Believing in God Flashcards
(35 cards)
What is a miracle?
Something that breaks all laws of science and is explainable by only God
What is numinous?
A feeling of the presence of God, something greater than yourself
What is a prayer?
Communicating with God and a feeling of being listened to
What is agnosticism?
Not being sure whether God exists
What is atheism?
Believing that God does not exist
Theism
Believing that God does exist
Free will
The idea that human beings have the power to make their own decisions
What is Moral evil?
Suffering which is as a result of human action eg. Murder and bullying
What is natural evil?
Suffering caused by something other than humans eg. Drought and illness
What does benevolent mean?
The idea that God is all loving
What does omniscient mean?
The idea that God is all knowing
Why does omnipotent mean?
The idea that God is all powerful
What does omnipresent mean?
The idea that God is everywhere
What are the main features of a Christian upbringing?
- baptism/christening
- being to to pray
- going to church school
- learn about God at Sunday/church school
- being taught to worship in church
How does a religious upbringing lead to a belief in God?
- they follow what there parents tell them as they are role models
- if they pray to God they will feel listened to
- if it is part of there education it could be all that they know
- seeing so many people at church could make them see that they must be there for a reason
How does numinous lead to a belief in God?
- They FEEL the presence of God themselves and therefore he must be real
- the only power we know that is bigger than us is God as he is omnipotent so it must be him
How does conversion lead to a belief in God?
They believe that God is calling them to do something for him
How does a miracle lead to a belief in God?
The only power that could cause this to happen is God as he is omnipotent and is the only explanation
How do prayers lead to a belief in God?
If the prayer is answered they will feel as if they are being listened to by God
How do unanswered prayers lead to agnosticism or atheism?
- they do not feel the presence of God
- if he is omniscient then he would know about all prayers
- if God was benevolent the. He would be loving and answer us
- if God is omnipotent then he would have the power to make our prayers come to true or show a sign to us
What is the argument for design?
The idea that God designed the world in order for it to fit together so well
What is the evidence for design in the world?
- DNA is so complex it could not have been created by accident
- the beauty of the scenery must have been painted by an artist which must have taken a long time
- the laws of science such as gravity and motion etc. are all complex things working together
- evolution could suggest design as it is a process through which complex life forms came from much simpler ones
Why could the design argument lead to a belief in God?
- anything which as been designed needs a designer
- there is evidence that the world has been designed
- the only possible designer of the world is God
- therefore God must exist
Why may the design argument not lead to a belief in God?
- the designer may not be God
- it ignores the lack of design in the universe eg. Volcanoes and diseases
- the theory does not refer to the existence of dinosaurs
- evidence for design can be explained by science
