The existence of God

Question 1

What does Occam’s razor say

Answer 1

It is more likely that the simplest explanation of a set of circumstances is correct

Question 2

Theism definition

Answer 2

The belief that there is a personal God

Question 3

Deism definition

Answer 3

A god who create them left

Question 4

Atheism definition

Answer 4

Someone who doesn’t believe in God

Question 5

Agnostic definition

Answer 5

Literal meaning of “not knowing” unsure of Gods existence

Question 6

Who was the key thinker of the cosmological argument and give a quote

Answer 6

St. Thomas of Aquinas - “Why is there something rather then nothing

Question 7

Who first proposed the idea of the big bang

Answer 7

The idea was first proposed in 1927 by George Lemaitre who was a Belgium Roman Catholic priest

Question 8

What does Aquinas believe?

Answer 8

There must be a first un caused cause and for him this is God

Question 9

Who is the key thinker in the teleological argument

Answer 9

William Paley

Question 10

Big bang theory

Answer 10

13.7 billion years ago, the universe began as an infinitely small but dense point. Since then it has been expanding and cooling. We can measure its expansion (red shift) and detect the left over heat (cosmic microwave background radiation)

Question 11

What is the main argument of the teleological argument (part 1)

Answer 11

A watch would imply a watch maker as it is intricate and complex and has a purpose
So an eye could imply an eye maker
A world implies a world maker
A universe implies a universe make (God)

Question 12

What is a criticism of the cosmological argument

Answer 12

The big bang theory

Question 13

What is a criticism of the teleological argument

Answer 13

Evolution

Question 14

What key thinker criticises religion

Answer 14

Richard dawkins

Question 15

Explain a bit about Darwin

Answer 15

Darwin wrote “The Origin of Species” in 1859 after his voyage around the world on “HMS Beagle”. He visited the Galapagos islands and observed the finches

Question 16

Explain teleological argument (part 2)

Answer 16

The anthropic cosmological principle (the goldilocks effects)
These values must be what they are otherwise we wouldn’t exist
e.g. 6.7 x 10 -11 ( the strength of gravitational constance )
Some philosophers therefore some agent (God) must have made the precise numbers

Question 17

Who is the key thinker of the moral argument

Answer 17

Kant (lived in the 18th century)

Question 18

Explain the moral argument

Answer 18

Kant believed life should be fair but it often isn’t… so in the after life he needs to be rewarded by God

Question 19

What idea is the moral argument similar to

Answer 19

It is similar to Newman’s view on the conscience described as the voice of God

Question 20

Who was the key thinker of the ontological argument

Answer 20

This argument is associated with Anselm of Canterbury who lived in the 12th century and he was a monk

Question 21

Explain the ontological argument

Answer 21

• Reality is better then the idea
• God is “that than which nothing greater can be conceived” (the best thing)
  Therefore God must exist

Question 22

What is a criticism of the ontological argument

Answer 22

Is it better to exist in reality than just an idea ?

Question 23

Give 2 quotes the relate to the existence of God

Answer 23

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us “ John 1:14

Question 24

Explain the idea of the experience argument

Answer 24

God exists because people have experienced God

Question 25

What is a miracle (give examples)

Answer 25

“A transgression if a law of nature by a particular volition of the Deity”
Biblical example: Feeding the 5000
Modern day example: Healings in Lourdes, France

Question 26

What is a conversion (give examples)

Answer 26

• A change in one’s beliefs
• Biblical example: Saul converts to christianity (St. Paul) on the road to Damascus
• Modern day example: Billie McCurrie (terrorism - christianity)
• Key quote “My only regret is that I didn’t pick up the bible before I picked up the gun “

Question 27

Explain how seeing beauty in nature can prove Gods existence

Answer 27

• Some thinker see the “superfluous” beauty in nature as a sign if Gods creativity
• Richard Dawkins would argue against by using the idea of evolution

Question 28

What are the 3 ways to interprate the bible

Answer 28

• Literal/fundamentalist
• Symbolic
• Liberal, allagorical

Question 29

What is the story of Lourdes

Answer 29

1. St. Bernedettes original name was Bernadette Soubisous
2. Lourdes is found in the south of France near the Pyrenes
3. In 1858 at the age of 15 she experienced several visions of Mary. The vision was refferred to as lhe “immaculate conception”
4. The vision said that the spring which appeared wasto be visited by the sick. Nowadays millions of people vist
5. Since there there have been around 70 ‘miraculous cures”. To be called a “miracles the person must be checked by doctors