PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS Flashcards
What are the two types of revelation?
General/Natural revelation
Special revelation
What is general/natural revelation?
Revelation accessible to anybody in the world, predominately through nature.
What does Christianity say about general revelation?
‘We can know of the infinite through what God shows us in the finite world.’
What is special revelation?
Revelation most often found in the bible.
What is the quote from Hebrews that refers to revelation?
HEBREWS 1:1
“In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed Heir of all things and through whom He made the universe.
How does god often reveal himself in the old testament
Through his chosen people
In which book does Abram have a vision?
GENESIS 15.
Who was Joan of arc?
A teenage girl in France who had a vision and went on to recover France from domination during the 100 years’ war.
What do Atheists and Humanists believe about visions?
They are ‘logically impossible’ and are likely caused by altered state of mind as a result of fasting or drugs.
Where does it say jesus turned water into wine?
John 4.
What is an example of a miracle in the old testament?
The parting of the red sea.
Who was Bernadette sibourous?
A 14 year old who had 18 visions in 1858 about the virgin mary telling her a church should be built on a rock over a grotto. There is now a spring and many pilgrims come to wash themselves.
How many accepted cases of miracles does Lourdes have?
70
What do Atheists and Humanists believe about miracles
They argue they are scientifically explainable and do not provide evidence for the existence of God
What are examples of arguments for God’s existance?
Revelations, Miracles, Visions
Who was William James?
A philosopher who published ‘the varieties of religious experience’ in 1901.
What did William James argue were the 4 categories of religious experience?
Ineffability
Noetic Quality
Transiency
Passivity
What is Ineffability?
The concept that a religious experience is so overwhelming that is unexplainable to anybody that hasn’t had one.
What is Noetic quality?
The idea that a religious experience gives somebody insight on their faith that couldn’t be achieved with intelligence.
What is transiency?
The idea that a religious experience is short, typically no more than half an hour.
What is passivity?
The person who underwent the religious experience becoming helpless and potentially entering trances or speaking in tongues.
Who was Rudolf Otto?
A man who wrote ‘the idea of holy’ in 1923, concluding that religious experiences had similarities.
Who wrote ‘The varieties of religious experience?’ What year?
William James, 1901
Who wrote ‘The idea of holy?’
Rudolf Otto, 1923
What are the similarities of religious experience?
- A feeling of the ‘numinous’
- Fear is overcome by fascination
- The person is left feeling like they are dependant on something beyond themselves.
- Experiences are of awe, wonder, fascination and mystery
What does CCC say about religious experiences?
Not all of them are genuine. ‘Private revelations do not belong to the deposit of faith’
What is the design argument?
The idea that the world is too well designed to have come about by chance, and therefore must have a creator.
What did Isaac Newton say about the design argument?
‘In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence’.