GCSE Religious Studies - Believing in God

Reasons for Belief
1. Due to your upbriging
  1. It's said that God has no grandchildren so it must be your decision
  2. Muslims believe that everyone is born in submission to Allah, if someone becomes a Muslim later in life the are "returning"
2. Religious experiences
  1. Holy books
  2. Prayer
  3. Miracles
  4. Numinous experiences (sensing the presence of God)
Design and Causation
1. Design - "Someone must have designed the universe"
  1. Isaac Newton's thumbprint theory (every thumbprint is unique)
  2. William Paley's watchmaker theory (you wouldn't think an intricate watch was made by chance)
2. Causation -"There must have been a first cause"
  1. Only two possibilities: 1) the universe has always existed 2) there was a first cause (which some believe I God)
3. However science suggest evolution and the big bang theory (alternate first cause)
4. Musliums and Christians believe that God is OMNIPOTENT (all powerful), OMNISCIENT (all knowing) and OMNI-BENEVOLENT (all loving and compassionate)
The Origins of the World
1. Scientific Arguments
  1. The big bang theory in which the universe began in an explosion of matter and energy. It is supported by the evidence that the universe is still expanding
  2. Evolution argues that life evolved over millions of years, humans evolved form apes
2. Christian Ideas
  1. According to Genesis Chapter 1 God created everything. The process took 6 days in the order: Light and darkness, the sky, land and plants, sun and moon and stars, fish and birds, land animals and people till on the seventh day he rested
  2. If the bible is taken literally evolution is wrong and humans descended from Adam and Eve
  3. Some Christians view Genesis as a parable or as symbolyic
  4. In 1996 the Roman Catholic Church accepted the Big Bang theory
3. Islamic Ideas
  1. Is very similar to Christian Genesis however the Qur'an states Allah formed Adam from clay and breathed life and a soul into him and all humans are decended form Adam
Evil and Suffering
1. Types of Evil
  1. Moral evil is suffering by cruel actions of people e.g. war, rape and torture. The person has a choice
  2. Natural evil is suffering caused by the world not humans e.g. disease, floods and earthquakes. Howevr recent natural disasters may have been influenced by humans
2. Cause people to question faith
  1. They can't believe a good god would allow evil
  2. Prayers are unanswered
    1. Roman Catholics often pray to saints on behalf of God by intercessory prayers
    2. Other Christians and Muslims pray directly to God and believe no sincere prayer goes unanswered
  3. God can't be all powerful if he is unable to prevent suffering
3. Christian Views
  1. They teach that evil entered the world as a result of Adam and Eve giving into temptation (the original sin)
  2. Humans have free will to choose right or wrong
  3. Suffering is a test of God
  4. Evil is the devil
4. Islamic Views
  1. It is a test of humanity's free will "We will surely test you"
  2. If we choose against the will of Allah we will have to answer on the Day of Judgement
  3. Suffering should be accepted as there will be joy in the next life
  4. Pray for forgiveness (one of the 99 names of Allah is The Forgiver)
  5. Muslims work to help others suffering
  6. The devil (Iblis or Shaytan) tempts us
5. The problem of evil
  1. Some Christians believe that evil needs to be there for us to have a choice or free will but in the end all evil will become good
  2. Islam teaches everything that happens is Allah's plan (not for us to question) and evil gives people the chance to do good
6. The Holocaust
  1. Six million Jews died so why did God allow it
  2. Some Jews concluded there was no God and others thought he didn't care or was powerless
  3. It was a test of faith and demonstration of free will
  4. God wouldn't kill Hitler as no one is truly evil
  5. Must keep practicing Judaism or else Hitler will have one
Media
1. Songs of Praise
  1. Views share experiences and shows the relevance of Christianity in peoples lives
  2. Is interactive and build community
  3. A deeper understanding of Christianity
2. 9/11
  1. Islam is linked with terrorism
3. Atheist's Views
  1. Programs like Professor Richard Dawkins "The Root of All Evil" and his book "The God Delusion"
  2. He argued that a process of non-thinking called faith leads to intolerance, violence and destruction
Keywords
1. Agnostic
  1. A belief that it is impossible to know if God exists or not
2. Atheist
  1. Denial of the existence of God
3. Conversion
  1. When someone's life is changed by becoming a follower of God

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