Philisopy Flashcards
(21 cards)
why would people not believe in god based on natural evil
-why do the innocent die in natural disasters?
-if god doesn’t answer our prayers in times of need, then god isn’t there
-if the world is full of problems, then it’s not as beautiful and maybe not designed by God
omnipotent
all-powerful
what could make you believe that a story was not true
.too unusual or surreal
.not first-hand evidence
.lack of evidence
conversion
The decision by an individual to become a member of another religion.
near death experience
A near death experience is an experience near death where the person feels that they have ‘passed onto the other side’ and may involve a sense that they are not ready for death.
Common features include:
.Meeting dead relatives
.Seeing a bright, heavenly light
.Out of body experience
moral evil
suffering and pain caused by human actions that are morally wrong
cosmological argument
Everything in the universe is caused by something else…
The universe must be caused by something…
That something must be outside of the universe…
That being must be God
(if you said that it argues that God created the universe you could let it slide…)
design argument
> r.
If you look at nature you can see each bit of it has its own design and it is incredibly complex.
It must have been designed by a supremely intelligent designer.
That designer is God
(if you said that it argues that God designed everything you could let it slide…)
why might people disagree with the cosmological argument
-what caused god?
-natural explanation (Big Bang theory)
-doesn’t know so could consider it wasn’t God
what are 2 types of evil
natural and moral
why would people believe in god based on moral evil
-it can be a test to see if we are worthy and devoted to god
natural evil
the pain and suffering caused by the natural world
why would people not believe in god based on moral evil
-if god can prevent evil, why would he not prevent it if humans are very tempted to do so?
what could make you believe that a story was true
.witnessed by a trusted friend/ multiple witnesses
.some sort of physical evidence
miracle
An event which defies the laws of nature and is caused by God.
omnibenevolent
all-loving
omniscient
all-knowing
Saint Paul
He was a devoted Jewish scholar and teacher who lived around the same time as Jesus. When Christianity began to spread, Paul found it as an insult to his religion and hated it so much he swore to wipe it out. He then was told by a priest to arrest Christians from town to town.
When he reached a town called Damascus, he and his companions were struck down by a blinding light which asked why Paul was persecuting him. He asked who the voice was and it replied that he was Jesus and to go to town and would receive instructions at arrival. He went into the town and found another Christian called Ananias and was taught the Teachings of the Bible. He goes on to be one of Christianity’s important missionaries and spread the word of the bible around the world.
Sundar Singh
He was born into a Sikh family in Northern India. At age 14, Sundar’s mother died which send him to be a violent and woeful character. He took his anger out on Christianity from ridiculing Christian’s faith and burning a bible.
His sadness deepened which at one point tried to kill himself by throwing himself on a railroad track. He promised to himself that if God didn’t appear to him, he would jump. Seconds after he finished his sentence, he saw a vision of Jesus and does not end up killing himself.
He goes home, telling his father of what he just saw and his father denounced him and his brother attempted to poison him.
Luckily, he was saved by a local Christian community and was raised there for the rest of his childhood. He was also publicly baptized at his 16th birthday and served leprosy patients there.
He then sets the rest of his life as a Christian monk, preaching and converting others to Christianity.
Nicky Cruz
Cruz was born in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico where he was raised by his parents. They mentally abused him; his own mother would call him “Son of Satan”. The neighborhood in which he lived was one of the worst in Puerto Rico and Cruz was always getting into trouble. When he was 15 Cruz ran away and started living on the streets of New York City. He became a member of the Mau-Mau street gang, and about six months later Cruz was selected Warlord of the gang. He quickly rose to be their leader.
Shortly after Cruz became the gang leader, David Wilkerson was preaching in the neighborhood when Cruz encountered him. The preacher told Cruz that “Jesus loved him and would never stop loving him”. Cruz responded by slapping Wilkerson and threatening to kill him. Wilkerson attempted again later to convert Cruz, and received the same response.
Later, Wilkerson organised an evangelistic meeting in the neighborhood with the intent of converting the Mau-Maus.
When Cruz heard about it, he headed with some of the members of his gang for the boxing arena where the meeting was being held, on a bus sent specially by Wilkerson. According to Cruz, when he arrived at the arena, he “felt guilty about the things that he had done” and began to pray. After preaching, Wilkerson asked the Mau-Maus to take up a collection. Cruz volunteered and led a group of the gang through the crowd insisting on people giving money. The gang members considered running with the money, but instead decided to give it to Wilkerson. Later, Wilkerson gave a call for the gang members to come up and devote themselves to Jesus Christ, and a large number of gang members responded. Wilkerson prayed with Cruz, and Cruz asked God to forgive him.
After his conversion, Cruz dedicated his whole life to preaching Christianity and wrote a book about his experiences.
Malcom X
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in 1925. His father was a preacher. Because his father, Earl, was a campaigner for Civil Rights, Malcolm’s family were targeted by racist groups and Malcolm’s father was murdered by the KKK. After this event, Malcolm became involved in gangs, burgled houses, and became a pimp. He was arrested and sent to prison at the age of 21.
To pass the time in prison, Malcolm X read constantly, devouring books from the prison library in an attempt to make up for the years of education he had missed by dropping out of high school. Malcolm studied the Qur’an and reverted to Islam. When he left prison he joined the Nation of Islam (a group of black Muslims who were committed to justice for black people) and became one of its most famous leaders. He stopped consuming alcohol and pork and swore to live a life which would be a good example to others.
