PHILOSOPHY Good And Evil

Question 0

What was god like in the new testament?

Answer 0

God is described as loving and forgiving. Christians believe that he is the ‘Supreme Being’ God is perfect and has qualities that we will never have. Christians also say that if there is an ultimate good there must be an ultimate evil aswell (devil or Satan)

Question 1

What is god like in the old testiment?

Answer 1

God id described as perfect, so perfect the moses can not look at God ‘Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at god’

Question 2

Christian beliefs about devil/saten?

Answer 2

Christians believe that the devil/saten rules over hell .Traditionally the devil was red in colour, with horns and a tail carrying a pitch fork. Christians believe that the devil was an angel that was cast out from heaven

Question 3

Jobs the devil had to do?

Answer 3

Tempt Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
Tests Job, causing him suffering to try and make him loses faith in god.
Tempts jesus, offering him great power and riches.

Question 4

How people understand good and evil?

Answer 4

Christians believe that god is good and he is someone you should follow and meanwhile, the devil or saten is bad and he often tempts people into doing things such as eating the apple in the Garden of Eden.

Question 5

Why do people suffer?

Answer 5

One of the commonest reasons people give for not believing in God is because of suffering and evil in the world.

Question 6

What is the difference between suffering and evil?

Answer 6

Suffering and evil are closly linked ideas but they do not have the same meaning. Try to use the words precisely. Suffering describes bad things that happen to a humans; evil describes the causes of human suffering, so evil is the causes of suffering as a result

Question 7

Human evil (moral evil) ?

Answer 7

This is when suffering is caused by humans acting in a way that is considered to be morally wrong. For example stabbing someone to rob them of there possessions.

Question 8

Natural evil?

Answer 8

This is when suffering is caused by events that have nothing to do with humans, for example natural disasters, earthquakes of floods.

Question 9

Why does god not prevent evil and suffering?

Answer 9

This is because if you do this you will take away peoples free will. God wants christians to live there life how they choose, not so they can t do what they want. This leads to human evil and suffering.
Also the balance of nature, the flood that kills some people, saves some other people, earthquakes that destroy cities, also create land in which to live on, this leads to natural evil and suffering.

Question 10

What are religious responses to the problem of evil?

Answer 10

Free will: christians belive that god gives people free will, they can go about there lives as they choose. If god made people do what he wanted to do, people would be like puppets, this is why there is free will. However this means that humans can do bad things because humans can do what they want to do. This leads to human evil and suffering.
Augustine: god created everything including evil, christians say that god is good. However if god did create evil clearly he is not good. Augustine believes that evil is not a thing but could possible be in the absence of good.
Soul making: this theodicy holds that experiencing and resistant evil is the only way to produce the kind of genuine moral development and strength of character that god desires.

Question 11

How do christians cope with suffering?

Answer 11

Christians believe that suffering strengthens a believers faith, and that god would not test a christian with more then they could bear. For most Christians prayer is the response to suffering and they cope by talking to god. Because humans have free will, we must accept and expect suffering. Resort to the ten commandments

Question 12

The problem of evil?

Answer 12

This is because god did not prevent evil and suffering because of free will. If there is no free will then we would all be like robots. However the problem with having free will is that people can do things that is wrong they can be tempted into doing these things by the devil.
Also because of the balance of nature

Question 13

what do Christians believe about suffering?

Answer 13

• that suffering is a test
• Christians have to accept natural suffering
• suffering is part of gods plan that is beyond us
• suffering is the punishment for sin
• evil tests you and challenges you not to sin
• god will not test Christians with more suffering then they can bare.

Question 14

How do christians understand the bible?

Answer 14

Christians belive that the bible is a very old document, that was written by humans in the period of 100 years, it contains good teachings about god however it needs to be reinterpreted for today. Some people say that this is putting human beings above god. Christians also believe that the bible is the word of god, there are no errors in the bible. Parts of the bible we can’t understand mean that we are not intelligent enough to understand it. Christians believe that the bible is the word of god there for it will enforce moral behaviour.

Question 15

why do Christians feel that it is right to make moral decisions?

Answer 15

• christian make moral decisions to be more like god.
• Christians will make decisions that affect the least amount of people in the least possible way.
• if Christians follow gods code in being moral they will be rewarded after death.

Question 16

why does god not prevent evil?

Answer 16

• the balance of nature

- free will

Question 17

What is the devil?

Answer 17

the devil is ultimate evil and tests people with temptation such as Job and Jesus.

Question 18

Define Good?

Answer 18

What is morally right, what is best for humans, for the greater good and to help others.

Question 19

Define Evil?

Answer 19

What bis morally wrong, what causes suffering and what prevents humans from flourishing in accordance with God’s will.

Question 20

Define The Devil?

Answer 20

Symbol of evil in the Christian tradition, fallen angel and enemy of god.

Question 21

Define Free will?

Answer 21

the ability to make moral choices, given to humans by God according to christian.

Question 22

Define The Fall?

Answer 22

the name given to the account of Adam and Eve’s sin and its consequences (Genesis 2-3)

Question 23

Define Original sin?

Answer 23

The mistake (sin) made by Adam and Eve that brings evil and suffering into creation.

Question 24

Define Redemption?

Answer 24

The forgiveness of sin offered to all humans by Jesus/the promise of reconciliation with god.

Question 25

Define Theodicy?

Answer 25

Religious attempts to answer or explain the problem of evil.

Question 26

Define suffering?

Answer 26

The experience of pain and distress, physical e.g. broken leg and mentally.

Question 27

Define Conscience?

Answer 27

The ‘internal’ voice helping us decide between what is right and what is wrong, Christians believe that this is given by god. It is also the source of our feeling of guilt.

Question 28

Define Humanism?

Answer 28

The belief that humans, not God, determine what is right and what is wrong (this is a non-religious view)

Question 29

The Fall?

Answer 29

God created Adam and Eve and they lived in the Garden of Eden. Everything was perfect until Eve was tempted to eat forbidden fruit by the serpent or the devil. This is known as the fall. It shows that right from the start, humans have rebelled against God.

Question 30

Original Sin?

Answer 30

Many Christians believe god has given humans free will – that is the ability to make choices for themselves. From this time on, all humans have been born in a state of sin. They have natural ability to choose evil over good. This is the original sin. Christians believe that humans have been separated from God since the fall, and can only return to god through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This sacrifice redeemed humanity form original sin so that people were allowed to go to heaven.

Question 31

Christian beliefs about evil?

Answer 31

Many Christians also believe that evil exist in the world for a purpose, and they believe that god must be aware that humans suffer. Some believers think that god chooses to do nothing about suffering; others believe that the free will given to humans at the creation means that we have to make choices for ourselves, and thus come to appreciate the power and love of god. The example of this would be Job, who suffered but kept his faith in god. Job eventually realized that God had a higher plan for him.

Question 32

Why is there evil and suffering in the world?

Answer 32

People also believe that you cannot have free will without suffering. Freewill causes suffering because people can choose what they do.

Question 33

Responses to evil and suffering

Answer 33

God is all-good (omnibenevolent) God is all-powerful (omnipotent) Suffering and evil exist An all-good, all-powerful God could not exist since there is so much suffering and evil in the world. If he did, he would eradicate this evil. God has good reasons for allowing suffering and evil to exist. He uses suffering and evil to accomplish a greater good, even if we never know exactly what that reason is.

Question 34

Sources and reasons for moral behavior in the Bible?

Answer 34

Christians believe that humans were made ‘in the image of god’ (genesis 1:27). To become more like God, they try to follow a code that will help them behave as they think god wants them to. Christians would say that the moral code and the guidelines written in the Bible for a reason and should be followed, as they show the way God wishes them to behave. They believe that if they do this they will be rewarded after death. Also Christians may look in the gospels to see what Jesus did in this situation. They also may take advice from the teachings of Jesus in the Parables. As well as writings from others such as the writings of others, such as St Paul. Today Christians think, what would have Jesus have done in this situation.

Question 35

Sources and reasons for moral behavior conscience?

Answer 35

Many believe that their conscience tells them right from wrong. They feel guilty if they do wrong, even if no one else knows about their actions. This could be the way god speaks to a believer. Some people might say that this is not God, but the way we remember that we are told as we grow up.

Question 36

Sources and reasons for moral behavior, faith in Christ?

Answer 36

Christians will take advice and support from their communities. Often there are support networks in churches, and the priest or minister will help a believer to make decisions on the right way to behave. Sermons during services also act as guidance.

Question 37

Why do Christians believe that good is good?

Answer 37

Christians believe that god is good because of the fact that he makes moral correct decisions that benefit those around him. He is displayed in the bible as the creator of all and everything. In the New testament he is also describe as the almighty one and the one to look up to. He is also shown as forgiving and able to help people and peruse there dreams. From all of this he must be good.

Question 38

What does the bible teach us about the Fall?

Answer 38

God created Adam and Eve and they lived in the Garden of Eden. Everything was perfect until Eve was tempted to eat forbidden fruit by the serpent or the devil. This is known as the fall. It shows that right from the start, humans have rebelled against God. Many Christians believe god has given humans free will – that is the ability to make choices for themselves. From this time on, all humans have been born in a state of sin.

Question 39

What is the literalist view of the devil?

Answer 39

They believe that Saten is real and rules over hell

Question 40

What is the liberal view of the devil?

Answer 40

These people may suggest that the devil is the potential we all have to choose evil rather then good: Hell is not a real place however it is a place where god is absent

Question 41

Why might the problem of evil lead atheists to conclude that God does not exists?

Answer 41

This is because that Christians believe that god is good and could never to evil because of the fact that god is the definition of good. People believe that god id omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omnipresent. Therefore how can he allow Evil in the world Good and evil can not exist at the same time. There for there must be no such thing as god and good.

Question 42

‘It is god who makes people suffer’ discuss this statement.

Answer 42

It depends on what type of suffering it is. If it is natural suffering. Christians have to accept natural suffering because it is completely out of there control. If it is moral evil that causes suffering it can be blamed on humans for inflicting it. This can be blamed on god because of the fact that he gave humans freewill to choose what they want to do. If god did not give humans free will than there would be no such thing as evil.

Question 43

Humanist view on conscience?

Answer 43

They say the it is not the voice of god but the brain telling itself what is right and what is wrong. God id not involved.