Religious Language

Question 1

Definition of Cognitive

Answer 1

Deal with what is true in the real world

Question 2

Realism- what kind of statements are they?

Answer 2

Statements that can be proved true or false

Question 3

Anti-realist statements-what are they?

Answer 3

Statements that should not be taken literally

Question 4

Examples of anti-realist statements

Answer 4

Symbols and myth

Question 5

What did the Vienna Circle create?

Answer 5

The Verification Principle

Question 6

What are the three types of statements used in the verification principle?

Answer 6

Synthetic, Analytic, Meaningless

Question 7

Definition of Metaphysical

Answer 7

Beyond the laws of science

Question 8

What did the Vienna Circle say about religious statements?

Answer 8

They are meaningless

Question 9

What did AJ Ayer say about religious statements?

Answer 9

God’s existence cannot be proved so therefore the statement is meaningless

Question 10

Criticisms of the Verification Principle

Answer 10

Some statements that are claimed to be meaningless can have a meaning, for example, ethical and moral statements.
The Verification Principle in itself cannot be verified.

Question 11

What is the falsification Principle?

Answer 11

If something cannot be proved false, then it is meaningless

Question 12

Arguments for the Falsification Principle

Answer 12

Antony Flew said that to check the truth of something means to check the falseness of it too.

Question 13

Criticisms of the Falsification Principle

Answer 13

R.M Hare said that believers use religious language in a special way and is called `bilk’- a unique way of seeing the world, which cannot be proved true or false.
Also, religious language can be meaningful because it expresses an intention to follow a certain code of conduct.

Question 14

What is the via negativa?

Answer 14

The truth of God can be discovered by speaking negatively about Him
Finding out what he is like but discovering what he is not like.

Question 15

Criticisms of the via negativa

Answer 15

Does not allow you to talk about God in factual terms
To say God can only be spoken of in negatives means denying his existence
Believers only want to talk positively about God

Question 16

What is Univocal Language?

Answer 16

Using words and phrases in their everyday sense, e.g.. “God’s love” and “Lauren’s love” means the same thing.

Question 17

Criticisms of using Univocal language

Answer 17

If we refer to God and humans in the same way, then we are unable to tell the difference between them.

Question 18

What is Equivocal Language?

Answer 18

Using the same words but in different ways, e.g.. God’s love is not the same as human love (God is loving through design and a mother’s love with their child)

Question 19

What is Analogical Language?

Answer 19

Using the same words but in SLIGHTLY different ways, i.e. God’s love in like human love but is superior.

Question 20

What is Analogy of Attribution?

Answer 20

God is the cause of all good things in humans so therefore Gods attributes are at a higher level than our own.