RE UNIT 3 REVISION Flashcards
- Give two examples of natural suffering [2] (2011)
Answers may include:
- The suffering caused by volcanoes
- The suffering caused by earthquakes
- The suffering caused by tsunami
- The suffering caused by disease.
- Give three examples of moral evil. [3] (2011)
Answers may include:
- Murder
- bullying
- cheating
- Dishonesty
- Theft.
3.Describe what one religious tradition teaches about the existence of evil. [5] (2010)
Christian: Evil entered the world through Satan who tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. This caused the whole of creation to fall from perfection. Human beings continue to live in this fallen way when they choose to disobey God and give into temptation.
Muslim: Like the Christians, evil exists because of Satan and the fall of human beings in the Garden of Eden. However, God allows the evil to stay as a test for humans to develop their character and obedience so they can become more worthy of paradise.
Hinduism: the human soul is ignorant and therefore capable to do wrong. Humans have freewill to choose their own actions. Bad actions produce bad Karma and these lead to a worse incarnation. Bad actions may also affect others and bad karma can be felt beyond the person who creates it in the first place. Brahman is not to blame.
4.Outline what a religious tradition believes about Satan. (5) (2015)
Christianity
- Satan is the fallen angel Lucifer described in Genesis 3.
- Satan is the source of all evil.
- Satan misused God’s gift of freedom, tempted and led humanity into evil.
- Satan tested Jesus in the desert (Luke 4:1-13).
- Satan is described in various forms including that of the snake.
- God battles with Satan who will be overcome in the Kingdom of God.Islam
- Satan/Shaytana is the ‘evil one’.
- Satan is the source of all evil.
- Satan misused God’s gift of freedom, tempted and led humanity into evil.
- Satan is described in various forms including that of the snake.
- Satan tests humanity
- Explain what one religious tradition teaches about the origins of evil. (5) (2018)
Christianity
- God created humanity as all good.
- Fallen angels (Satan) tempted humanity to sin.
- Humanity in the Garden of Eden disobeyed God’s command.
- As a result, suffering and evil entered life.
Islam
- Sin is a natural process built into creation.
- Satan deceived Adam who disobeyed Allah.
- Adam disobeyed but repented.
- Humans are polluted not due to Adam’s sin but because of outside influences.
Accept valid alternatives
- Explain what one religious tradition you have studied teaches about the purposes of suffering. [5] (2012)
Answers may include:
- Suffering is a test – Genesis records Abraham’s faith being tested when he was asked to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Qur’an 21:35 states “And for trial we will test you with evil and with good”
- Suffering is a punishment for human sin – Judaism, Christianity and Islam all teach that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden as a punishment for their sin
- Suffering can bring strength and deeper faith. Candidates may refer to the story of Joseph where God works for good through the suffering of Joseph’s rejection by his brothers and the suffering caused by the famine. Romans 5:3–5 – “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us”
- Suffering is intended to encourage humanity to freely choose the good.
- Explain why some people might argue that the world is not well designed. [5] (2010)
Answers may include:
- The existence of natural suffering suggests that the universe is not well designed, e.g. the plates of the earth’s crust do not fit together and move causing earthquakes and volcanoes
- Extremes of weather make some parts of the world uninhabitable
- Nietzsche looked at the world and saw no natural order or pattern.
He observed that the world was imperfect and concluded that there was no designer – ‘God is dead’
- People who accept the theory of evolution might suggest that the world is not well designed. The universe as we know it is the result of random chance and survival of the fittest – there is no need for a designer
Accept valid alternatives
- Explain how human choice has caused suffering in the world. (5) (2018) (U)
Christianity
- Evil entered the world due to the Fall of angels and humanity (Genesis 3).
- Adam and Eve were tempted in the Garden of Eden.
- Evil and suffering is the consequence of human disobedience to God’s will.
- Examples of moral evil may be explored.
- Since then all humanity has inherited sin/the potential to sin.
- Sin and the consequences of sin, informs us that we have broken the relationship with God and must be reconciled with God.
Hinduism
- Evil comes from violating dharma, a natural force of virtue that permeates the universe.
- If a person acts contrary to dharma they create evil in the world.
- When individuals experience evil, it’s part of the Hindu system of justice known as karma.
- Although many gods like Vishnu try to thwart evil and challenge lesser demons, even gods sometimes cause evil.
- Evil always goes back to an earlier wrong action.
- Hinduism may also teach of the fall of man, when demons destroyed the Golden Age of peace and caused humanity to fall from grace and act evilly.
Accept valid alternatives
Mark in levels (AO1) [5]
9.“The suffering of the innocent makes it impossible to believe in the existence of God.” Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer. (5)
Agree:
- The suffering of the innocent challenges belief in monotheism.
- Epicurus’ Inconsistent Triad explores this dilemma.
- The God of Classical theism is omnibenevolent, omnipotent and
omniscient yet evil exists.
- While we might accept the suffering of the sinful as punishment for sin
innocent suffering is harder to explain.
Disagree:
- If one is polytheistic this is less of a challenge.
- Sacred texts suggest responses for human suffering: as a test, a
punishment for original sin.
- Religions present various theodicies to resolve this problem.
- “A loving and powerful God would not allow millions of people in the world to go hungry.”
Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. [10] (2010)
AGREE
- Epicurus argued that the existence of evil/suffering in the world brought into question the goodness and the power of God
- If God was good he would want to stop suffering. If God was all powerful he could stop it. The fact that suffering exists, therefore, brings into question the existence of such a God
- Even if we blame the inequality in the world on the greed of human beings, God must have created/allowed the possibility of evil/suffering within his creation
- Many people find it difficult to believe that a loving and powerful God could allow suffering on the scale of events like the Holocaust, and so conclude that there is no GodDISAGREE
- Many would argue that there is enough food in the world to feed everyone. Human greed is the cause of poverty and starvation in the developing world; it is not God’s fault
- God created human beings with ‘Free-will’. Human beings are free to choose to good or to choose evil. The starving millions of the world are evidence that many choose evil rather than good
- “All suffering in the world is a punishment from God for human sin.”
Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer showing that you have considered different points of view. [10] (2011)
AGREE
- The book of Genesis describes how Adam and Eve are cast out of the Garden of Eden after eating the forbidden fruit
- The book of Deuteronomy describes how Moses was not permitted by God to enter the Promised Land as a punishment
- The Gospel of Luke describes how Zechariah was punished with the loss of his voice because he questioned the angel’s message
- The Hindu system of karma views all suffering as the result of negative action in a previous incarnation. In this way suffering can be viewed as a punishment for sin.
DISAGREE
- There are other religious explanations for the suffering in the world, e.g. Free Will – human beings can choose to do evil or to do good. In this way suffering is the result of human action/choice; it does not originate with God
- Many religions teach that suffering is a test of faith, e.g. Genesis 22 tells the story of Abraham’s test of faith when God instructs him to sacrifice Isaac; Surah 21:35 of the Qur’an states “And for trial We will test you with evil and with good”
- Many believe that the suffering in the world is caused by an evil force (e.g. Satan), not by god.
- “Religion is a great source of good in the world.”
Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. [10] (2012)
AGREE:
- All religions promote the power of good over evil and many religious believers work to highlight and overcome injustice in the world – candidates may refer to religious individuals and organisations engaged in humanitarian work
- Most religions encourage devotees to suppress evil in their own lives and practice what is good, showing love towards humanity and generally setting an example of how to live in a way that pleases God. Candidates may refer to specific teachings, e.g. the law of karma, Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.DISAGREE
- Reference may be made to the fact that religion has historically been associated with warfare, e.g. the crusades, the sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland, terrorism associated with extreme forms of Islam
- Many people experience guilt if they do not live their lives in the manner they were taught through their religious up-bringing
- There is often great negativity and bitterness in the relationships between different world faiths, e.g. between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. In this sense religion can promote and encourage division, rather than harmony. Accept valid alternatives
- “Satan does not exist.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. (10) (2015)
AGREE:
. Atheists and Humanists would agree with this claim.
. The Bible and Satan is myth.
. Humanity often uses Satan to deny moral responsibility.
. Polytheistic religions may not accept the concept of the Devil.
. Some will argue that evil is the result of chemical imbalances in the brain or brain injury, rather than giving in to Satan.
. Humanity’s evil choices are often the product of their upbringing, culture or relationships rather than Satan.
DISAGREE:
. All monotheistic religions accept the existence of Satan.
. Literalist Christians/Creationists would strongly reject this claim.
. Sacred texts including the Torah, the Bible and the Qur’an clearly state that Satan exists.
. Liberal Christians may prefer to acknowledge ‘evil’ rather than a specific entity called Satan.
. Humanity must battle against Satan to be rewarded in the afterlife.
