Philosophy Flashcards
Buddhist teachings on suffering
Suffering is a fact of life
Suffering is caused by selfishness, greed, desire and becoming attached to material things (cravings)
Practise generosity to help others from suffering
What is the controversy with God and suffering ?
If God is omnipotent, omniscient, beneficent then why does he allow good people to suffer?
This can cause some people to assume God doesn’t exist
What is natural suffering
Natural occurrences like disease, famine and drought
What is moral suffering
Caused by people’s selfishness behaviour and deliberate intent to harm others or not stopping others suffering
Evil being a personal being
Being like the devil or iblis (opposite of all good God) who tricks people into doing wrong
Evil being an impersonal force
Impersonal force that draws people into doing wrong (like a magnet) that is beyond reason and understanding of humans
Evil comes from psychological phenomenon
Evil is influenced by a persons upbringing or society in general or even a damaged mind
(Family upbringing/media/peer pressure/mental illness)
Purpose of suffering
Pain helps us as a warning Appreciate happiness Makes us stronger Test of faith Punishment for sin
Christian responses to suffering
Trusting God helps them endure personal suffering (God’s will)
Help the needy and sick ‘love your neighbour’
Islam responses to suffering
Show compassion and help those who suffer (e.g. Zakkat)
Buddhism explanation for evil
Evil is caused by people’s selfish desires and cravings
Root of evil comes from three poisons (greed hatred ignorance)
Christian explanation for evil
Evil came into the world after Adam and Eve’s disobedience, when Satan emptied them to eat from forbidden fruit (the original sin)
Evil comes when people rebel God’s laws (free will)
Muslim explanation for evil
Allah created a perfect world with Jinns (who had free will) One Jinn (Iblis) refused to bow down to Allah and now tries to turn people away from Allah On Day of judgment evil-doers will be punished
Buddhists responses against evil
Practise meditation to train the mind away from evil thoughts
‘Hatred is never appeased by hatred; hatred is appeased by love’
Follow Eightfold path
Christian responses against evil
Forgive others who have caused harm to you so that God can forgive them
Muslim responses against evil
Live in submission to Allah’s will and in peace with others
The Qur’an teaches Muslims to stand for justice
Christian’s beliefs on Jesus and suffering
Jesus was the ‘second Adam’ who came to restore people’s broken relationship with God
what is morality
a system of ethics which distinguishes right and wrong
what is transcendence ?
idea that God is beyond and outside life on earth and the universe
what is the story of Job?
Satan is allowed to test Job, believing he will curse God but never does
what is ‘The Passion’
when Jesus suffered for humans by dying on a cross, breaking the power of evil and suffering on humans
christian quote of the devil
‘a demon able to enter into a human body’
Buddhist quote on evil/suffering
‘If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him’
what is a revelation?
a way of God revealing him self to people
what is a general revelation ?
an indirect experience which is available to all people