The Nature Of God And Human Beings Flashcards

Question

What do Christians believe free will is?

Answer 1

A gift from god given to human beings at creation.

Answer 2

That humans aren’t like programmed robots, which means their obedience to God and their worship is meaningful

Answer 3

They are missusing free will, so it can be seen as a cause of suffering and allenation from God, the world and each other.

Answer 4

In the story of Adam and Eve who disobey god by eating the forbidden fruit

Answer 5

misuse their free will. No one is perfect. This is because we all give in to temptation.

Answer 6

That people can be held responsible for what they decide to do.

Answer 7

An inherent part of being human, the urge to do bad things and disobey God

Answer 8

People are stained by original sin handed down through generations due to the sins of Adam and Eve. A part of the human condition, all are affected by sin and its consequences, even before e we are born.

Answer 9

Some see it as a state of their excistence and not something you do Others may belong the humans sim when they do bad things and act against God and that it damageds our relationship with God

Answer 10

People cannot cure themselves of sin

Answer 11

Through Jesus

Answer 12

a sacrifice for the sins of humans, through his atonement people are able to be reconciled with God

Answer 13

They will be condemned to eternity in hell and/or separation from God

Answer 14

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1: 27

Answer 15

God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’” Genesis 1: 28

Answer 16

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3: 6

Answer 17

That they are important and have meaning and purpose

Answer 18

That their lived have meaning and purpose because they are called by God to look after creation and make a positive difference in the world

Answer 19

The way in which actions have consequences that can affect them and others, this makes us act more responsibly

Answer 20

• they might find it demoralising/worrying that they will not always use their free will in the right way. • they could feel they need to take personal responsibility for their choices and behaviour, and might encourage others to do the same. • free will means that people really have the ability to change for the better. • they might approach decisions thoughtfully, maybe by looking at the guidance in scripture or by asking ‘What would Jesus do?’ • they might ask for God’s help to keep out of temptation’s way. • if they believe in predestination, they might feel they can’t be held responsible for their choices, as they are already decided.

Answer 21

• free will means that people are able to make a genuine choice between alternatives. This means that they are responsible for their own actions and can't blame anyone else for their choices • in the story of Adam and Eve, the decision to eat the forbidden fruit resulted in judgement from God, and they were punished by being banished from Eden • Christians believe that after death, God will judge them too for the way they used their free will • for some judgement is about whether they decided to live a good or bad life, following the guidelines found for example, in the Bible • for others judgement is about whether they decided to put their faith in Christ and accept his forgiveness, or to go their own way • free will is essential for judgement to make sense, because it could only be seen as just where people are truly responsible for their decisions.

Answer 22

If Christians understand sin better, then they can do something about it. They are able to overcome the consequences of original sin and be better people, making responsible moral decisions.

Answer 23

• it may make Christians seek redemption for their sins, they may repent and seek forgiveness from God • they may feel love and gratitude to Jesus for his sacrifice, and work to become a better Christian, living by Jesus’ example and following his teaching • they may feel that there is little they can do about sin, that it is a part of them that they cannot change. This could be seen as a negative way of thinking and lead to feelings of shame, or it could lead to them excusing negative actions as something they cannot control • it may make Christians feel closer to God as they know that through his grace they can be forgiven for their sins • they may look for ways to help others to find God’s forgiveness, eg. through spreading the Christian message.

Answer 24

• Free will means people can make bad choices, but it also enables us to make good choices which are real and meaningful. • Free will means that when people choose to worship or follow God it is real and meaningful, because we aren’t just like programmed robots. This is much better than the alternative. • Paul said, “There is no-one that is righteous – not one”, but this is too pessimistic because there have been many good people in history who could reasonably be seen as righteous. • Eternity in hell as a punishment for sin seems out of proportion with most people’s lives which last for a relatively few years, and include plenty of good things.

Answer 25

• Christians believe everyone is made in God’s image. This gives human beings special importance and dignity, so not negative. • The Christian story is about the lengths God goes to in order to restore his relationship with human beings, by sending Jesus to die for them. This shows how valuable they are to him. • Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God shows that people have the potential to live good, compassionate lives and to transform the world. • Jesus treated people who were seen as outcasts or unclean with dignity and agape love and criticised hypocrites who felt they were better than others. This shows that Christianity has a balanced view of human beings, recognising both the positive and negative.