Revelation Flashcards
Vocab
People who believe in God
Theists
What is the design argument?
That because everything is so intricately made it must have been created by God.
What do Christians believe about who created the universe?
It was God.
Vocab
Somebody who doesn’t believe in God
Atheist
What do agnostics believe about who created the universe?
They believe that there is not enough evidence to know whether God exists or that he created the universe
What is William Paley‘s design argument?
He said that if you found a watch, and you did not know what it was, you would still know somebody had designed and made it because it was so intricate.
The universe is even more intricate so somebody must have made it, and that must be God.
What is Isaac newtons design argument?
He argues that humans and some primates have opposable thumbs which allows us to do lots of very delicate tasks.
He says this is evidence of design, which can only be achieved by God.
What is Thomas Aquinas’ design argument?
He said that only an intelligent being could keep everything in the universe in order.
The fact that the planets rotate in the solar system without colliding is evidence of God.
What is F R Tennants design argument?
He said everything is just right for humans develop so the world must have been designed by God.
He referred to the strength of gravity be absolutely right and side of the force of the big bang was slightly more life could not have developed on Earth.
Put these arguments in date order. Aquinas Tenant Newton Paley
1) Aquinas
2) Newton
3) Paley
4) Tennant
Give three arguments against the design argument.
1) Natural selection
2) The amount of suffering in the world. A good God would not have designed a lad bad things such as evil or natural disasters.
3) The order in the universe makes it look as though it is designed. in fact the order and structure and nature is imposed by humans.
Give 3 objections to the First cause argument.
if everything has a cause what caused God?
If God is eternal the Universe can be as well.
Religious creation stories, about how God brought the Universe into being, are myths. The truth they tell is spiritual, not actual.
What is a miracle?
seemingly impossible events that cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws.
How would a Theist argue that miracles prove God’s existence?
1) No scientific reason that an event happened so it must be caused by something outside nature.
2) God is the only thing that exists outside nature.
These events must be the result of God’s intervention.
How would atheists argue against miracles proving that God exists?
1) Miracles are no more than happy coincidences.
2) They may be explained by scientific reason we don’t know yet.
3) Healings could be the result of mind over matter or wrongly diagnosed illnesses.
4) Some miracles are deliberately made up for fame or money.
state 3 points that David Hume made about miracles, arguing against them as proof of God.
1) Never enough evidence to prove that they are real.
Witnesses to miracles are unreliable.
2) Religions depend on miracles to prove they are true, but not all religions can be true.
Give 4 Christian views about miracles.
1) The fact that people convert to Christianity after they have experienced a miracle is proof of God’s existence.
2) Jesus worked many miracles eg. healings and bringing the dead back to life.
3) Jesus’ incarnation and resurrection are considered that most important miracles.
4) Lourdes has had miracles-69 have been verified to be true.
Explain one example of a miracle in detail.
The resurrection of Jesus-He rose from the dead in a tomb where he was dead for a few days. He was seen by his disciples. The first person to know that he had disappeared was Mary Magdalene
How is Science used to challenge belief in God?
Atheists believe that religion has been used to answer all the ‘difficult’ questions. In the future science will be able to answer them instead.
What does Pope Francis say about the Big bang and how it affects belief in God?
“the Big bang….does not contradict the divine act of creation; rather it requires it.”
Give 2 detailed arguments that Christians use against responses based on science, to prove God doesn’t exist.
Scientific accounts of the Big Bang don’t have to contradict those in the Bible and Qur’an.
Science reveals the laws by which God created the universe
God created Science along with everything else
God made us intelligent so that we could find out more as it gives us a clearer idea of all that God has made and done.
Atheists use evil and suffering to prove that God doesn’t exist. Describe their argument in detail.
- Christians believe that God is omniscient and all-powerful
- This means that he is aware of evil and suffering and he has the power to stop them.
- As he doesn’t stop them, he can’t exist.
What is a special revelation?
A revelation that appears to one person directly eg The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.
It may profoundly affect their life and behaviour.
