Section 2.1 Believing in God Flashcards
Explain how a religious upbringing can lead to, or support belief in God
POINT 1
P: Bible stories
E: Children can learn about God and his involvement in history from an early age
E: This means that they learn about God at an impressionable age
Explain how a religious upbringing can lead to, or support belief in God
POINT 2
P: Going to church
E: Church teaches children more about God whilst being around people with the same faith
E: This gives children a sense of community and the teachings also enforce the belief
Explain how a religious upbringing can lead to, or support belief in God
POINT 3
P: Church schooling
E: Going to a religious school means children are taught Christian beliefs and lifestyle. It also encourages worship.
E: Authority figures such as teachers back up what they ve already been taught about God
Explain how a religious upbringing can lead to, or support belief in God
POINT 4
P: First Communion
E: Important celebration where children receive the sacrament of bread and wine for the first time
E: Important step in becoming a complete member of the Church
Should parents be allowed to bring up children in a particular religion?
FOR POINT 1
P: Free will of parents
E: Parents are responsible for their children
E: They should have the freedom to chose how they want to raise their children
Should parents be allowed to bring up children in a particular religion?
FOR POINT 2
P: Christians make an oath at their wedding to raise their children in the religion
E: So they shouldn’t break that promise
Should parents be allowed to bring up children in a particular religion?
FOR POINT 3
P: Religion can help children feel like a part of a community
E: At celebrations like Christmas children can participate in an event like Nativity
E: This can offer them support and get through tough times
Should parents be allowed to bring up children in a particular religion?
FOR POINT 4
P: Gives children an experience of a particular religion
E: By going to Church or praying
E: They can also change their mind when older
Should parents be allowed to bring up children in a particular religion?
AGAINST PONT 1
P: Children should have their own free will
E: Be able to decide what to believe when they are older
Should parents be allowed to bring up children in a particular religion?
AGAINST POINT 2
P: Raising them in a particular religion is brainwashing them
E:
E: Children are very impressionable
Should parents be allowed to bring up children in a particular religion?
AGAISNT POINT 3
P: Could negatively impact on their future
E: Making children go to Church on Sunday could waste their time instead of doing something productive
Why might religious experiences lead to belief in God?
POINT 1
P: If a person witness a miracle
E: A person being suddenly cured of a disease
E: This may be so unimaginable that people believe that God must have done it
Why might religious experiences lead to belief in God?
POINT 2
P: If a person had a conversion experience
E: God has purposely entered their life
E: God has a plan for them, lead to belief
Why might religious experiences lead to belief in God?
POINT 3
P: God helped them
E: If a person saw a loved one cured from illness as a result from prayer
E: God must exist and care for them
Why might religious experiences lead to belief in God?
POINT 4
P: If a person has an experience which scares them and appeals to God to save them
E: Near death experience
E: The person will be thankful and therefore believe in Go
Can miracles happen?
FOR POINT 1
P: God is omnipotent
E: He parted the red sea
E: He can anything, including miracles
Can miracles happen?
FOR POINT 2
P: Miracles happened in the sacred text
E: Resurrection of Jesus, water to wine
E: Since God is eternal, miracles can still happen
Can miracles happen?
FOR POINT 3
P: Miracles still happen today
E: The Toronto Blessing where people were slain in (moved by) the Spirit and laughing and crying uncontrollably
Can miracles happen?
AGAINST POINT 1
P: Some believe that God doesn’t exist
E: Miracles are defined as breaks the laws of science and makes you think only God could have done it
E: Miracles can’t happen
Can miracles happen?
AGAINST POINT 2
P: They can be explained by science
E: People thought that God created the universe but we now know it was caused by the Big Bang
Can miracles happen?
AGAINST 3
P: The laws of science cannot be broken
E: Applies to everything
E: Laws of science summarise data from countless experiments
How does the design argument lead to belief in God?
POINT 1
P: The world is complex
E: The Golden Ratio reflected in everything and world able to support and grow itself through evolution
E: Random things don’t exhibit patterns but designed thing do so God must be the designer
How does the design argument lead to belief in God?
POINT 2
P: The world is beautiful
E: We appreciate beautiful things like sunsets and have things that aren’t essential for human life
E: Must be God
How does the design argument lead to belief in God?
POINT 3
P: The world is perfect for human
E: If Big Bang was more/less violent by 1 millionth we wouldnt’ exist
E: Probability of the universe being just right very small so a loving God must have created it
How does the design argument lead to belief in God?
POINT 4
P: A designed world needs a designe
E: Paley likened the world to a watch in that both have different parts and wouldn’t work if arranged differently
E: Therefore the world requires a designer
How does the causation argument lead to belief in God?
POINT 1
P: Everything has a cause
E: There is an infinite chain of cause and effect which must have started with an uncaused cause
E: God is the uncaused cause because something outside the universe must have brought it to existence
How does the causation argument lead to belief in God?POINT 2
P: Agrees with Genesis
E: ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ E: Means the rest of the Bible is probably true
How does the causation argument lead to belief in God?
POINT 3
P: God is the only logical cause of the universe
E: Since the universe exists, it requires an explanation so by induction argument God is the conclusion
E: People believe
How does the causation argument lead to belief in God?
POINT 4
P: Leads to the classical, theistic God
E: Says that God began everything and is omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent
E: Unlike lots of other arguments, it means that God is loving and present
Why may the problem of evil and suffering lead to people not believing in God?
POINT 1
P: Moral evil exists
E: Murder and terrorism
E: If God is omnibenevolent and omnipotent he would have ability and motive to stop moral evil
Why may the problem of evil and suffering lead to people not believing in God?
POINT 2
P: Natural evil exists
E: Earthquakes and tsunamis
E: f God is omnibenevolent and omnipotent he would have ability and motive to stop natural evil
Why may the problem of evil and suffering lead to people not believing in God?
POINT 3
P: God has stopped suffering before
E: Story of Moses (freed Jews from Egyptians)
E: According to this, God is able to stop suffering but he doesn’t now so he doesn’t exist
Why may the problem of evil and suffering lead to people not believing in God?
POINT 4
P: God might not be omnipotent and omnibenevolent
E: Evil exists
E: This opposes the classic theistic God so why should we worship him?
How do Christians respond to the problem of evil?
POINT 1
P: God gives people free will
E: People’s choices will be meaningful and not pre-decided
E: God can still exist as it should be our responsibility to make choices and accept consequences such as suffering
How do Christians respond to the problem of evil?
POINT 2
P: Original Sin
E: Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil
E: When this happened, evil and suffering were brought to this world
How do Christians respond to the problem of evil?
POINT 3
P: Balance of nature
E: God creates the world but allows it to function independently
E: Adam and Eve upset the balance of nature with original sin
How do Christians respond to the problem of evil?
POINT 4
P: Suffering is part of God’s plan
E: Human beings do not know and cannot understand God’s plan
E: God can still exist because God’s plan will be for the overall good of the person even if suffering is part of it
Why might scientific explanations of the origins of the world lead people to not believe in God?
POINT 1
P: The Big Bang
E: Scientist believe that the universe was made by a massive explosion of matter and energy.
E: The universe is not God’s creation
Why might scientific explanations of the origins of the world lead people to not2believe in God?
POINT 2
P: Evolution
E: All the main stages of evolution of the horse has been preserved
E:All living things have descended from common ancestors and were not created by God
Why might scientific explanations of the origins of the world lead people to not believe in God?
POINT 3
P: Natural selection
E: The weakest of species die out
E: A world created by God would not be so evil
Why might scientific explanations of the origins of the world lead people to not believe in God?
POINT 4
P: Science provide evidence
E: Evidence of radiation from the Big Bang can be detected with telescopes
E: Religion does not offer clear evidence of God’s existence
How do Christians respond to scientific explanations of the origins of the world?
POINT 1
P: God is responsible for the Big Bang
E: Big Bang did happen but God caused it
E: Scientific explanations are still compatible with this
How do Christians respond to scientific explanations of the origins of the world?
POINT 2
P: The Bible is not literally true
E: Genesis is a myth which tells people about God’s relationship with humans
E: Scientific explanations are compatible with this
How do Christians respond to scientific explanations of the origins of the world?
POINT 3
P: God created the world
E: The Big Bang still happened, but God upholds the world and keeps it going
E: Works along side scientific explanations
How do Christians respond to scientific explanations of the origins of the world?
POINT 4
P: God does not directly interfere with the running of the world
E: He interferes through people and their attitudes
E: Scientific explanations are compatible with this
Explain why unanswered prayers may lead people to not believe in God
POINT 1
P: People pray to ease their suffering
E: Recovering from an illness
E`: Makes them question why God won’t answer their prayer as he would want their suffering to ease
