Unit 1-Believing in God

Question 1

What does agnosticism mean?

Answer 1

Not sure whether God exists or not (agnostic)

Question 2

What does atheism mean?

Answer 2

Does not believe that God exists (atheist)

Question 3

What does Omni-benevolent mean?

Answer 3

The belief that God is all good, all loving

Question 4

What does omniscient mean?

Answer 4

The belief that God knows everything that has happened and everything that is going to happen?

Question 5

What does omnipotent mean?

Answer 5

The belief that God is all-powerful

Question 6

What does theist mean?

Answer 6

A theist is a person who believes in God

Question 7

What do Christians believe about God?

Answer 7

God created the world, people can have a relationship with God, he answers prayers and performs miracles, belief in God gives meaning to life.

Question 8

What arguments do atheists use to prove that God does not exist?

Answer 8

Science explains how the world was created, there is no evidence or the existence of God, religious experiences are just coincidences, the existence of evil and suffering prove that God does not exist.

Question 9

What are the features of a religious upbringing? (name 3)

Answer 9

Church School, Sunday School, prayer, going to church, believing what parents tell them

Question 10

What are the four examples of religious experience?

Answer 10

Numinous, conversion, miracle, prayer

Question 11

What does numinous mean?

Answer 11

Feeling of something greater than yourself-for example if you are in a really beautiful place.

Question 12

What is a conversion?

Answer 12

An experience of God which is so great that the person wants to change their life

Question 13

What is a prayer?

Answer 13

Feeling of communicating with God normally through words

Question 14

What is a miracle?

Answer 14

An event that cannot be explained by science

Question 15

How does a religious upbringing lead to a belief in God?

Answer 15

 Young children believe what their parents tell them
 They may feel God listens to their prayers, and that their parents would not waste time praying if God did not exist
 Seeing so many people worshipping in Church could convince children that God exists as they see many people who believe, this could be similar in church schools
 Being confirmed could support belief in God as you learn about God and could possibly have a religious experience during the service

Question 16

How do unanswered prayers lead to atheism or agnosticism?

Answer 16

 Not feeling God’s presence when praying

 Prayers not being answered

Question 17

How do Christians respond to the problem of unanswered prayers?

Answer 17

 God will not answer selfish prayers
 God may have different plans/reasons that we do not know/understand
 God may only give what people need, not what they want
 God can not answer prayers which conflict

Question 18

What is the Design argument?

Answer 18

World is very complex, therefore must of have a designer and this designer is God.

Question 19

Who compared the world to a watch?

Answer 19

William Paley

Question 20

What is evidence for the design argument?

Answer 20

Laws of science (gravity, electricity, motion), DNA, evolution, the beauty of nature

Question 21

Why does the design argument lead to a belief in God?

Answer 21

Anything which has been designed needs a designer, there is evidence that the world has been designed, the only possible designer is God, therefore God must exist.

Question 22

What are the arguments against design arguments?

Answer 22

It ignores the evidence of a lack of design-volcanoes, evidence used for design can be explained by science, the argument does not refer to the existence of dinosaurs, the argument only proves the existence of a designer, this does not need to be God.

Question 23

What is the causation argument?

Answer 23

Nothing happens by itself, everything must be caused by something else, the universe cannot happen by itself, a powerful cause was needed to bring the universe into being, this cause has to be God.

Question 24

What are the criticisms of the causation argument?

Answer 24

Just because everything does seem to have a cause, it doesn’t necessarily prove that the universe had to have a cause. Critics also argue, there may be a cause, but that doesn’t have to be God. Also, what caused God?

Question 25

What is the Big Bang theory?

Answer 25

The theory that an enormous explosion started the universe about 15 million years ago.

Question 26

What is evolution?

Answer 26

The gradual development of species over millions of years.

Question 27

What do creationists think about the scientific explanations of the universe?

Answer 27

Creationists reject the scientific arguments as false. They believe the account about the creation of the world in the Bible is the literal truth (it is true).

Question 28

How do non-literal Christians respond to the scientific arguments about the creation of the world?

Answer 28

Some Christians argue science and the Bible are correct. They say that the Bible needs to be interpreted and that some of the stories are not actually what happened. They say the 6 days are not 6 actual days, but actually periods of time.

Question 29

How can evil and suffering lead to atheism?

Answer 29

If God is supposed to be Omni-benevolent (all loving), why does he let people suffer?
If God is omnipotent (all powerful) he has the power to stop suffering, as he doesn’t he must not exist.
If God is omniscient (all around us) he knows suffering is taking place, so why doesn’t he stop it?

Question 30

How do Christians respond to evil and suffering?

Answer 30

Some say that suffering is a test from God. For example in the story of Job, it talks about how he was made to suffer to test his faith in God, as he didn’t give up his faith he was rewarded.
Some say suffering is a result of freewill-God gave humans freewill to make our own choices whether positive or negative.
Suffering happens for a reason, it is all part of God’s plan, therefore people should trust that God has a plan for us.
Some say that suffering allows them to follow Jesus’ example and do good works to help others, for example helping people following a natural disaster.

Question 31

What is natural evil?

Answer 31

Things which cause suffering but have nothing to do with humans

Question 32

What is freewill?

Answer 32

The idea that human beings are free to make their own choices

Question 33

What is moral evil?

Answer 33

Actions done by humans which cause suffering

Question 34

What is the original sin?

Answer 34

This was when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and first brought sin into the world.