Topic 31 Nurture & Religious authority

Question 1

How can Christian nurture lead a person to believe in God?

Answer 1

1. Prayers said before meals/bed time -> lead child to believe there is God they r praying to (especially if answered)
2. Brought up w true significance of Christmas + Easter (not just Santa) supports belief in God
3. Brought up w rites of passage (infant baptism, confirmation classes, developing faith in God)
4. Going to church + Sunday school (role models within church to help belief in god)

Question 2

What are factors that can lead a child away from religion?

Answer 2

• too restrictive
• peer pressure (atheist friends)
• more exposure to scientific explanations at school that are more convincing
• doesn’t align with personal beliefs

Question 3

How does the appeal to religious authority lead to belief in God?

Answer 3

1. Church = established + trusted -> underlying trust in what is taught at alpha courses
2. Sermons = powerful + convincing eg Billy Graham, influence others about god
3. quakers = authority of conscience, directly from god to make moral decisions, stronger belief in god
4. Authority figures eg Archbishop of Canterbury + pope (apostolic succession) promote belief in God
5. Turned to god thru reading bible -> attests to belief in god, since it is so old use contain truths about god

Question 4

What are the problems with religious authority leading to belief in god?

Answer 4

• bible not good evidence: ancient book, not reliable sources, so should reject it
• church has chequered past : abuse + so question whether church = reliable source for finding out whether god exists (but scandal isn’t limited to the church)
• church’s message about god preys on vulnerable people -> eg feeling isolated need to hear that god loves them (no reason for believing this is true, just cos it comes from source of religious authority)