Unit 1- The Nature Of Human Beings

Question 1

How were human beings made?

Answer 1

They were made in Gods image and likeness

Question 2

What are human beings?

Answer 2

They are the stewards of creation

Question 3

What do all human beings have?

Answer 3

They all have free will

Question 4

What is free will?

Answer 4

It is the ability to make the choice between good and evil, therefore they are not programmed like robots so their obedience to God is meaningful.

Question 5

What do Christians believe free will is?

Answer 5

A gift from God

Question 6

What will happen to humans if they misuse free will?

Answer 6

They will suffer and be alienated from God

Question 7

What does free will mean for humans when they sin?

Answer 7

It means that they can all be held accountable for there sins

Question 8

What is Original sin?

Answer 8

It is the sin that Adam committed that stained humanity and only gods grace could clear it

Question 9

What were the consequences of the fall?

Answer 9

Alienation from God and each other

Question 10

Why is free will important for Christians?

Answer 10

Because:
-it allows humans to have the ability to make a real choice between good ad evil.
-it lets us know that God respects the opinions of those who do not want to be with him in heaven.
-it lets us know that we can all be held responsible for all we do.
-it helps us to understand God loves us as it is a gift from God, given at the start of creation.

Question 11

What is sin?

Answer 11

It is:
-an inherent part of being human
-the urge to do bad things and disobey God
-original sin, the sin handed down for generations because of what Adam and Eve done
-some Christian’s see sin as the state of existence, and not something that you do,

Question 12

How might belief about free will affect Christian’s lives?

Answer 12

-they might find it demoralising/worrying that they will not always use their free will in the right way,
-free will means that people really have the ability to change for the better,
-they might ask for God’s help to keep out of temptation’s way,
-they could feel they need to take personal responsibility for their choices and behaviour,

Question 13

How are free will and judgement connected?

Answer 13

-Christians believe that after death, God will judge them for the way they used their free will,
-for some, judgement is about whether they decided to live a good or bad life, following the guidelines found, in the Bible,
-for others judgement is about whether they decided to put their faith in Christ and accept his forgiveness, or to go their own way,
-free will is essential for judgement to make sense, because it could only be seen as just when people are truly responsible for their decisions

Question 14

How might belief about sins affect Christian’s?

Answer 14

-it may make Christian’s repent for their sins, and seek forgiveness from God,
-they may feel love and gratitude to Jesus for his sacrifice, and work to become a better Christian, living by Jesus example and teachings,
-it may make Christian’s feel closer to God as they know that through his grace they can be forgiven for their sins,
-they may look for ways to help others to find God’s forgiveness, eg. through spreading the Christian message

Question 15

Why might some people argue that Christian belief about human beings is too negative?

Answer 15

-Free will means people can make bad choices, but it also enables us to make good choices which are real and meaningful.
-Free will means that when people choose to worship or follow God it is real and meaningful, because we aren’t just like programmed robots.
-Paul said, “There is no-one that is righteous – not one”, but this is too pessimistic because there have been many good people in history who could reasonably be seen as righteous.
-Eternity in hell as a punishment for sin seems out of proportion with most people’s lives which last for a relatively few years, and include plenty of good things

Question 16

Why might some people argue that Christian belief about human beings is not too negative?

Answer 16

-Christians believe that everyone is made in Gods image, this gives humans special importance and dignity,
-the Christian story is about lengths God goes to in order to restore his relationship with human beings, by sending Jesus to die for them, this shows how valuable they are to him,
-Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of God shows that people have the potential to live compassionate lives and to transform the world,
-Jesus treated people who were seen as outcasts with dignity and love and criticised hypocrites who thought they were better than others. This shows that Christianity has a balanced view of human beings, recognising both the positive and negative

Question 17

How mights being created in God’s image and likeness affect Christian’s?

Answer 17

-may give Christian’s a purpose in life because they are special,
-may seek ways to develop and perfect there own moral character,
-may seek ways to better the lives of others through charity to demonstrate Gods love,
-Christian’s may try to avoid sin and follow Jesus’ teachings,

Question 18

How does being the ‘stewards of creation’ help Christian’s?

Answer 18

Because they may feel that their lives have meaning and purpose because they are called by God to look after creation and make a positive difference in the world

Question 19

What does Christianity teach about The nature of humans?

Answer 19

-they were made in Gods image and likeness,
-they have free will,
-they are the stewards of creation,
-they are born into sin because of what Adam and Eve did,

Question 20

How does being made in Gods image and likeness help Christian’s?

Answer 20

It helps helps Christians to feel that they are important and have meaning and purpose