unit 1 - believing in God Flashcards
what is conversion?
when your life/religion is changed
what is freewill?
the idea that human beings are free to make their own choices
what is a miracle?
an event that seems to break the laws of science and the only explanation is that it must be God
what does numinous mean?
the feeling of the presence of something much greater than you
what is prayer?
an attempt to contact god, commonly through words
what is design?
when things are connected and seem to have a purpose
what is causation?
the idea that everything has been caused by something else
what is agnosticism?
not being sure whether or not God exists
what is atheism?
believing that God does not exist
what is moral evil?
actions done by humans that cause suffering
what is natural evil?
suffering that was not caused by humans
what is omni-benevolence?
the belief that God is all-loving
what is omnipotence?
the belief that God is all-powerful
what is omniscience?
the belief that God is all-knowing
why would a religious upbringing lead to a belief in God?
they would be taught to worship God on a daily basis from the beginning of their life and would not know any different. it is likely they will be sent to a religious school where everyone is expected to worship god.
why would a religious experience lead to a belief in God?
the numinous - getting a feeling that God exists, answered prayers, belief of a miracle happening shows the existence of God.
explain why the universe seems to be designed
there are laws (eg gravity) that mean the universe works, humans grow from a tiny blueprint of dna, how the big bang happened shows it must be planned
why does the design theory show God exists?
if everything is designed, there must be a designer
explain why science may discourage a belief in God
science explains the universe in a clearer and more in depth way than religion. the universe being infinite means there may be no place for God
explain the problems with miracles
they only happen to a select few, why would God save some but not others?
explain why unanswered prayers could discourage a belief in God
lots of people do not get their prayers answered and believe God would have answered them if he existed. they also may not feel Gods presence and not feel like they’re being listened to.
explain the problems with evil and suffering
God is benevolent and would not want suffering in his world. he also has the power to prevent suffering so he would not allow evil.
what do Christians think about the problems with suffering?
Christians believe that God wants us to fight evil for personal growth. they also believe God gives freewill to people so cannot stop them from committing acts of evil, this does not explain natural evil though.
what do Muslims think about the problems with suffering?
life is a test so evil cannot be stopped, people must learn to fight against it. some Muslims think that God has reasons to allow suffering but humans cannot understand it.
explain Christian responses to unanswered prayers
God does not answer selfish prayers. he only answers prayers when the person praying cannot control the suffering they are going through.
explain Christian attitudes to scientific explanations of the universe
the big bang must have been planned in order to have created the universe. God is the only one powerful enough for this. only God has the power to make the laws of physics.
explain creationism
the universe was made to look billions of years old and that science is wrong. they use the idea of god creating things to look old to explain evolution.
