Religious Studies Philosophy

Bible Beliefs

• God made the world in seven days.
• God created Adam from mud, and then Eve from his rib.
• The knowledge for Christianity beliefs come from faith.

Scientific Beliefs.

• World was created by the Big Bang.
• The creation of life was through evolution (Charles Darwin)
• The knowledge behind the beliefs comes from evidence. 

Version One.

• Day One= light and dark, day and night.
• Day Two= the sky.
• Day Three= the earth, sea and plants.
• Day Four= the sun, moon and stars.
• Day Five= birds and fish.
• Day Six= land animals and humans. (Adam and Eve)
• Day Seven= God rested.

Version Two.

• Stage One= Barren Earth.
• Stage Two= God makes man (Adam) out of soil.
• Stage Three= God makes the Garden of Eden
• Stage Four= God tells man "to cultivate and guard the garden"
• Stage Five= God makes animals out of soil as companions.
• Stage Six= God makes woman (Eve) out of Adam's rib.

Science View.

• The Big Bang, which was a chemical explosion in space 15000 million years ago.
• Evolution by natural selection, which is the gradual development of life forms by survival of the fittest. (Charles Darwin)
• Life began in Primordial Soup/ Slime. 

Overall.

The bible tells us WHY life began- because God intended it too, whereas science tells us HOW life began- evolution. 

The theory of evolution however could back up Genesis because the theory of evolution says we need to be selfish in order to survive, and Genesis says that humans are naturally sinful because Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the apple off of the tree of knowledge.

Stewardship is the idea that humans were put on this planet to care and look after the planet on behalf of God. These ideas came from Genesis.

Day Six, Version One.

• humans are made in God's image
• humans were put "in charge" with "power" to "control" animals and other creations.

Version Two.

• man has been told to "guard" the garden of Eden (the world.)

"to cultivate and guard the garden"

Yes

• Animals can be owned my humans as pets.
• Animals can be held captive in zoos.
• Animals have to compete for their needs.
• The human brain is more developed than animals, technological advances etc.
• The bible says in Genesis that humans were "put in charge" for example Noah's Arc.
• Humans are made in the "image of God"
• Animals do not have souls.
• Humans are conscious beings. 

The Environment

• People.
• Air. (CO2, CFC's, factory smoke, methane, ozone depletion)
• Water. (sewage, fertilizers, dumping, oil spills)
• Earth/ Forests. (logging, fires, acid rain, land clearance)

Christian Responses

• Christian Aid.
• Cafod.
• Christian Ecology Link.
  • formed in 1991
  • support from many churches
  • aim is to make people more aware of the Earth's resources
  • stimulates the interest by running conferences and producing newsletters

Chico Mendes

• Founder of the Alliance of the People of the Forest.
• Aware of trees being destroyed.
• Led non- violent campaigns.
• Had admiration all around the world.

The Assisi Declarations

• Formed and created in 1986
• Christian Leaders joined other leaders from other religions.
• Declared a promise for conservation.

Concepts of Good and Evil.

• God and the Devil.
• original sin/
• the problem of evil- why is there suffering?

Concepts of Moral and Natural Evil

• coping with suffering
• moral behaviour
  • the Bible
  • conscience
  • faith

Words Related to Evil

suffering, horrible, cruel, murder, dying, manipulating, mean, torture, nasty, Satan, hell, sin, Devil, no remorse, dark, fire...

Evil

• problem of evil- who makes evil happen?
• how does a good, all- powerful, all- knowing God allow evil to happen?
• natural evil (earthquakes etc.)
• moral evil (murder etc.)
• God has an evil side?
• if their is evil and God is good, he doesn't exist?
• THEODICIES: "God allows suffering of innocent-why?"
• AUGUSTIVE: "Evil is the absence of good so God can't take it away."
• God is a creator, he is perfect not all- loving.
• Faith
• Is it the Devil? Evil has a purpose but we cannot know why. 

Origin of Evil

• Lucifer
• Serpent
• Adam and Eve
• Tree of knowledge of evil and good
• Eden
• Temptation
• Disobedience
• Commandment

According to the Bible, evil originated from the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve released the evil by eating the apple from the Tree of Knowledge. Lucifer, disguised as a serpent led them into temptation. They went against God's only commandment. They showed disobedience which is a form of evil. 

Moral

• murder
• war
• 911
• stealing
• ****
• Hiroshama

Natural

• tsunami
• earthquakes
• hurricane
• tornado
• tidal waves
• floods

Problem for belief in God?

No because God gave us free will, as it says so in the Bible. We choose to eat the apple, so it is our own fault. Original sin made the world imperfect. Evil can have a purpose- to renew life.

Why Moral Evil?

• Augustine= free will. God gave us free will so we can chose to love God, which shows true love and true faith.

Why Natural Evil?

• original sin
• test so we can become perfect (Iranaeus)
• Faith: God has a purpose
• some people deserve it. 

Why is their evil and suffering?

• God doesn't exist.
• God is not all- powerful.
• God is all- powerful, and responsible for evil and good.
• So humans can appreciate the good things in life.
• Good comes out of natural evil.
• Humans have free will.
• Original sin (eating the apple.)
• Evil is the absence of good.
• If their is good, there must be an opposite- evil.
• God is testing faith.
• Not for humans to question God.  

Christians believe God is all- loving (OMNI- BENEVOLENT), all- powerful (OMNIPOTENT) and all- knowing (OMNISCIENT.)

Why might the existence of evil lead people to think that God does not exist?

• suffering leads to its own reward: heaven. BELIEF
• God is good and evil is bad. 
• God should stop bad things.
• if God is all- knowing, why does He have to test faith?
• if God is all- loving, why should He let us suffer?
• punishment for original sin. BELIEF
• if God is all- powerful He should have the power to stop evil.
• God is testing faith. BELIEF

What is suffering?

Suffering is a form of evil. It is something no one wants to experience as you go through one or many types of pain.

Forms of suffering:

torture, loss, bereavement, murder, crime, bullying, disease, silent suffering, ****.

What part does religion play in "coping with suffering?"

It can heal your soul.

Source: Faith in Christ

• Follow in the example of Jesus

Reasons for Moral Behaviour

• Jesus died to take away sins of the world.
• Through belief in Jesus people have opportunity of eternal life (heaven.)

Source: Conscience

• Reasoning the power of people given by God.
• Cardinal Newman: "conscience is the voice of God"

Reasons for Moral Behaviour

• Your conscience is God talking to us, giving us reasoning power.

God is...

omnipresent- everywhere

omnipotent- all powerful

omnibenevolent- all loving

omniscient- all knowing

transcendent- above us

immanent- amongst us

You are either an...

athiest- does not believe in God

thiest- believer in God

agnostic- unsure about the existence of God

"there is no God for there is no proof"

FOR: world is perfect.    AGAINST: chance, adaptation, natural selection.

The Three Arguments for the Existence of God

• cosmological- cause for the world of God.
• design/ teleological- everything designed is perfect.
• moral

The Argument

• the Universe must have come from something, and that something was God.
• shows the Universe had a beginning.
• it is logical and makes sense.
• simple.
• everything has a cause- the world must have been started by something.
• a "first cause" = God.

Philosopher

• Thomas Aquinas.

Criticisms

• the Universe could have started on it's own.
• where did God come from?

Quotes/ Diagram/ Picture

• "nothing comes from nothing"
  • Thomas Aquinas ^

The Argument

• look at a watch- intricate detail so therefore must have had a designer.
• world is the same- intricate detail so therefore must have had a designer and that designer was God.
• reflected in real life/ world.
• Bible is evidence.
• Many excellent designs
  • birds wing.
  • human eye.

The Philospher

• William Paley.

Criticisms

• Faulty design- too many God's have designed the world?
• God may have been there at the start but he is now gone.
• The theory of evolution- we have adapted over time.

Quotes/ Diagram/ Picture

• sun and the moon.
• flower petals falling randomly.
• the watch.

The Argument

• humans have an understanding of right and wrong- conscience from God.
• our conscience is the voice of God.
• compare animals to humans.
• certain things all people believe are wrong, e.g. murder.

The Philosopher

• Newman

Criticisms

• people choose to do wrong- why would God allow it?
• society and our families teach us right from wrong, not God.

Quotes/ Diagram/ Picture

• "the voice of conscience implies there is one to whom we are responsible"
  • Newman ^
• "objective morality implies a belief in God"
  • Rashdall ^

The Argument

• experiences where people feel the presence of God and can change you as a person.
  • e.g. miracles that cannot be explained except by God.

The Philosopher

• Francis of Assisi
  • changed from the outside, must be God.
• Copplestone
  • changes people spiritually

Criticisms

• private experience- cannot be proved.
• could be anecdotal (telling a story.)
• prayers are not answered sometimes.
• there is no scientific proof.

Quotes/ Diagram/ Picture

• 'burning bush'
• St Paul on the road to Damascus Grotto at Lourdes (St Bernadette.)
• Jesus healing the paralysed man.
• calming of storm.
• widow of Wain.
• feeding 5000.
• RESURRECTION OF JESUS.
• VIRGIN MARY.
• religious/ bible miracles ^

God is the Trinity;

• the Father.
• the Son.
• the Holy Spirit.

Baptism of Jesus

All three elements of The Trinity were present at Jesus' baptism. The Father was present as God's voice and He said "You are my beloved Son whom I am well pleased." The Son was present as Jesus, and the Holy Spirit was present as a dove.

creator: he made the world: Created the world in Genesis.

eternal: not limited by time and space: Beyond Time.

vengeful: Noah's Arc where he flooded the sinful world.

powerful: God has the power to judge and has performed miracles: Water to   wine.

forgiving: forgives us of our sins: Jesus' Crusifixion.

loving: interested in how people behave and treats them properly: "love thy      neighbour"

imminent: miracles: Jesus on Earth.

Definition

A miracle in an event that cannot be explained by science or anything else within human reason.

Christian View

• Saints act on behalf of people to get God to intervene.
• Miracles is God showing his love for mankind.
• Vatican: only a miracle if science cannot explain the event.

Scientific View

• weeping statues/ liquefying blood can be explained through physics.
• beliefs can change our body functions and in group worship brain activity can synchronise into a  positive force.
• science can explain how energy from person act on another: "mind over matter"- brains 'connected'.

• Eleanor Giacometti: born dumb and her mother prayed to St Anthony and suddenly afterwards, she could speak.

• Giuseppe Montefusco: got Leukaemia and was going to die. He prayed to St Muscati in the evening and dreamt that night of St Muscati. The next morning he began to get better.

• Giovanni Renzio: his brain tumour was healed by laying on the hands of a priest. 

• funeral rites should be performed within 24 hours of death because they are following Mohammed's burial which was held 24 hours of his death. Also because of the harsh Arabian heat.
• the body is laid out on a hard surface and is washed because Muslim's usually wash before praying.
• the body is wrapped in clean white cloth, with the head released because the soul can be liberated this way.
• a short ceremony takes place in a mosque or at the grave side so friends and families can say their final private farewells: forgiving and asking for forgiveness.
• the body is lowered into the grave with shawls and cloth and there is no coffin because the soul can be released.
• corpse faces right, with eyes closed so that the body can face Mecca which is the holy city for Muslims.
• wooden boards are placed over the body and the grace is filled by mourners so no evil spirits can get in
• the Inam stays behind and offers its final prayers to the departed soul to ask for Allah's forgiveness for the deceased.