Theme C - Existence Of God & Revelation Flashcards
What is the design arguement?
The universe must have a designer as it has so much intricate work
Give a teaching to support the design argument
“God made the heavens and the earth”
Give a disagree point of the design arguement
Evolution
What is the first cause argument (cosmological)
Everything had happened for a cause. God was the first cause of the universe.
What are differing opinions on the first cause argument?
It’s contradicts itself
No evidence of the first cause being divine
What are miracles?
Inexplicable events that go against science
Give some examples of healings Jesus did
Feeding 5000
Healing the blind man
Healing the man with leoprasy
Healing the paralyzed
Turning water to wine
Walking in water
Why don’t people believe in miracles?
Can be a matter of perspectives
Eg placebo effect
What is revelation?
General - available to everyone ; interpreted
Special - specific people ; visions, dreams, hearing, etc.
Give an atheists view on gods existence
No evidence
Argue science provides sufficient evidence
What is enlightenment?
A state of spiritual awakening
What is evil?
A cause o suffering; the moral opposite of good. Believed by some to be contrary to the will of God.
What is general revelation?
Indirect revelation; the idea of being able to see God through nature and scriptures which are readily available in everyday experience.
What is immanent?
A characteristic of God; the belief that God is present and involved in the world
What is impersonal?
A characteristic of God; the belief that God is beyond human understanding.
What is a miracle?
An event that contradicts the laws of nature, and is usually thought to be impossible.
What is omniscient?
All knowing
What is omnipotent?
All powerful
What is personal?
A characteristic of God; belief that humans can build relationships with God
What is revelation?
When God is revealed to humans; can be special or general
What is science?
The collection of knowledge from observation and testing.
What is special revelation?
Direct revelation; God revealing himself to an individual through experiences such as visions
What is suffering?
An effect of evil where someone undergoes pain and hardship
What is transcendent?
A characteristic of God; belief that God is outside the space and time.
What is ultimate reality?
Belief in a supreme and fundamental power in the universe.
What is a vision?
An experience of seeing/experiencing something in the imagination or through a dream.
What are the strengths of the design arguement?
-must be a designer as the world has organised parts and a purpose
-more like a designed object like a watch rather then a natural object like a rock
What is a weakness of the design arguement?
-world does not seem well-designed; there is suffering
-analogy between designed objects and the world is not strong as the world and designed objects are not similar
-theory of evolution explains the appearance of the design better than God
What is the argument for miracle?
Argues that miracles are events unexplainable by nature as these events have no natural explanation, there must be a supernatural explanation, God
Give examples of miracles:
- Jesus resurrecting from the dead
- parting of the Red Sea
- healing or being saved from death
What is the argument of suffering and evil?
Atheists argue that there cannot be a loving and powerful God, because there is evil and suffering in the world. A loving God should not want evil and suffering and a powerful God would be able to stop it.
Religious responses to suffering and evil
- maybe God cannot create a world without no suffering
- it might be more loving to allow humans to have free will
- the bible shows that if there is a God, humans do not fully understand him
- evil may be a test of faith
What is the first cause argument?
Argues that there must be a God because there is something rather than nothing; God must have caused everything
