Unit 2 - Ethical Living and Experiencing God Flashcards
Why would a Christian want to live ethically?
- The way a person lives affects their afterlife
- Christians want to live in a way that shows obedience to God and pleases Him
- Christians want to make sure they look after the environment
What are examples of ways that Christians have tried to live ethically?
- As stewards of the Earth many Christians will intentionally choose to buy products that demonstrate their concern for the world
- Christians will consider how the products they use have been made, whether the workforce is likely to have received fair pay and have good working conditions
- Using renewable sources of energy, such as solar power
What are practical ways that Christians can live ethically?
- Choosing products that have been made from recycled materials
- Buying Fair Trade products
- Churches, like the Methodist Church, promotes the use of solar panels on church roofs
Part of 1 Peter 4:10
‘as good stewards’
3 Christian charitable organisations
- Cafod
- Christian Aid
- Tearfund
How is God revealed through scripture?
- God reveals Himself through the Bible
- The Bible is the Word of God
- All Christians believe that in some way God reveals Himself through the Bible, but they don’t necessarily agree on how He does this
Fundamentalist view on the Bible
- Fundamentalists argue that God is infallible, unlike humans who are fallible
- In order to get to the truth, it’s necessary to trust the Word of God rather than the words or ideas of humans
- Many Protestants and charismatic Christians hold this view
How have the Amish community taken a fundamentalist view of the Bible?
- Refuse to adopt modern culture or technology
- No photos allowed because of the 2nd Commandment where it says not to make ‘graven images’
- Live peacefully and separate themselves from the rest of society as God instructs His people to do in the Old Testament
How have some Christians used a literal interpretation of the Bible to support prejudices against others?
- The Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa used the Bible to support apartheid, racial segregation
- Used Genesis 11
- This is an account of God separating people of different nations
- They claimed that people were spiritually, not physically, equal before God
- They used Gen 11 to justify apartheid
Conservative view on the Bible
- Bible writers were inspired by God, but they were human and therefore the Bible may have mistakes in it
- They were writing at a certain point in history and the Bible needs to be interpreted so that it’s relevant and applicable in the world today
- For example, teaching in the Bible relating to slaves being obedient is understood to be cultural reference and not an attitude that should be promoted today
- The accounts of Adam and Eve may be interpreted as as myth, they are there to teach Christians something
- The authority of scripture comes directly from God, not through the Church
Liberal view on the Bible
- Stories in the Bible are mythical and symbolic
- Accept that scientists have a far better understanding of the world than anything recorded in the Bible
- Reject the belief that God created the world in 6 days, because science explains that the universe comes from the Big Bang
- There is no claim in scripture to the Bible being inerrant (without error)
How is God revealed through Jesus Christ?
- Most significant way God revealed himself
- God Himself took human form by coming to Earth as Jesus
- God’s way of showing to humans what He was like
- God demonstrated his great love for humanity
- Took on the limitations of a human body as Jesus in order to teach people, perform miracles and ultimately sacrifice Himself on the cross
- Christians can come to know Jesus through the Gospels and in Jesus, God showed Himself in a way that humans can understand
God acting in the word: Miracles
- Many Christians believe that God still gets involved in the world today through miraculous works
- Christians understand miracles to be when God intervenes and breaks the laws of nature
- E.g. if a Christian prays for a person who is blind and they receive sight, this could be regarded as a miracle
Define ‘transcendent’
Beyond the laws of human nature.
Define ‘miracle’
A supernatural event or act.
What is the most significant miracle in Christianity?
- 3 days after Jesus’ death, he was resurrected
- This miracle is central to Christianity
- The resurrection demonstrates that Jesus was God incarnate, possessing power over death
What are the 4 main categories that miracles are divided into?
- Healing miracles
- Miracles over nature e.g. when a storm suddenly stops
- Raising the dead
- Exorcisms - when a person has an evil spirit cast out of them
Examples of miracles that Jesus did
- Healing a leper
- Raising Lazarus from the dead
- Calming the wind and waves in the boat
- Healing Jairus’ daughter
- Walking on the water
- Resurrecting
Do the RCC and COE believe in miracles today?
Yes
How do miracles help Christians and their relationship with God?
- Many Christians have a personal relationship with God and pray to Him for miracles and healings
- Christians claim to have experienced miracles
- Helps them to reinforce their faith and personal relationship with God
- Reveals God’s glorious perfection
- They can prove that God exists and cares
How is Lourdes linked to God’s miracles?
- Catholic site of miraculous healing
- Over 6,500 people have claimed to have been healed at Lourdes
- Bernadette Soubirous, at 14, claimed to have experienced 18 visions of the Virgin Mary there
Examples of inspirational people
- Mother Teresa
- Nelson Mandela
- The Pope (my Brudda)
- Jackie Pullinger
- Nicky Cruz
How can meeting inspirational people have a significant effect on Christians?
- As they hear the way God has worked in and through the life of that person they may feel a sense of God’s presence
- They will feel inspired to do more good works and please God
- Encourage a Christian’s faith
- Sense of holiness
How do figures from Christian history effect Christians?
- Christians may look to these historical figures and study their lives in order to understand how God has worked through people in the past.
- The positive impact these people have had on the world are a source of revelation
- They can be encouraged to keep on winning souls for God, just like John Wesley
- Their lives reveal the power of God at work across the ages and around the world
Who is Mother Teresa?
- Mother Teresa helped the ‘poorest of the poor’ and showed kindness to others
- She gave money, food and necessities to those who were less fortunate, especially in India
- Became humble in order to help the needy