Philosophy of Religion: 🙏 Experiencing God 🙏 Flashcards
What is revelation?
Making known what was previously hidden
What are the two types of revelation?
General and special
What does a revelation do?
Brings an individual closer to God as it reveals God’s nature and character
What is general/natural revelation?
- knowledge of God available to everyone if they want it
- God showing him self in what he’s made
- God revealing himself through a holy book
- religious leaders
What is Fitrah?
Islamic belief that all people are born with natural belief in God
- Therefore it is up to individuals to accept this revelation and live accordingly or ignore it
How can religious believers learn about God through his creation?
God is good - love, good weather etc.
God is generous - free-will, resources
God is imaginative - individualism
God likes ordering structure - eco-system, body, seasons etc.
God is mighty and powerful - Grand Canyon, Niagra Falls etc,
What biblical verse supports the view that religious believers can learn about go through his creation?
Psalm 19:1
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky is proclaim the worth of his hands”
Romans 1:20
“ Since the creation of the world gods invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen”
Prayer
Form of general revelation

Why do people pray?
To establish a relationship with God
- believe God speaks directly to them through the act of prayer and listens
- God guide them on what they should do
To thank God
To ask for help
Criticisms of prayer
- Dawkins “great prayer experiment” reports show no difference between patients prayed for and patients not prayed for
- many doubt prayer is so powerful
- unanswered prayer = negative impact on faith
-Does God have favourites? Questions omni benevolence
What is special/supernatural revelation?
- God takes extraordinary steps to show himself to the world e.g. breaking laws of nature - miracles
- communicates directly with an individual e.g. dream vision angel visitation
What is an example of special revelation?
Christianity
- Saul - Damascus road (Acts 9:1-18)
- transformed from someone who persecuted Christians to Christian missionary worker
Islam
- Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Jibril
What is a miracle?
an extraordinary event which cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws
- usually recorded as an act of God
- used as evidence of gods existence omnipotence and benevolence
What is an example of a miracle?
Jesus calms the storm Luke 8:22-25
key points
- Jesus and his disciples were in a boat on the lake Galilee
- a storm began to start suddenly, the disciples were frightened they would die
they appealed Jesus to help - he was sleeping at the back of the boat
Jesus rebuked them for the lack of faith and stood up and told the wind in the waves to stop
What are the arguments supporting miracles?
– Miracles have taken place through the history of Christianity e.g. places of pilgrimage – Lourdes
– medical miracles e.g. someone recovering from terminal condition
– records of Jesus performing miracles e.g. healing exorcism raising the dead plus challenging nature
- somethings can’t be explained by science
– miracles recorded in the Bible e.g. acts 5:12–16
- claims of communication with God e.g. prayers and dreams
What are the arguments against miracles?
– Illness or drugs
– no glasses in ancient times, people could’ve mistaken things
– Darwin “age of ignorance and superstition”
– go against findings of science, discovered physical laws that govern universe
– could be coincidences
– why do miracles not happen all the time
- lying/attention seeking
- too much evil and suffering
- Bible is outdated + new scientific evidence
What is a religious vision?
An individual believes that they have seen and heard a supernatural being or have seen something supernatural
What is an example of a vision?
Bible – Peters vision -Acts 10
– Isaiah’s vision in the temple - Isaiah 6
- Stephen’s visions before his death – Acts 7
Visions of Bernadette Soubirous
Visions of Floribeth Mora Diaz
What are the arguments against visions and religious experiences?
- very subjective and difficult to prove
- Sigmund Freud Believe science can explain how people experience visions, visions we’re nothing more than dreams and wish fulfilments
- lack of empirical evidence difficult to verify
- Neuroscience and psychology can partially explain visions
Arguments for visions and other religious experiences
- Principle of testimony
- Principle of credulity
- Some may say personal experience is the only real proof that God exists
- Too many religious experiences reported for them all to be made up
- We are not fully know the laws of science, new understanding is being developed all the time, cannot absolutely disprove
- cannot experience something that doesn’t exist
- life changing event - conversion
- proofs of God’s existence unit 1 arguments
- Religious experiences + miracles in the Bible had major impact – could’ve been coincidental
What does “sacred” mean?
Refers to something connected to God or dedicated to a religious purpose
What is a sacred text?
- form the basis of many major religions
- described as the “word of God”
- if they contain the words of God then it’s expected that they reveal something about what God is like, religious believers hoped experience go to reading these texts
What is the Christian holy book?
Bible
Believe Bible is the inspired word of God
How do Christian’s believe the Bible was written?
People were guided or inspired by the Holy Spirit
What does the Bible help Christians experience God?
Informs Christians of gods nature e.g. omnipotence, Trinity
How do Christians use the Bible?
Guidelines on how to live e.g. 10 Commandments, Exodus 20
Forms the basis of most Christian worship
Apply messages to their own lives
Turn to the Bible in times of difficulty in order to find guidance and comfort
What does the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21) teach Christians about how they should use their money?
- people today are too concerned with gathering wealth and possessions to live comfortable lives
- it is easy to forget about God when you start well for yourself
- Church attendance is declining In the rich developed world, whereas in the developing world Christianity is growing
- It is always the temptation to put ourselves and material possessions before God and others
Criticisms to the relevance of sacred text?
- scripture is destructive to human progress and well-being e.g. a literal reading of religious texts can come into conflict with the findings of science
- the Bible doesn’t always show a kind and merciful God
- Biblical texts can lead to human rights abuses e.g. the apostle Paul’s teachings on women and homosexuality
- the Bible is an ancient text, it cannot be relevant to modern day issues

What is the Islamic holy book?
The holy Qur’an
What do Muslims believe about the Qur’an?
- Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the direct complete and final word of God
- Muslims believe that the words of the Qur’an were dictated to the Prophet Muhammad by the angel Jibril
-he learned the words of my heart and pass them on to his followers

What is the “night of power”?
The revelation of the Qur’an began on the “night of power” and the entire Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad over a period of 23 years
Why do Muslims have concerns about translating the Qur’an?
Incase inaccuracies creep into the text
What is “Wudu” ?
Ritual of washing the hands, face and feet before reading the Qur’an
How is the Qur’an important in everyday life to Muslims?
- recited during formal prayers, Salah, five times a day
- Muslim children are taught to read Arabic from an early age
- Ramadan, month of fasting Muslims read the Qur’an everyday

What is a Hafiz?
Any Muslim who is able to learn and recite the whole Qur’an
why is reciting the Qur’an important to Muslims?
- they can learn about the nature of Allah, “99 beautiful names of Allah”
- they can learn about how God wants them to live
- They can learn how they might achieve eternal life in heaven
How can someone experience God through a religious leader?
- Followers of all faiths open look to religious leaders and authorities as an example of how they should live
- People can learn more about God through them
What is an example of a Christian religious leader?
Martin Luther King
- words
eloquent speeches which highlighted the importance of the sanctity of all human beings - actions
non-violent protests - legacy
Civil Rights Act 1967, Noble Peace Prize 1964, pioneer for racial equality and civil rights, his influence extended to Northern Ireland
What is an example of an Islamic religious leader?
The prophet Muhammad
- He was visited by the angel Jibril in a cave on Mount Hira
- The angel Jibril ordered him to recite the words of God
- Mohammed continued to receive divine revelations from time to time over the next 23 years
- he would recite the new verses of the Quran and his disciples were instructed to record them
What does the term “worship” mean?
Giving God his worth
A religious act of adoration when the believer freely expresses and acknowledges the worth of God
What are forms of worship?
Praise 👏 , prayers 🙏 , gifts 🎁 offered to God
Confession 🎤🕺- asking God for forgiveness of sin
Prayers of intercession asking God’s help for those in need 🤒
Why do religious believers worship God?
Religious believers claim experience and learn more about God through worship
What is liturgical worship?
Formal worship led by a priest/minister
-has set scripture readings and prayers at certain times during the service
- remembering Jesus‘s death through the Eucharist/communion is also a feature of liturgical worship
What is non-liturgical worship?
Less formal – can have structure but the service leader can decide the hymns, Bible readings and sermon for themselves
What can Christians experience during worship?
The holy spirit is active in worship e.g. feel God’s presence in the church, feel God speaking to them in prayer, reading or the sermon
Christians may feel that they have been gifted to carry out particular work for God e.g. musical ability, teaching, hospitality, fundraising, caring for sick
What is a sacrament?
An outward and visible sign of a deeper spiritual reality
What can Christians experience from sacramental worship?
Communion/mass and baptism play central role in worship
Christians feel closeness with God and remember sacrifice Jesus made on the cross
What is charismatic worship?
Mainly followed by Pentecostal churches
These Christians believe the Holy Spirit is with them as they pray and sometimes, they speak in tongues (glossolalia)
How do Muslims worship God privately?
- Worship can be done privately through prayer and reading the Qur’an
- Muslims have a religious duty to pray to Allah five times a day
- During prayer, Muslims believe that they are in direct contact with Allah who hears all of their prayers.
How do Muslims pray to God publically?
Public worship is also a key feature of the Muslim faith
- usually takes place on a Friday and in a Mosque where the community worships together
• On arrival at the mosque, Muslims will remove their shoes. Before entering the prayer hall, Muslims must perform ritual washing called wudu;
• Men and women will sit separately and sit facing the prayer wall which places them in the direction of Mecca;
• Prayer is led by the Imam who will also deliver a sermon using words from the Qur’an. During prayer, Muslims perform a series of bodily movements including prostration, with forehead, hands, knees and feet touching the floor;
• At the end of the service, personal prayers can be said.
What is the principle of credulity
Same people - if we accept everything we see in life why question it?
Principle of testimony
If you normally believe someone- why would you question them when they claim to have had a religious experience
What is transubstantiation?
Catholic mass/Eucharist - bread and wine transforms into the actual blood and body of Christ
Nourished or strengthened by God both physically and spiritually
Worship in Hinduism
5 senses
Sight 👁️
- worship before an image
Sound👂
- passages from vedas may be read and prayers chanted
Smell 👃
- incense is burned as a sign of respect
Touch 🤚
- offerings / gifts
Taste 👅
- share food called Prashad
Places of pilgrimage
- Lourdes
- Knock
- Mecca
