Religion and life Flashcards
creation ex nihilo
-according to Christianity, God created the universe out of nothing. God’s omnipotence.
Richard Dawkins quote
‘I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.’
- We no longer need to believe in God because of scientific theories
God’s omnipotence
And God said,’Let there be light and there was light’
Genesis
First book of the Bible. Most scholars consider to be Christian-Judeo mythology, rather than historical. Tradition credits Moses as an author. Thought to have been written 6th century BCE.Countless translations since.
Creation- God’s omnipotence
- creation ‘ex nihilo’: God creates the universe ‘out of nothing’
- God creates simply by speaking (eg: ‘Let there be light’)
- ‘God saw all that He had made…and it was very good (Genesis 1)
- “The heavens declare the glory of the God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1)
- “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God… through Him all things were made.” (John 1:1-3)
William Paley Design argument-link- for the existence of God
-William Paley argued that the watch was like a universe - they are both complex and require a designer to explain their existence.
What was created on day 1?
Light was created
What was created on day 2?
The sky was created
What was created on day 3?
Dry land, sea, plants and trees were created
What was created on day 4?
the sun, moon and stars
What was created on day 5?
Creatures that live in the sea and creatures that fly.
What was created on day 6?
Animals that live on the land, and finally humans made in the image of God, ‘imago dei’ were created
What happened on the 7th day?
God finished his work of creation and rested, making the seventh day a special holy day.
Why is there a query about the creation story?
In Genesis 2, it says humans are created before animals but genesis 1 says animals were created first.
What do fundamentalist Christians believe about creation?
- they believe the universe was literally created in 6 days
- They regard the Bible as the inerrant,infallible and absolute voice of God. Each verse is to be taken literally as the direct word of God. It cannot be questioned or interpreted- it must be taken literally.
Liberals Christians believe that the creation story is not supposed to be taken literally.
- the pursuit of truth did not end with the Bible and continues to this day
- should not be taken literally as it was written by humans
- the Bible is mythology and contains moral messages
- translated countless times since
- much more open to scientific explanations
What does the Big Bang theory suggest?
The universe started with an incredibly small, hot, dense singularity which expands and continues to expand. As the universe continued to expand and cool, the matter that had been flung in all directions was grouped into galaxies.
What are Buddhist teachings about the origins of the universe?
- Buddhist teachings neither explicitly support nor deny the Big Bang theory
- Buddhism teaches that all things are dependent upon conditions, known as ‘dependent arising’
- Buddhism teaches about the cycle of samsara
- Buddhism does not include belief in a God or creator
- It does not teach that the universe has any origin
- Buddhist teachings view the universe like the cycle of life- universe comes into existence, expands and evolves, and then withers and dies, without a beginning or an end. One universe simply replaces the next.
Why can Buddhists accept the Big Bang theory?
-It does not necessarily state that there was nothing before the Big Bang happened.
What do some scientists believe there are?
There might be a number of universes, creating one giant multiverse, where one universe grows out of another one. This idea is very similar to Buddhist teachings.
What is the story of the poisoned arrow?
- one day a man was hit by a poisoned arrow and would only live if a doctor removed it quickly enough
- his friends found a doctor but the man refused because he wanted to know who shot it and the origin.
- Before the man could find out the answers to these questions, the poison took effect and the man died.
What does the story of the poisoned arrow show?
Buddhism does not view the origins of the universe as an important question.
George Lemaitre
- He is thought to be the first person who wrote about the Big Bang in 1927
- He proposed the theory of expansion of the universe, which he later called the Big Bang theory
- He was also a Catholic Priest (key focus: religion vs science)
‘God of the Gaps’
- before human beings properly understood the world, it gave them a lot of comfort to believe in God.
- Richard Dawkins- we can outgrow the belief in God because of scientific explanations with evidence.
Religion vs Science
- creationist view is challenged by the Big Bang theory and Theory of Evolution
- For some people, the theory of evolution is a reason to reject not only the Genesis account, but the whole Bible (and belief in a creator God)
- Among Christians, there is a spectrum of responses to the creation story
- Fundamentalists believe it is absolutely true and a reason for rejecting theories of evolution and geological evidence ; others view the Bible as allegorical rather than literal
- Liberals seek to combine the two by promoting the idea of intelligent design (God) that set the current process of evolution into motion
- This is the argument that science explains ‘how’ things happened whereas religion explains ‘why’- are they compatible?
eg case study- ‘Scopes Monkey Trial’
- the evolution vs Creation conflict
- Butler act made it unlawful to teach evolution in state schools
- 24 year old high school science and maths teacher John T Scopes was accused ot teaching evolution in school and therefore violating the Butler Act
- Scopes was found guilty and was fined $100 but his conviction was overturned, while finding the Butler Act constitutional
Religion vs science compatibility quote
'The Big Bang ..does not contradict the divine act of creation, rather it requires it.' Pope Francis (leader of Catholic Church) - religion and science are completely compatible- they are not in conflict
Isaac Newton religion vs science compatibility quote
“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who sets the planets in motion.”
What are Buddhist views on the origins of life?
- though early Buddhist scriptures do contain creation stories, most Buddhists would regard these as mythological and not to be taken literally
- instead they accept current scientific thinking about how the earth and life on it came into existence
- The Buddha said anything can come into existence when the necessary conditions are there. When those conditions change, the things they give rise to also change. When they are removed, the things they give rise to die.
- it just happens - no creator in Buddhism
- When conditions were right on earth, plants and animals came into being. Today conditions are changing and we see the effect of change on plants and animals.
- the earth is in a constant process of change.
What is the sanctity of life?
It regards all life as holy and valuable because it is created by God.
Although Buddhism does not see things as having been created by God, what does it teach?
It teaches the importance of acting with kindness, compassion and wisdom towards all living things.
Who are Buddhists especially careful about how the act towards?
-sentient beings’, things that have consciousness and feelings and therefore can suffer.
What is a traditional Buddhist view on sentient beings?
- Every sentient being is valuable because it has the potential to be reborn with an ever-more sophisticated consciousness, eventually being reborn as a human with the Buddha nature/potential to attain enlightment.
Why does Buddhism teach that human life is the most valuable?
- humans are more self-aware
- they are more able than any other species to reflect on their behaviour and make choices about how to live
- this means humans have a greater potential to develop the perfect wisdom and compassion of enlightenment, like the Buddha.
What does Buddhism teach about quality of life?
- Quality of life is about living with awareness of oneself, others and the world
- it has an effect of people’s relationships with others, and the way they see themselves in relation to society
- Buddhism teaches that feeling a connectedness with others and being aware of all the beautiful things in life can give people a sense of meaning
- you do need basic necessities
- beyond this, they believe wellbeing comes by accepting that suffering is a normal part of life, and from doing one’s best to live by the values in the five moral precepts.
Genesis 1:27 quote
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them:male and female he created them.”
Gives life special significance and special worth- Christians believe in the sanctity of life. Humans are made in imago dei.
Awe and wonder
sense of wondermment at nature;often linked to the feeling that God is involved/revealed through it.
Dominion
Belief that humans have been given control/charge of the world
Responsibility
Having a duty or obligation to act in a certain way
Stewardship
Duty given by God to humankind to look after the created world, and all life within it.
What does Buddhism teach about the world?
It is a valuable thing that belongs to nobody, but is everbody’s responsibility.
Why might Buddhists consider the world to be so valuable?
- the world provides Buddhists with all the conditions that are needed in order to develop perfect wisdom and compassion and to become enlightened
- Buddhist tradition teaches that to be born as a human is extremely fortunate, and follows many lives in other, less conscious forms. Humans can make ethical decisions which other species cannot, allowing them to follow the path to enlightenment. In the world, there was once the Buddha who explained the origins and end to suffering- had people been born in another time and world, they might not have heard this teaching.
What does Buddhist tradition say classifies someone as among the world’s most fortunate people?
- anyone who lives in a country free from war, where most people have enough to eat, where there is education and healthcare for everyone- and where it is possible to hear the teaching of the Buddha, is among the world’s most fortunate people, even if they are not rich. (Buddhists in Britain say they are fortunate).
What do Christians believe about Stewardship and responsibility?
- Christians see the Earth as belonging to God, who has dominion over it and who as trusted them to look after it for him
What do Buddhists believe about Stewardship and responsibility?
- Buddhism does not involve belief in a creator God to whom all things belong
- In a Buddhist view, nobody owns the Earth
- It is people’s responsibility to develop more wisdom and compassion to move towards enlightenment
- Buddhists accept that humans need to take responsibility for protecting the environment and caring for all living beings.
- don’t know origin of world.
What may Buddhists say about the creation of the universe?
They may say it was even more amazing that such a thing just happened without being created by anyone.
