Knowledge of Gods Existence Flashcards
What’s a priori knowledge?
Logical knowledge such as 1 plus 1 equals 2.
What’s a posteriori knowledge?
Knowledge based upon experience such as knowing London is the capital of England because you were taught it.
What does AJ Ayer say about God?
The statement “God is real,” holds no analytic or synthetic relevance therefore it holds no factual significance.
What did St Bonaventure say were the three ways that the human mind sees things?
- Through the eye of the flesh. This is seeing the world and the things contained within the world. 2. The eye of reason. This is seeing the soul and the things within the soul. 3. The eye of contemplation. This is seeing God and the things contained in God.
What did Polkinghorne come up with?
He uses the metaphor of binoculars to describe human understanding, one eye sees science, the other sees spiritual truths about God but both are required to give a complete understanding of the world.
What is natural theology?
God may be known through reason and observation of the natural world.
What is revealed theology?
God may only be known when he allows himself to be eg through the Bible. Alos through special revelation.
What does White argue?
He says that science and religion are both valid ways of looking at the world, science asks how questions and religion asks why questions. These are not necessarily in opposition.
What does Einstein say about religion?
Science without religion is blind.
What quote in proverbs can be related to knowledge of God?
“Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”
What is the universal constant argument?
It is Cicero’s argument that humans have a natural instinct to rely on God. This also means that he must exist. He was influential to Aquinas’ works.
What is the story of Paul in Athens?
When St Paul visited Athens he realised that people had the ability to recognize the traits of God instinctively without ever hearing of the Christian one , they did not have complete knowledge but some. This shows that natural laws can easily point to the existence of God however also stresses the importance of revealed theology. The story of the apostles show how they overcame difficulties to bring faith in God to the world.
What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church say about natural theology?
There is an innate sense of the divine that offers to be drawn to and to understand God. The practices of prayer, ritual and sacrifice are so widespread across the world that human kind are religious beings.
What did Calvin argue about natural theology?
All human kind have a innate sensus divinitas which draws human kind to God. We all have a seed of religion but some are unaware of it as a result of sin.
What did Calvin say were the three areas a person can experience the sensus divinitas?
- The conscience. Its a part of the ability to understand and appreciate Gods goodness. 2. Appreciation of aesthetics. This leads us to believe that God is at work in the world 3. Intellectual capacity. The ability to reason allows us to see that the world has been designed intricately.
What does Beilby say?
The ability to recognize God is innate and automatic. “I may sense Gods prescence whilst looking at the night sky whilst you may do when listening to a Mozart symphony.
Why can it be argued that the natural world provides a contact point between God and humans?
The idea of imago dei based on passages from genesis, suggests that we all have a spark of the divine within us which makes inclined to seek and follow God throughout our lives.
What does CS Lewis argue?
He suggests that he have an innate sense of morality which points to the existence of God and that he is making moral demands of his people.
What does Psalms 8;1-4 say?
“You have set your glory in the heavens… what is mankind that you are mindfull of them.”
What did Paul say could lead to knowledge of God?
Knowledge and reason. He even thinks that God is angry with people as it is obvious that using your reason and experience would lead to God but people don’t and chose to live sinful lives instead.
