impact we have is that this common cause was secular and no longer associated with religion

Question 10

Secular (Non-Religious) understanding of God

Marx

Answer 10

• Argued religion is like other social institutions in that it is dependent upon the material and economic situation of a society
• Religion has no independent history; instead it is the creation of society
• “the religious world is but the reflex of the real world”
• In the face of real oppression on earth, it offered spiritual beliefs in heaven
• People therefore put up with their present suffering in hope of a spiritual reward
• Religion creates illusory fantasies for the poor
• “The sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people”

Question 11

Marx’s impact on society

Answer 11

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