What object did William Paley use to prove that the world has a design?
A pocket watch; he states that the watch is so complex it must have a designer, the universe is much more complex than the watch, so therefore it must have a designer
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Name three issues with the design argument
1. It doesn't prove anything about God 2. It could be a group of Gods 3. The existence of evil and suffering
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How would science disprove the design argument?
Most animals designed themselves, according to the theory of evolution, all living beings adapted to become what they are now, there wasn't a single designer
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Name two reasons why the design argument could be true
1. We need extremely specific conditions to live and the fact that we have those extreme conditions is highly unlikely 2. Things such as snowflakes and the golden ratio are incredibly intricate, and very unlikely.
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The first cause argument relies on the idea that everything has a:
Cause
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What does the first cause argument claim?
The argument claims that everything that happens must have a cause - it must have been caused by something else that happened. For example, a football flying through the air was kicked - the kick is what caused the ball to fly through the air.
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If we accept everything has a cause and we trace the chain of causes back, there are two possible outcomes, what are they?
1. There is an infinite regress 2. There was a first cause
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Who do Christians believe is the first cause?
God
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What are three responses a religious person would say to this argument?
Even if we agree there is a divine first cause, who is this being? It may not be the god of Islam, Judaism or Christianity. This divine first cause could actually be a group of gods. The first cause could be absent
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What might atheists say about the first cause argument?
If God is eternal, surely the universe can be?
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What are miracles?
Miracles are events that do not seem to conform to the rules of nature.
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Why can God perform miracles?
Because he doesn't have to conform to the laws of nature as he created nature.
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Name an example of a miracle...
(Something that doesn't conform to the laws of nature)
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Why do miracles prove God's existence?
Because science can't explain these occurrences, so Christians therefore believe all miracles are caused by God because God is the only being that doesn't have to conform to the laws of nature
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Why do miracles not necessarily prove God?
Just because science doesn't explain all miracles now doesn't mean it wont explain it in the future
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What are the three things that miracles show about God to Jews, Christians and Muslims?
1 God's power and control 2 That God created the laws of nature 3 That God can work outside the laws of nature
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Who created the design argument?
Back
William Paley
Card 3
Front
What object did William Paley use to prove that the world has a design?
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