The Existence of God & Revelation Quotes

Question 1

Give four analogies used for the Design Argument

Answer 1

William Paley - watch
Isaac Newton - thumb
Thomas Aquinas - planet orbits
F.R Tennant - force & speed of the Big Bang, gravity, etc.

Question 2

Give a Christian reference showing God created the world

Answer 2

Genesis 1

Question 3

Give a Buddhist reference showing there is no creator God

Answer 3

Dependent arising

Question 4

Give a Christian quote about the cosmological (causation) argument

Answer 4

‘Therefore it is necessary to arrive at a first mover, put in motion by no other; and this everyone understands to be God’ - St Thomas Aquinas

Question 5

Give a Christian quote about science intertwining with religion

Answer 5

‘The big bang… does not contradict the divine act of creation. Rather, it requires it’ - Pope Francis

Question 6

Give an example of a Christian miracle

Answer 6

1902, French woman Marie Bailly was diagnosed w/ tubercular peritonitis. Went to Lourdes, told she was dying, but poured holy water from the springs on her abdomen & prayed to Mary. Returned to good health.

Question 7

Give an example of a Buddhist miracle

Answer 7

Heavy storm whilst the Buddha was meditating. Mucolinda, king of serpents, sheltered him from the rain. 7 days later, after the Buddha had finished meditating, Mucolinda uncoiled himself, took the appearance of a youth, and bowed before the Buddha.

Question 8

Give an example of a special revelation in Christianity

Answer 8

Acts 9:1-19
A Jewish man, Saul, who had been persecuting Christians, was on the road to Damascus. He experienced a blinding light, the heavens opened, and Jesus asked, ‘Why are you persecuting me?’. Saul was left blind for three days and terrified, and God sent a disciple, Ananias, to restore his eyesight. He was so overcome by this revelation that he converted to Christianity and was baptised, later becoming known as St Paul.

Question 9

Give a Christian quote about special revelation

Answer 9

‘When there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams’ - Numbers 12:6

Question 10

Give two examples of special revelation in Buddhism

Answer 10

1. Story of Bahiya.
   - a holy man living in western India, who had doubts about whether or not he was fully enlightened. He had a vision of a deva, a spiritual being, who told him he was not as wise as he could be, and advised that he should seek out the Buddha. Bahiya travelled hundreds of miles on foot to reach him, and later attained enlightenment.
2. The Tibetan Book of the Dead
   - written by the monk Padmasambhava in 8th century. He decided to hide it until people were ready for its wisdom - Tibet has a tradition of ‘hidden treasures’. It was discovered centuries later, and is now central to Tibetan Buddhists’ approach to samsara.

Question 11

Give a Christian quote about general revelation through nature

Answer 11

‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands’ - Psalm 9:1

Question 12

Give a Christian quote about science intertwining with religion

Answer 12

‘The big bang… does not contradict the divine act of creation. Rather, it requires it’ - Pope Francis

Question 13

Give Christian quotes about the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent nature of God

Answer 13

‘There is only one who is good’ - Matthew 19:17

‘You have searched me, LORD, and you know me… you perceive my thoughts from afar’ - Psalm 139:1-2

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son’ - John 3:16