Reasons given in support of belief Flashcards
What is the Ontological Argument?
The Ontological Argument was put forward by St Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury, it is the idea that God is ‘That than which nothing greater can be conceived’. We cannot think of anything greater than God ,therefore he exists.
What is the Cosmological Argument?
The Cosmological Argument devised by St Thomas Aquinas states that the universe must have come from somewhere - Christians believe it came from God, therefore God is the ‘First Cause’.
What is the Teleological Argument?
The Teleological Argument first proposed by the mathematician, Isaac Newton states that the world shows that it has been designed and so must have been designed or created by someone.
This argument was explained in dept by William Paley, a clergyman who used a watch and its machinery
What is the Argument from experience?
The argument from experience is that people can experience God which proves that he exists. This may, for example, be through miracles, conversion, answered prayers or the numinous, the idea of the numinous was written by the Christian theologian, Rudolf Otto.
What is the moral argument?
The moral argument is that people have a basic understanding of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.
What is the Big Bang Theory?
The scientific theory which suggest that there was a massive explosion about 18 billion years ago and this led to the creation of the whole universe.
What is the theory of intelligent design?
A theory which says that life is so complex that it must have been designed by a higher intelligent being. a d did not evolve by natural selection.
What is natural selection?
Natural selection is the theory that tiny differences and genetic mutations between creatures of the same species can sometimes make one individual slightly suited to their environment than others. This means that it survives longer and has more offspring who inherit that trait.
What is the theory of the necessary being?
The theory of Thomas Aquinas that God must exist because he cannot not exist.
What is the numinous?
A mysterious power that suggests the presence of a spirit or God.
