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RS gcse > The existence of God and revelation > Flashcards

The existence of God and revelation Flashcards

1
Q

The Design Argument- what do theists argue?

A
  • Most agree that the universe and life was created for a purpose by God and that the universe was not a result of an accident or random chance.
  • They argue that nature is so intricate and complex that God must have designed it.
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2
Q

Genesis 1 account of creation- most Christians believe this supports the design argument because it shows God developed the universe

A

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

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3
Q

The Design Argument- what would an atheist argue?

A
  • The universe has evolved naturally and was not created.

- Theists are not able to produce God as evidence for their argument.

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4
Q

The Design argument- what would an agnostic say?

A

-It is impossible to know for certain that God exists.

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5
Q

Theist definition

A

A person who belives in God

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6
Q

atheist definition

A

a person who believes there is no God

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7
Q

agnostic definition

A

someone who thinks there is not enough evidence for belief in God

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8
Q

William Paley’s Design Argument

A
  • If we found a watch which we knew nothing about, its intricate workings would show that it had been put together deliberately for a purpose.
  • It’s pieces could not have come together by themselves so someone must have designed it- a watchmaker
  • Like the watch there is evidence for design in the natural world eg: the eye for sight (just right for its purpose).
  • the universe is far more complicated than a watch and like it, it must have a designer-God
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9
Q

Isaac Newton’s Design argument

A
  • Your thumb gives your hand precise and delicate movement only found in humans and some primates
  • every thumbprint is different and unique to the individual
  • Therefore, the design of the thumb is sufficient evidence of God’s existence
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10
Q

Thomas Aquinas’ Design Argument

A
  • Thomas Aquinas said that only an intelligent being can keep things in regular order.
  • The planets, sun, moon and stars rotate in the solar system in a set way because God holds them in place.
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11
Q

A modern Design Argument

A
  • F.R. Tennant argued that God designed the world so that everything was just right for human life to develop.
  • If the strength of gravity and the power and speed of the explosion caused by the Big Bang has been even a little bit different, life would not exist.
  • Appears to have been deliberate.
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12
Q

Objections to the Design Arguments

A
  • since the process of natural selection happens by chance, species designed themselves over time. Everything is a result of evolution, not a designer God
  • If God designed the universe, why is there so much suffering in the world?
  • the order in the universe is necessary to support life, so it merely gives the appearance of design.
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13
Q

Isaac Newton Design Argument quote

A

“In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.”

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14
Q

Buddhism beliefs about God

A
  • non-theistic religion
  • Buddhists aim to liberate themselves from suffering by moving towards enlightenment
  • Buddhist traditions acknowledge the presence of many kinds of spirits and gods but not a creator God who is responsible for everything.
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15
Q

The first Cause argument -theists

A
  • some theists would use the existence of the universe to prove that God exists
    arguments:
  • everything that exists or begins to exist must have a cause
    -the universe exists and began to exist, so must have a cause too
  • there had to be something eternal that was not caused by anything
    -therefore God exists
    -the universe had a beginning and God was the start of the chain of events, which led to the present/ If the universe had no beginning - no explanation for its existence.
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16
Q

What is the first cause argument also called?

A

The Cosmological argument

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17
Q

What does the first cause argument depend on?

A

-the belief that the universe had a beginning and a cause like all other things that exist.

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18
Q

Scientists belief- first cause argument

A
  • most accept the universe began as a result of the Big Bang
  • what existed before the Big Bang?
  • there must have been a cause for the Big Bang and the start of the universe
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19
Q

What would modern theists argue for the Big Bang?

A

God was the eternal, uncaused cause of the Big Bang

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20
Q

What would a theist argue about the First Cause Argument?

A
  • The universe had a beginning and God was the start of a chain of events, which led to the present
  • universe had no beginning then there would be no adequate explanation for its existence
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21
Q

Thomas Aquinas’ First Cause Argument

A
  • argued that everything we observe is caused to exist
  • nothing can become something by itself unless something is added to it
  • since nothing we observe can cause itself to exist, there are only two possibilities:
    . there is an infinite chain of effects preceded by causes
    . there must be a first cause which by definition must be uncaused.
  • however, an inifinite sequence of causes and effects is impossible because it would have taken us an infinite amount of time to reach
  • so there must be a first cause which by definition is uncaused, and Aquinas believed that this was God. The universe exists so Aquinas argued that it must have had a creator to begin with, God.
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22
Q

What are objections to the First Cause Argument?

A
  • Atheists say the argument contradicts itself: if everything we see in the world has a cause, what caused God
  • If you say that God is eternal and has always existed, why couldn’t the universe have always existed too?
  • Just because events and things have causes does not mean the universe has a cause
  • the Big Bang was a random, spontaneous event, not an action by God
  • Religious creation stories are just myths ( tell spiritual, rather than truth)
  • although we generally think everything must have a cause, perhaps there are some things we don’t know about that don’t have causes.
  • even if there was a such thigng as an uncaused cause, this does not prove that the cause was God.
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23
Q

How would theists counter objections to the First Cause Argument?

A
  • only God is eternal, beyond time and space

- the cause of the Big Bang is not yet known so why couldn’t it be God?

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24
Q

Why did Thomas Aquinas say that God does not have a cause?

A

Because he is eternal

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25
Q

If God had needed a cause to begin his existence, he would

A

not be all powerful and so would not be God. Since God is all powerful, he cannot have a cause.

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26
Q

What is a Buddhist response to the First Cause argument?

A
  • the idea of causation and the First Cause argument is based on the idea that the universe is linear: it began and will end
  • However, Buddhism presents a vision of the universe that is more like an endless cycle- samsara: endless process of birth, death and rebirth. No absolute beginning and end (like a circle).
  • the Buddhist response is that the universe never began
  • there was no beginning of time and there will be no end of time, instead there is just endless change
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27
Q

What is a Buddhist response to the Design Argument?

A
  • Buddhism does not teach there is a creator God who designed the universe
  • it teaches that all things come into existence when the necessary conditions are there
  • life first came into existence when the necessary conditions were present for this to happen
  • this process of change happens by itself, without any help from an outside creator or God.
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28
Q

What is the problem with evil and suffering?

A
  • if God really is benevolent and created a good world, how can there be so much evil in it?
  • some people argue that God, being good, could not have created a world that allows so much evil
  • therefore he didn’t create the world and doesn’t exist
  • if he did create a world that allows so much evil, he is not really benevolent or omnipotent (with the power to destroy all evil) as he can not permit all of the evil that goes on in life.
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29
Q

Why is a counter argument to the problem of evil and suffering?

A
  • God gave humans free will
  • allows people to choose how they act- good/evil
  • he can’t stop people as it would be undermining their free will
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30
Q

What is the problem with the free will argument to account for the evil and suffering in the world?

A
  • this argument does not address evil situations that are not caused by human choice, eg: natural disasters (earthquakes, famines) that cause many people to die
  • moreover, some people say the free-will argument does not help to explain why animals suffer (because they do not have free will).
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31
Q

How do some people try to explain that God and evil both exist?

A

Suffering and evil offer the chance for spiritual growth. Through confronting and overcoming evil, human beings develop spiritually. Suffering also enables people to recognise what is truly valuable.

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32
Q

What are Buddhist viewpoints on evil?

A
  • it is perfectly understandable that evil exists
  • According to Buddhism, people act in evil ways because they are in the grip of greed, hatred and ignorance
  • Each person has the ability to act in a good or evil way, a lot of the time they do not have enough awareness to be able to make good choices
  • Buddhism teaches that people who do evil are not punished by God- suffer consequences of actions because of Kamma.
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33
Q

Why is it sometimes said that Buddhists believe in an ‘ethical universe?’

A
  • it does not necessarily mean that people are always punished by the law for their evil
  • it means that, because of kamma, evl actions will always lead to suffering for the person who acts in an evil way
  • usually means that others suffer too
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34
Q

What do Buddhists believe about natural disasters?

A
  • not punishments for acting in an evil way
  • caused by biological and climatic conditions
    famine- not a bad person
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35
Q

What do some people argue about the Buddhist problem to evil and suffering?

A
  • can’t explain the existence of good but can explain the existence of evil
  • if all beings are driven by greed, hatred or ignorance, where does the impulse towards enlightenment come from?
  • within each person there is the essence of the Buddha that, given the right conditions, can grow into enlightenment.
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36
Q

How do some atheists and humanists use developments in scientic knowledge to challenge belief in God?

A
  • some people use the theory of evolution to argue that God did not create life. Instead, it just happened by chance through the process of natural selection.
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37
Q

What do Buddhists believe about whether science proves or disproves the existence of a creator God?

A
  • they do not believe in a God so this question is not relevant to Buddhism. Buddhists do not regard scientific explanations as presenting a challenge to Buddhist teachings.
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38
Q

If Christians and other theists accept the Big Bang theory, what would they also argue?

A

God was the cause of the Big Bang.

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39
Q

What is a miracle?

A

-It is a seemingly impossible event, usually good, that cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws.

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40
Q

What do Christians believe a true miracle is?

A

An event performed by God. eg: recovering from an illness when doctors had given up hope and avoiding certain death from a freak accident.

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41
Q

What would theists argue a miracle shows?

A

-That there is religious significance or purpose to the event, such as to strengthen faith or to show God’s love.

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42
Q

Is having a baby a miracle?

A

No, unless a person is rendered never to have a child and they do. Depends on people’s interpretation.

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43
Q

What are the two types of miracles?

A

1, events that break natural laws and cannot be explained by science eg: Jesus is said to have turned water into wine at the marriage in Cana
2, Happy coincidences in which no natural laws are broken but a coincidence occurs at just the right moment to cause a good outcome eg: a train stops just in time to prevent an accident.

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44
Q

What do Christians and other theists argue about miracles?

A
  • There is no scientific reason for an event happening so it must be caused by something outside nature
  • God is the only thing that exists outside nature
  • these events must be the result of God’s intervention in the world
  • Therefore God must exist.
45
Q

What do Atheists and agnostics argue about miracles?

A
  • miracles are no more than happy coincidences
  • they may be explained by scientific explanations not yet discovered
  • healings could be the result of mind over matter or wrongly diagnose illnesses
  • some miracles are deliberately made up for fame or money
  • therefore what appear to be miracles have nothing to do with God, so cannot prove God exists.
46
Q

What was David Hume’s argument aganst miracles?

A
  • miracles deny the laws of nature but there can never be enough evidence to prove that this can happen
  • witnesses to miracles are unreliable, as most of them are uneducated, primitive people
  • religions depend on miracles to prove they are true but all religions cannot be right.
47
Q

Why do some theists also deny the truth of miracles?

A

-. They ask why God chooses someone to benefit from a miracle over millions who are not so fortunate. An all-just and all-loving God would not do that.

48
Q

What is a Christian response to miracles?

A
  • Christians view miracles as evidence of God’s existence and work in the world
  • Jesus worked many miracles eg: healings, bringing the dead back to life
  • Jesus’ incarnation and resurrection are considered the most important miracles in Christian teaching
  • Lourdes is recognised by the Church as a place where miracles have occured- the Catholic Church has recorded 69 miracles there
  • the fact that some people convert to Christianity after experiencing a miracle is seen as proof of God’s existence.
49
Q

What is the story of Marie Bailly?

A
  • was diagnosed with tubercular peritontitis- abdomen swelled and she was unable to eat anything
  • pleaded to be sent to Lourdes
  • was taken to hospital in critical condition. After no improvement, the doctors told Mary that she was dying.
  • Marie asked to be taken to the baths where the holy water were poured on her abdomen. She prayed to Mary, the mother of Jesus and declared, ‘I am cured.’
  • colour returned, abdomen reduced in size- good health.
50
Q

What are Buddhist attitudes towards miracles?

A
  • tradition says that meditators may develop miraculous powers, but that these are not necessarily signs of spirituality
  • nor do they prove the existence of God
  • Buddhist scriptures are also full or apparently miraculous events
  • These are usually not interpreted literally, instead they are considered to be symbolic, intended to express spiritual truths
51
Q

For some theists, what does the Design Argument, the First Cause and the argument from miracles do?

A
  • They do not provide proof (evidence that supports the truth of something) that God exists, but they strengthen the faith (commitment to God that goes beyond proof) that they already have in God.
52
Q

How is science used to challenge belief in God?

A
  • Some atheists believe that religious beliefs, especially about God, were invented by people in the past to answer questions about the origins of the universe
  • questions about hardship could be explained as punishment from God
  • science can now answer these questions and will be able to answer the currently unanswered questions in the future, so atheists argue that the invented idea of God is no longer necessary or helpful
  • the fact that science is getting closer to creating human life provides further evidence that God does not exist.
53
Q

Why do many Christians see no conflict between science and religion?

A
  • they understand science as explaining the continuing process that God used when creating the Universe
  • However, fundamentalist Christians argue that you shouldn’t change religious truths to fit scientific laws as it puts other religious teaching in doubt.
  • Pope expressed what most Christians believe.
54
Q

How do atheists use evil and suffering as an argument against the existence of God?

A
  • Atheists argue that the existence of evil and suffering show that God does not exist. They may also say that if God designed the world, he didn’t do it very well.
  • Chain of reasoning:
    1, God is believed to be all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving
    2, If this is true, God should be aware of evil and use his powers to prevent it because he loves his creation
    3, God doesn’t do this so doesn’t exist.
55
Q

What do Christians argue suffering and evil is a result of?

A
  • free will eg: Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought evil and suffering into God’s perfect world.
  • If there was no good and bag in the world, people would not be able to show their human qualities to the full, eg: demonstrating compassion.
56
Q

What does is special revelation?

A

It is God making himself known through a direct personal experience or an unusual specific event.

57
Q

What is enlightenment?

A

It is gaining true knowledge about God, usually through meditation and self-discipline.

58
Q

What is the significance of special revelation and enlightenment?

A

They are both sources of knowledge about the divine.

59
Q

What is meant by the divine?

A
  • All religions believe there is a supreme, final fundamental power in all reality (ultimate reality) which is eternal and unchanging.
  • It could be a God or gods which are referred to as being divine
60
Q

What do Christians believe is divine?

A
  • Christians believe this ultimate reality is a personal being, God, who makes himself known in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
61
Q

Why do some theists say God cannot be known?

A

Because he is beyond the limits of human understanding and cannot be described in language.

62
Q

What do Christians believe about understanding God?

A

They do not fully understand God but believe they can know something about his nature and purpose through revelations.

63
Q

What is the usual effect of special revelation?

A

It is profound and can be life-changing

64
Q

What are examples of special revelation from the Bible?

A

Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God or Mary finding out she was to give birth to Jesus.

65
Q

What are types of special revelation?

A
  • a dream
  • a vision
  • a prophecy
  • hearing God’s call
  • miracle
66
Q

What does a vision involve?

A
  • Seeing something that shows something about the nature of God.
  • often involve seeing holy figures
67
Q

What do some atheists believe about visions?

A

They believe they can be explained by sleep deprivation or drug use.

68
Q

How do Buddhists discover the meaning of ultimate reality?

A
  • they use meditation and self discipline to discover the meaning of ultimate reality by gaining true knowledge (enlightenment)
  • They hope to discover how to end suffering and achieve happiness by escaping the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
69
Q

Do Buddhists believe in gods?

A

No

70
Q

What do Buddhists believe about revelation?

A
  • revelation is generally not used in Buddhism however, the Buddha’s enlightenmeent can be thought of as a type of revelation
  • according to Buddhism, everyone can reach the same insight into the nature of reality that the Buddha achieved
  • he is only special because he accomplished this before others and opened the way fo them
  • revelation does not provide evidence for God
71
Q

What do Buddhists believe revelation does?

A
  • it doesn’t provide evidence for God
  • it inspires people to change, so they begin to live with less selfishness and more generosity and compassion for others
  • people can gain an understanding of the nature of reality through everyday experiences.
72
Q

What can help to reveal the nature of reality for Buddhists?

A

teachings about the three marks of existence

73
Q

What are the three marks of existence to help to reveal the nature of reality?

A

1, suffering is an unavoidable part of reality
2, Everything is impermanent
3, Nothing has a fixed, unchanging nature

74
Q

Through teachings about the three marks of existence, what can Buddhists do?

A

They can deepen their awareness of the nature of reality, which inspires a way of living that is in harmony with how things are.

75
Q

What can also help to reveal the nature of reality for Buddhists?

A
  • images, eg: through an image of the Buddha or other sacred figure, Buddhists may recognise that they too can become enlightened
  • some Mahayana Buddhists believe they can communicate directly with the sacred figure, who shows the nature of reality.
76
Q

What do Buddhists believe about scripture?

A
  • generally, Buddhist scriptures are regarded as the ‘enlightened word’, meaning they are seen as expressing the enlightened mind, and usually the mind of the Buddha
  • for this reason, they act as a form of general revelation about the nature of truth or reality
  • some Buddhists think they contain a sacred power that affects people who hear the words. Certain scriptures are even believed to heal or protect people.
77
Q

Nagarjuna and the revelation of perfect wisdom

A
  • according to legend, the Buddhist monk Nagarjuna received a whole body of sacred texts, known as the Perfection of Wisom scriptures, from the serpent deities who had been guarding them at the bottom of the ocean.
  • scriptures were given to the serpent deities by the Buddha so they could keep them safe until humans were ready to understand them. The idea of buried or hidden revelations, which are later discovered and shared, has been important in some Mahayana traditions.
78
Q

An example of special revelation- 3 portugese shepherd girls

A
  • they reportedly saw a series of visions of the Virgin Mary and received spiritual teachings from her
  • thousands of people flocked to the site in Fatima, Portugal
  • the visions were later agreed to be authentic and believable by the Catholic Church
  • following the reported visions, Fatima quickly became a Catholic pilgrimage site and now attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year
  • Pope Joh Paul II credited Our Lady of Fatima with saving his life following an assassination attempt.
79
Q

What is special revelation?

A

-It describes a situation when a person/group of people experience a vision or a miraculous event which they and others, consider to be a communication from God.

80
Q

What had been given to people via special revelation in many religious traditions?

A

Knowledge of the divine. They were then inspired to start new religions, or to develop existing traditions with new ideas.

81
Q

What does special or general revelation depend on?

A

The circumstances. eg: Jews and Christians believe the Ten Commandments were revealed to Moses. Christians see this as a special revelation.

82
Q

How can special revelation be transmitted?

A
  • through the appearance of a vision or even through dreams.
83
Q

What are arguments against special revelation?

A
  • It often depends on the word of just one person
  • How can the person who experiences the revelation know that it is a revelation from God and not simply their own imagination?
  • How can others trust that they are telling the truth?
  • Is the person making it up or are they mentally ill?
  • special revelation is really only a revelation to just one person. Others must take the revelation on trust because they have not experienced it dirctly.
84
Q

What will be the most likely result of special revelation?

A
  • to confirm the faith they already have rather than bring someone to believe in God.
  • It may also help others who didn’t experience the revelation to deepen their faith
85
Q

What will how a believer interprets an experience as a special revelation or a strange experience depend on?

A

Their belief system.

86
Q

How will Buddhists interpret a revelation?

A
  • they are unlikely to interpret it as an intervention from God as they do not believe in one but they accept truths revealed, eg: taught by the Buddha and other enlightened teachers
87
Q

What do Buddhists generally accept that can be transmitted through visionary experiences?

A

special wisdom

88
Q

Many Buddhists practise teachings that were supposedly revealed by….

A

revered teachers

89
Q

What do Buddhists believe about teachings?

A
  • they believe content is more important than the source
  • If a Buddhist claimed to have received a revelation contrary to basic Buddhist teachings, it is unlikely that it would be followed by other Buddhists.
90
Q

What is Bahiya’s vision?

A
  • Bahiya was revered and respected as a holy man but a doubt entered his mind about whether he was really enlightened. He then had a vision of a deva (spiritual being) who confirmed he wasn’t as wise as he could be. So he asked the Deva, ‘So who is enlightened? Who can I learn from?’
  • the Deva advised him to go and seek out the Buddha.
  • Bahiya asked for his teaching and immediately became enlightened
  • shortly after, he died.
91
Q

When may people have visions in Buddhism?

A

While meditating

92
Q

Who may Buddhists see as specific sources of knowledge?

A

Buddhas/Bodhisattvas

93
Q

Why is seeing a Buddha/Bodhisattva important when meditating?

A

They can influence the spiritual development of the meditator

94
Q

How do Buddhists meditate in some Mahayana traditions?

A

Believers regularly meditate on Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, chant mantras, perform various rituals, in the belief that this will bring them into direct contact with the Buddha/Bodhisattva.

95
Q

After some Mahayana Buddhist are brought into direct contact with the Buddha/Bodhisattva, what may they then believe?

A

That they have received a specific revelation which they then will transmit to others.

96
Q

What is the Tibetan Book of the Dead?

A
  • It emerged through what could be understood as a special revelation
  • In Tibet, there is the tradition of ‘hidden trasures’ and a tradition of treasure finders
  • Tibetan Buddhists believe it was written by the great monk Padmasambhava in the eighth century
  • He decided to hide it until a later date when people would be ready to study it
  • It was then discovered several centuries later, and became central in the Tibetan Buddhist approach to dying, death and rebirth.
97
Q

What do Buddhists think of ultimate reality as?

A

An eternal truth or principle that governs the universe.

98
Q

What do Christans describe the ultimate reality as?

A

A personal being, God, who makes himself known in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

99
Q

What is enlightenment?

A

It is a term that describes a profound spiritual insight which transforms the life of the individual.

100
Q

What do Buddhists believe they can gain through enlightenment?

A

People can gain a deep understanding of the nature of reality

101
Q

How may enlightenment be gained?

A

Through spiritual discipline, such as prayer, silence and solitude

102
Q

Who were the Anchorites?

A

They were Christians who lives austere lives of solitude, with the intention of knowing God and releasing themselves from sin. They believed that by separating themselves from the world, they could come to know God more intimately through personal experience.

103
Q

How is enlightenment gained in Buddhism?

A
  • By practising the Dhamma (the teachings of the Buddha).
  • The path to enlightenment is often presented as having three elements:
    .ethics
    .meditation
    .wisdom
104
Q

Why is ethics important? - Buddhists

A

because then they will be able to have deeper meditation experiences.

105
Q

Why is meditation important?- Buddhists

A
  • through the stability and concentration developed in meditation, Buddhists can gain an understanding of the nature of reality, which leads to enlightenment.
106
Q

What state does enlightenment result in?

A

A state of profound freedom, peace, wisdom and compassion

107
Q

Describe the enlightenment of the Buddha

A
  • he is said to have gained enlightenment after six years of strenuous spiritual practices
  • he sat under a peepul tree
  • He came to understand how people create their own suffering and how they can release themselves from suffering by letting go of desire and hatred.
  • Buddha’s enlightenment beyond words- something indescribable
  • can also be called awakening
108
Q

How do different Buddhists think of the Buddha?

A
  • some see him as a person; a teacher and an example to be followed
  • others see him as a symbol of their own potential
  • some see him as a transcendent figure to be worshipped
  • others believe Buddha is immanent: an ever-present reality with which they can enter into a relationship through meditation and devotional practices
  • the Buddha is sometimes seen as a supremely compassionate force that is actively reaching out to help human beings in order to relieve their suffering. If people become more receptive then they can experience this influence, and it will direct their lives in a more fulfillng way.
109
Q

What is an example of a miracle in Buddhism?

A
  • Once when the Buddha was meditating, a heavy rainstorm occurred
  • Mucalinda, the king of the serpents, encircled the Buddha and spread his hood over him to give him protection from the rain
  • After seven days when the Buddha finished meditating, Mucalinda uncoiled himself, took on the appearance of a youth and bowed before the Buddha

RS gcse (8 decks)

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