Theme C: The Existence Of God And Revelation Flashcards
Teleological (design) argument
William Paley
Everything in the universe is so intricately designed, that it must have been designed by a powerful being- God, therefore God exists
e.g human bodies, DNA
name 3 theorists who argue for God’s existence
thomas aquinas
blaise pascal
william paley
watch analogy
teleological argument
if you find a watch, you know it has been designed by somebody
if you find a rock, who designed the rock?
argument against teleological argument
just because something looks designed, that doesn’t mean it has actually been designed by somebody
3 arguments against God’s existence
suffering- God would not allow humans to suffer as much as they do
evolution- we evolved from earlier species
no scientific proof/ photographic evidence
cosmological (first cause) argument
Thomas Aquinas
everything that exists has a cause
the universe exists because of the big bang
but what caused the big bang- God, God is the first cause
train analogy
a train needs an engine to work, God is like the engine- a different matter to the train but is a necessary being.
arguments against the cosmological argument
If God is an exception to the first cause, then the big bang should be an exception
we don’t know what caused God
arguments for the cosmological argument
God is eternal
God is omnipotent- nothing is more powerful
infinite regress is too confusing so people settle at the belief that God is the first cause
define miracle
an extraordinary event unable to be explained by science
religious arguments for miracles
- miracles cannot be scientifically explained so they must be caused by something outside of nature
- God is the only thing that exists outside of nature
- So, God causes miracles
atheist arguments for miracles
miracles are lucky coincidences
they may have scientific explanations we don’t yet know about
might be made up for fame
problems with miracles
-why would God only help one person through a miracle instead of helping many
-science can now explain many miracles
-miracles could just be tricks and lies
beliefs for miracles
-God is omni-potent and can do anything
-show the power and love of God
examples of religious miracles
the Qur’an
Jesus’ incarnation
evil and suffering as an argument against God
- if God controls everything, then why would he intentionally cause suffering
-If God is loving, then why would he let his people suffer
inconsistent triad
1- if God is benevolent, he would not want his people to suffer
2- if God is potent, he would stop the suffering in the world
3-therefore, as suffering exists, God is not loving nor potent
religious responses to evil and suffering
life is a test from God- testing you to see whether you remain loyal to him
you will have a better afterlife and be rewarded for your suffering
God tests the ones he loves- allows us to learn from our hardships to become better people
muslim quotes to evil and suffering
‘god tests the one he loves’
‘allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear’
‘at the end of hardship comes ease’
‘remember me and i will remember you’
christian teachings on evil and suffering
jesus’ crucifixion- Jesus’ suffering granted everyone with salvation
how does science challenge belief in God
science will eventually discover the creation of the universe- God is not needed
science is used to create life
evolution shows adaption of species
scientific explanations for things such as earthquakes
how do christians respond to science
they support scientific discoveries which reveal the existence of God
believe it is wrong to change religious truths into scientific laws
how do muslims respond to science
they believe that science is important to understand the intelligence God gave us
science does not affect their belief in God in a bad way
the ontological argument
for something to be the greatest, it must exist
a perfect being must exist
what is special revelation
God making himself known through direct personal experiences which has an impact on someone’s life
give 3 examples of special revelation
visions
miracles
Saul to Paul
what are visions
special revelation in the form of images, a spiritual experience where divine attributes are revealed
alternate explanations for someone seeing visions
mental illnesses
placebo
4 noble truths
-life is suffering
-growing is suffering
-we can escape suffering
-follow the eightfold path
nirvana
state of enlightenment
buddhists explore enlightenment to understand the nature of existence
general revelation
God revealing himself through ordinary experiences
3 examples of general revelation
reading scriptures
nature
prayer
how do theists believe nature reveals God
nature shows that God is creative, unique
reveals God’s presence in the world, immanence
how is scripture a way of understanding the divine
Qur’an- muslims feel God’s presence whilst reading, as they are reading God’s direct words, his words hold power and value
Bible- describes God’s nature- E.g holy trinity, omnipotence
give 5 of the 99 names of Allah
the creator
the merciful
the all knowing
the powerful
the guide
God as personal
and immanent
God has relationships with his people, shows his benevolence
God as impersonal and transcendent
God is not personally involved in people’s lives as he is above space and time
‘you perceive my thoughts from afar’
arguments against religious experiences
-people could lie
-could be a hallucination
-could be under the influence of drugs, alcohol
christian quotes about God creating the universe
‘in the beginning God created the heavens and earth’
‘god said let there be light, and there was light’
muslim quotes for God creating the universe
‘we built the skies with our power and made them vast’
99 names- God is the powerful
‘god has power over all things’
christian quotes about revelation
‘i speak to them in dreams’
muslim teachings about revelation
the Qur’an was a revelation
‘it was in the month of ramadan that the qur’an was revealed as guidance for humankind’
‘this is the scripture containing guidance for those who are mindful of God’
define agnostic
believe some being exists but believe there’s not enough evidence to prove God exists
define conversion
changing from one thing to another
define numinous
having a strong religious quality
define ultimate reality
something that is the supreme power in all reality- God is the ultimate reality
