Theme C: Existence of God

Question 1

General revelation

Answer 1

Everyone can experience God indirectly

Question 2

Special revelation

Answer 2

When God reveals himself directly to individuals

Question 3

Immanent

Answer 3

A personal God that is always present

Question 4

Transcendent

Answer 4

A less personal God who is above our understanding

Question 5

Ways God contacts the world:

Answer 5

• Angels
• Prophets
• Religious leaders
• Humans: dreams, visions.
• Experiences of awe and wonder

Question 6

Examples of religious miracles

Answer 6

Moses parting the Red Sea
The Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus
Jesus’ resurrection
Jesus walking on water
Jesus turning water into wine

Question 7

Examples of non-religious miracles

Answer 7

• Childbirth
• Someone with terminal, incurable cancer being cured
• The perfect conditions that our world exists in
• Recovering from a vegetative state

Question 8

Arguments for miracles

Answer 8

• Evidence from holy texts
• Miracles help us to learn about God
• Witnesses saw the miracles happening
• Miracles still happen to this day
• Miracles are unexplainable, so they must be God

Question 9

Arguments against miracles

Answer 9

• Subjective
• Liberal Christians may think the Bible is symbolic rather than literal
• Miracles are just unexplained science phenomenons
• No way to verify whether they took place or not.
• Testimonies could be exaggerated

Question 10

The Design argument

Answer 10

The Design Argument is William Paley’s idea that the world is so perfect and sophisticated that there must have been some intelligent being that created it

Question 11

First Cause argument

Answer 11

The idea that every event has a cause, and the cause of the universe is God - he is the First Cause

Question 12

Proof for the existence of God

Answer 12

• “God created the heavens and the Earth” - could be God who started the Big Bang.
• “God created the world in 6 days” - doesn’t mean 6 literal days.
• First Cause argument
• Design argument

Question 13

Critiques of the existence of God

Answer 13

• Big Bang Theory
• Darwinism - evolution
• Law of conservation of energy - everything has always been here.

Question 14

The Anthropic Principle

Answer 14

The idea that our universe seems to be fine tuned for life to exist.

Question 15

The Anthropic Principle

Answer 15

“As we identify the many accidents of physics that have worked together to our benefit, it seems as though the universe knew we were coming” - Dyson
“These seem to have been very finely adjusted to make life possible” - Hawking
“If the universe were different in any significant way, we wouldn’t be here to wonder why it is the way it is” - Paul Davies

Question 16

The Problem of Evil

Answer 16

The idea that evil can’t exist while God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent.

Question 17

Inconsistent Triad

Answer 17

JL Mackie says that God being omnibenevolent and omnipotent is impossible because evil is present in the world

Question 18

Moral Evil

Answer 18

A morally negative event caused by the intentional action or inaction of a person.

Question 19

Natural evil

Answer 19

Pain and suffering that results from natural disasters or diseases etc.

Question 20

Arguments against the Problem of Evil

Answer 20

• Iraneus says that humans were not made perfect, and genuine moral development is only possible if pain and suffering happen. Without it, the world would be morally static.
• Humans can’t have free will without the option of evil being open to us.
• God tests people he loves the most.
• There is reward in suffering/evil.