Religion And Life Flashcards
Why Might someone believe in god?
\+ Religious Upbringing
\+ Religious experience
-Miracles
-Numinous
-Conversion
-Prayer
\+ The design argument
\+ The causation argumentHow might people have a religious upbringing?
+ Parents may read them stories from the bible
+ Children may attend Sunday schools
+ Children may attend a Church school
+ Parents may teach their children to pray
+ Celebrating religious festivals as a family
+ Children may be baptised
+ Parents may help prepare their children to receive sacraments
+ Parents might take the children to church regularly
1) Why might people want to give their children a religious upbringing?
2) How might this lead a child to believe in god?
1)
- some Christians want to give their children what they believe is the right faith
- parents may want their children to believe and hold important the same things they do
- some Christians promise to raise any children they have as Christians when they get married
2) this may lead the child to believe in God because they become familiar and used to religious ideas, meet other young people with similar beliefs and share the same experiences as others in their community
1) what is a religious experience?
2) why might a religious experience make somebody believe in God?
3) what are the different types of religious experience?
1) A religious experience is something that makes a person think that they have come into contact with God
2) this kind of experience usually leads to the person having a new or increased belief in God = usually because they see this as some kind of realistic proof
3) there are four different types of religious experience:
- numinous
- miracle
- prayer
- conversion
What is a miracle?
A miracle is something which seems to break the law of science and makes you think only God could have done it
1) Why might miracles convince someone that God is real?
2) What are some examples/evidence miracle are real?
1) Because it seems like only God could have done it - there is no other possible explanation.
2) - well, Christians believe God can still work miracles
- many people say incredible events in their lives are miracles (e.g. A “miraculous” recovery from an illness)
- in France, Lourdes gets thousands of visitors every year hoping for a miracle
- the Bible contains examples of Jesus performing miracles such as walking on water
What is numinous? What does it mean?
The feeling of the presence of something greater than you.
Why might a numinous experience make someone believe in God?
- People may experience something that completely takes their breath away
- It could be an amazing view, for example,
- But for some being in the presence of something awesome convinces them that something greater than them exists; that God is real
What does conversion mean?
When your life is changed by giving yourself to God
What does conversion REALLY mean and why might it persuade someone to believe in God?
- Conversion is all about change.
- Changing from one religion to another or from no religion to following one
- Conversion usually follows some life altering event that convinces an individual is that there must be a God
What is prayer?
An attempt to contact god usually through words
Why might prayer make somebody believe in God?
- Many people feel they make some form of connection with God when they pray, whether they get what they ask for or not.
- People pray in all sorts of circumstances out of need comfort thankfulness for guidance and for others.
Summarise the four main reasons why religious experience might lead to belief in God?
- It proves that God exists
- It changes people’s lives
- There must be a reason why such events occur
- It makes people aware of the presence of God and that he is real
Summarise the four main reasons why religious experience might NOT lead to belief in God?
- People might be lying about it
- People might be ill or under the influence of drugs or hallucinating
- People might be capable of these things and we are not yet aware of it
- Science can explain or will be able to explain why some things happen
What is the design argument?
An argument that tries to prove God exists based on the evidence of the world around us
Why might the design argument lead people to believe in God OR briefly talk me through how the design argument works?
1 - to design something takes intelligence and thought
2 - the world shows evidence of design
3 - therefore a being with intelligence and thought must have designed it
4 - therefore only God could have intelligence and thought enough to design the world
5 - therefore as the world exists God must exist too.
Can you explain with more depth the design argument?
+ The philosopher William Paley used the idea of design to try and prove the existence of God.
+ He looked inside a watch and said “if something so complex like this requires a designer, then by analogy, the universe would also need a designer”
+ he meant that it (the earth) was too complex to happen “randomly”
+ he reasoned the only being capable of designing the universe is God + therefore God exists
What are some arguments against the design argument?
Some arguments against design are:
+ that the appearance of design could be the result of evolution
+ the argument only suggests a designer and does not prove gods existence
+ there are examples of poor design in the universe
+ and it is possible that it came about by chance
What is the causation argument?
- The argument that everything must have been started off or caused by something else
- It is used to try to prove the existence of God and is based on the evidence from the world around us
Who was the causation argument set out by?
+ The argument was set out by the philosopher Thomas Aquinas
+ he argued that the first cause is God
