S1 - Believing In God

Question 1

Explain which religious experiences may lead to the belief in God

Answer 1

• People claim to experience God in miracles
• Peoples prayers get answered
• Numinous feelings

Question 2

Define numinous

Answer 2

The feeling and presence of something greater then you

Question 3

Define miracle

Answer 3

When something appears to happen that science cannot explain

Question 4

Explain how a religious upbringing is likely to lead to a belief in God?

Answer 4

• Children will be taught to believe in God
• May be sent to a religious school
• Will spend most of their time with people who believe in God
• Children will not want to be different to their parents or upset them

Question 4

Explain the argument of causation and how it may, or may not, lead to belief in God

Answer 4

• The way everything seems to have a cause makes people think the universe must have a cause. The only possible cause of the universe is God, so God must exist.
  1. For
• Seems to match up with the bible and other holy texts such as the Quran
  2. Against
• Why should the cause stop at God? Who or what caused God? Science explains the universe without the need for God

Question 5

Explain now one religion responds to scientific explanations of the origins of the world

Answer 5

1. Many Christians accept scientific explanations but believe that God created the universe through the big bang, or uses evolution as a tool
2. Some Christians say scientific explanations are wrong and that the Bible is right
3. Some Christians believe that both science and the bible are true

Question 6

Explain the argument of causation and how it may, or may not lead to belief in God

Answer 6

• The way everything seems to have a cause makes people think the universe must have a cause. The only possible cause of the universe is God, so God must exist.
  1. For
• Seems to match up with the bible and other holy texts such as the Quran
  2. Against
• Why should the cause stop at God? Who or what caused God? Science explains the universe without the need for God

Question 7

Explain why scientific explanations of the origins of the world may lead some people not to believe in God

Answer 7

1. The big bang explains how the universe
2. Science dates the universe and the Earth at billions of years old; religion claims it is only thousands
3. Evolution is proven through DNA
4. Evolution is also proven through the fossil records

Question 8

Define agnosticism

Answer 8

Not sure if God exists

Question 9

Define atheism

Answer 9

Believes that no God or Gods exist

Question 11

Explain why unanswered prayers may lead some people to not believe in God

Answer 11

1. Many people are atheists because of this believe that God only answers some prayers

However

2. Human parents do not always give their children what they want, so why should God? And Christians have faith in God , believe that they must trust there is a long term plan

Question 12

Explain how one religion responds to unanswered prayers

Answer 12

1. Christians believe that God cannot answer selfish prayers. But he answers all other prayers though not always in the way people expect, because his answers have to fit in with his overall plans

Question 13

Explain why evil and suffering may lead to some people not to believe in God

Answer 13

1. Some people do not believe in God because they think that there would be no evil and no suffering in the world if an all power created it. A good God should not want such things to happen, and a powerful God should not allow them to

Question 13

Explain how one religion responds to the problem of evil and suffering

Answer 13

• Christians response
  1. Praying for those who suffer
  2. Helping those who suffer
  3. Claiming that evil and suffering are the fault of humans misusing their free will
  4. Claiming that evil and suffering are part of a test to prepare people for heaven

Question 14

Define free will

Answer 14

The idea that human beings are free to make their own choices

Question 15

Define moral evil

Answer 15

Actions are done by human beings that cause suffering

Question 16

Define natural evil

Answer 16

Things which cause suffering but have nothing to do with human beings, like natural disasters

Question 17

Define omnipotent

Answer 17

All powerful

Question 18

Define omni-benevolent

Answer 18

All good and all loving

Question 19

Explain the argument from design and how it may not lead to belief in God

Answer 19

2. Against
   - The world is clearly not designed because of all the suffering and design flaws such as volcanoes and disease
   - All the evidence for design is explained by science such as the Big Bang and evolution