Unit and
Topic
4Existence
of God
Question
Which person above is agnostic? (1 mark)
NOTE – UNSURE INDIVIDUAL
Explain the argument from religious
experience for the existence of God. (3
marks)
‘It is impossible to believe in God without a
personal experience of God.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3
marks)
Explain the arguments an atheist would give
against God’s existence. (5 marks)
‘God designed the world.’
Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer, showing that you have thought about
more than one point of view. Refer to
religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks)
Explain the design (teleological) argument for
God’s existence. (4 marks)
Explain why some people say the world is not
well-designed. (3 marks)
‘Miracles prove that God exists.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3
marks)
Explain briefly one example of religious
experience. (2 marks)
‘The fact that people have a sense of right
and wrong (morality) proves that God exists.’
Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer, showing that you have thought about
more than one point of view. Refer to
religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks)
Explain the First Cause (cosmological)
argument for the existence of God. (4 marks)
Explain briefly why some people say that the
First Cause (cosmological) argument does
not prove the existence of God. (2 marks)
‘The design argument cannot prove that God
exists.’ What do you think? Explain your
opinion. (3 marks)
Explain why a religious experience could
convince someone that God exists. (3 marks)
‘Morality (having a sense of right and wrong)
proves that God exists.’ Do you agree? Give
reasons for your answer, showing that you
have thought about more than one point of
view. (6 marks)
Prompts
Cosmological Argument
The universe is evidence for God / everything that exists has a
cause / the universe exists so it has a cause / it’s cause must be
eternal / no beginning – not caused by anything / therefore God /
this prevents infinite regression – ‘first mover’ argument accepted there must be an unmoved mover, God.
Aquinas – all the above argument plus there must have been
something at the beginning as nothing in nature comes from
nothing.
Problems
Contradiction: if everything has a cause, God too must
have a cause / if God is eternal, why cannot the universe be
eternal / the Big Bang was a random event, not caused / the
universe having a cause does not mean the cause was a personal
God
Design Argument
Agree
Beauty and complexity of nature / order in
universe / laws of nature / could not have happened by random
chance / Paley’s argument about watch / Newton’s thumb /
Anthropic Principle (if things had been a tiny bit
different at the Big Bang, life would not exist, so shows deliberate
creation by God)
Other views
Evolution / cruelty in animal kingdom / problems of natural evil /
beauty is relative / could be random chance / natural order could
be without personal God - Buddhism.
Religious Experience
Outside normal experience involving the supernatural
(God) / powerful and personal / examples of religious
experience (dreams / visions / miracles / experiencing God in
worship / prayer / healing miracles) – change lives / experience of
others (religions founders) can convince many / exist in scripture
but also through nature in daily life
Moral Argument
Agree People have inbuilt morality / everyone has a conscience
even if not followed / some argue conscience is the voice of God /
morality comes from a source outside of individuals / people follow
moral principles over subjective preferences / being moral
deserves justice – not all have justice in life – rewards must come
after death – this requires God / morality is a command – this
comes from authority (God) / morality not created by society as
sometimes society is immoral (e.g. slavery). Other views Morality
itself cannot easily be proven / morality is socially defined rules /
laws / developed to control people / morality is part of evolution /
survival depends on cooperation with others / guilt feelings are not
from God / guilt occurs when people go against their upbringing /
society / family / religion / not everyone feels guilty / some people
seem not to have a conscience / people have different morals.
Arguments against God
No proof / evil / lack of justice / development of science / prayers
go unanswered / no personal experience of God / miracles are
impossible / lack of design in
universe / first cause needs a cause / religious experiences are
illusions / God is from fear of death / God is imagined to control
society
4–
Revelation
Which type of revelation, special or general,
is shown in the picture above? (1 mark)
NOTE – TALKING TO ANGELS, FROM AN
OLD PAINTING
Give an account of a vision or a dream from
scripture or religious tradition, that gave
someone knowledge of God. (3 marks)
‘Religious visions and dreams are not real.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3
marks)
Explain what revelation teaches about the
qualities of God. (5 marks)
‘The best way to learn about God is through
worship.’ Do you agree? Give reasons for
your answer, showing that you have thought
about more than one point of view. Refer to
religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks)
Explain how God may be revealed to some
people through worship. (3 marks)
Explain briefly what religious believers mean
when they say that God is immanent. (2
marks)
‘No one can know what God is like.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3
marks)
Explain how a direct meeting with God might
affect someone’s life. You may use an
example in your answer. (4 marks)
‘General revelation is better than a special
revelation of God.’
Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer, showing that you have thought about
more than one point of view. Refer to
religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks)
Explain briefly what is meant by a person’s
conscience.
(2 marks)
‘God can be revealed in the lives and work of
people.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3
marks)
Give an account of a special revelation. (3
marks)
Explain why some people say that special
revelations are illusions. (4 marks)
‘There are too many different ideas of what
God is like for them all to be true.’ Do you
agree? Give reasons for your answer,
showing that you have thought about more
than one point of view. (6 marks)
God’s revelation through people
People can be selfless / heroic / extraordinary/ people feel God is
guiding them / they show others the qualities of God (love,
forgiveness, etc) / actions speak louder than words / could be
imbued by Holy Spirit
Other view: no proof God’s guiding lives / people merely doing
good work / unconvincing without a personal revelation of God /
God is revealed in other ways - holy books / worship / nature /
miracles, etc.
God through worship
Worship is communicating with God / prayer helps someone
understand or accept God’s
will / worship reinforces faith / joining in a community helps
learning more about God as knowledge is shared / private worship
deepens relationship with God / actions in worship
reveal God, e.g. prostration in mosque may give sense of the
might and power of Allah
Special Revelation
Buddhism - Siddattha Gotama achieving enlightenment: ascetic
life / sitting under Bo tree / temptations gave way to enlightenment.
Christianity - Paul on road to Damascus: persecution of Christians
/ blinded / words of Jesus ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’
/ conversion.
Muhammad’s revelation - the Night of Power: meditation in caves
near Mecca / angel Jibril’s appearances / ‘Recite’ & command to
preach
Judaism - Moses’ call and the burning bush / Moses receiving the
Law on Mount Sinai.
Sikhism - Guru Nanak’s experience in river: bathing with friend /
disappeared - presumed drowned / 3 days later reappeared in a
trance / said 3 days in God’s presence / spoke – ‘There is neither
Hindu nor Muslim, so whose path shall I follow? I will follow God’.
Views of God through revelation – varied
Some contradictions / Hindus and Christians think of God in
different forms / Muslims, Jews, Sikhs reject that idea / even within
religions there’s different views - immanent or transcendent /
personal or impersonal.
Similar Views of revelations in different religions show aspects
of a greater truth / different religions agree on a lot - God is
supreme, almighty, creator / limitations of language lead to varied
descriptions and metaphors for the same ideas (Hindu parable of
the blind men and the elephant (each has knowledge of part of the
elephant but they are all describing the same animal), etc.
Why not believe visions Made up / no witnesses / cannot be
verified / are subjective / wishful thinking / mistaken / tricks of the
mind / a result of psychological imbalance / drugs / the
subconscious, etc.
Why believe Some come true / miracles have accompanied
visions, e.g. at Lourdes / visions and dreams appear very real and
may change lives (e.g. Paul, etc)
Qualities of God
Buddhism - that nothing can be learned about God
Christianity - the Trinity + God’s working in world & is love.
Hinduism - one unchanging eternal God (Brahman) / all-present /
timeless / formless / beyond comprehension / many forms - deities
showing aspects of God’s character.
Islam One God (Allah) / eternal / unchanging / compassionate /
beyond understanding / all-merciful / 99 beautiful names, etc.
Judaism Eternal / unlimited God / in special relationship with Jews
(covenant) / protector / just judge / loving, etc.
Sikhism Eternal / self-existent / beyond human understanding /
one creator
4 - The
Problems
of Evil &
Suffering
Which cause of suffering, natural or manmade, is shown in the picture above? (1
mark)
NOTE – NATURAL DISASTER .DISEASE
‘God allows suffering for a reason.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3
marks)
Explain the problem of evil for religious
believers. (5 marks)
Explain why evil is sometimes described as
an impersonal force. (3 marks)
‘Religious believers should always take
action against evil.’
Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer, showing that you have thought about
more than one point of view. Refer to
religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks)
Explain briefly what is meant by evil. (2
marks)
‘Evil is God’s fault.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3
marks)
Explain how some religious believers use the
idea of karma to explain suffering. (3 marks)
Explain why suffering makes some people
doubt God. (4 marks)
‘Suffering makes people stronger.’
Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer, showing that you have thought about
more than one point of view. Refer to
religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks)
Explain religious teachings about why there is
suffering in the world. (4 marks)
’A loving God would not allow suffering.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3
marks)
Explain how religious believers can help
those who are suffering. (3 marks)
Explain briefly the difference between evil and
suffering. (2 marks)
‘There will always be evil in the world.’
Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer, showing that you have thought about
more than one point of view. Refer to
religious arguments in your answer. (6
marks)
Buddhism - suffering just is / life is unsatisfactory, suffering
caused by craving / stop suffering by overcoming desire –
follow Eightfold Path.
Christianity - suffering from free will / brought into the world
when Adam and Eve disobeyed God (original sin) / is a
punishment for sin / Jesus broke the power of evil & suffering.
Hinduism - suffering from sinful actions (karma) / build good
karma to reduce future suffering gain release from the cycle of
birth, death and rebirth (Samsara).
Islam - Allah gave Adam free will / humans can choose to sin /
Shaytan (Satan) tests people’s faith through suffering / but will
not test someone more than he or she can bear.
Judaism - suffering from free will / Adam’s sin / is punishment
for
disobeying God / the story of Job shows that God’s reasons for
suffering should not be questioned.
Sikhism - selfishness causes suffering / people reap what they
sow (karma)..
Problem of Evil
A loving God would prevent the suffering / why would God
create suffering? / a loving God who is also omniscient would
know how to stop suffering / a loving God is also omnipotent
would be
able to stop suffering, etc. / God could allow free will but create
nicer humans.
Reasons
Suffering not God’s fault / human freedom is to blame / God
Always intervening over risks would be taking away freedom /
suffering to learn from our mistakes / God shouldn’t be
Questioned / suffering strengthens character & brings people
together / challenges faithlessness, and can be a lesson learnt.
Evil as impersonal force
Evil seems to draw people in - beyond a person’s control /
/ often illogical & beyond the power of individuals to stop.
This explanation contrasts with thinking of evil as a personal
being (devil) and thinking of evil in purely psychological or
behavioural terms, which needs to be clarified.
Always evil in the world?
Agree
As long as there’s free will / humans are weak and selfish / God
is eternal as is his adversary, Satan / Shaytan (Satan) will
always
tempt people / the source of evil is ignorance + greed + hatred the three poisons (Buddhism) / natural ‘evil’ will continue
Other views
Evil does not need to continue if people seek enlightenment /
live by religious values / follow their scriptures / follow God’s
laws / gain good karma / follow the Eightfold Path - overcome
craving / are brought up to use their free will correctly.
God is more powerful than evil / for Christians, death and
resurrection of Jesus triumphed over evil / Christians believe
that there will be no evil when the Kingdom of God is
established on earth / natural ‘evil’ could be reduced if people
took threats to the environment seriously, etc.
4Miracles
Give one reason why some people would say
that the birth of a baby is not a miracle.
(1 mark)
‘Humans can perform miracles without God’s
help.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3
marks)
Give an account of one miracle from scripture
or religious tradition. (3 marks)
Explain why some people say miracles do not
happen. You may refer to Hume’s argument
against miracles in your answer. (5 marks)
‘Miracles prove God’s love and care for all
creation.’
Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer, showing that you have thought about
more than one point of view. Refer to
religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks)
Explain briefly what is meant by the term
‘miracle’. (2 marks)
Give an account of one miracle from history
or from religious tradition. (4 marks)
‘All miracles are performed by God.’ What do
you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks)
marks)
Explain what religious believers think miracles
teach about God. (3 marks)
Hume was right when he said that miracles
cannot happen.’ Do you agree? Give reasons
for your answer, showing that you have
thought about more than one point of view.
Refer to religious arguments in your answer.
(6 marks)
Give an account of one miracle from
someone’s personal experience. (3 marks)
‘God works in the world through miracles.’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3
marks)
Explain briefly why accepting that God
performs miracles might cause problems for
religious believers. (2 marks)
Explain Hume’s arguments against miracles.
(4 marks)
‘The best evidence for miracles is found in
scripture (holy books).’ Do you agree? Give
reasons for your answer, showing that you
have thought about more than one point of
view. (6 marks)
God works through miracles
Shows his power & approval of someone acting on God’s behalf /
God works through people who perform miracles / Christians
believe Jesus was God in human form so directly showed God’s
love and power through the miracles / Hindus believe miracles are
the result of the intervention of Vishnu / Jews believe God works
directly through miracles, for example to save the Israelites from
pursuing Egyptians / Muslims believe only Allah can perform
miracles but can do so through Allah’s chosen prophets. Sikhs
believe that saints and prophets can perform miracles but not to
prove a prophet’s power or even to prove the greatness of the
religion but only to help people
Secular ‘miracles’ doctors performing miraculous seeming
cures / birth of a baby / so-called miracles just mind over matter /
miracles are amazing events not yet understood
Arguments for miracles only from God Humans can perform
miracles only with God’s help – God has the power, knowledge,
authority to perform a true miracle / God is outside time and space
– not limited by the laws of nature / humans performing seemingly
impossible things without God’s help usually entertainers.
Hume’s Argument
Never be enough evidence to deny the laws of nature /
overwhelming evidence that people do not fly - rise from the dead,
etc. / for a miracle to be accepted sufficient evidence
must be produced which outweighs long established natural laws /
witnesses to miracles are unreliable & biased / people desire
miracles to back up their beliefs / most witnesses are primitive,
uneducated people / people are willing to accept
extraordinary events because they do not have an alternative
explanation / religions depend on miracles to prove they are true,
but they cannot all be right - religions’ truth claims based on
miracles cancel each other out
Other problems of miracles
God picks & chooses whom to help / why does God not prevent
suffering so miracle’s aren’t necessary? / without a personal
miraculous experience it’s hard to trust others’ claims of miracles.
Miracles show God’s love / character
Agree - miracles bring about good - save lives - heal people /
/ creation itself is a wonderful miracle / Muslims think
Allah’s love is shown through the miracle of the Qur’an as a guide
to living / Christians believe God’s love is shown through the
miraculous events surrounding Jesus’ birth - ministry - resurrection
/ God’s love and care for the Jews is shown in miraculous events
linked with Abraham, Moses, the prophets, etc. / Hindu gods
use miracles to rescue & help people.
Other views - Miracles are too few & far between / many die
without a miracle - God seems cruel when he helps some & not
others / it is impossible to learn anything about God from miracles /
‘miracles’ could just be luck or have a scientific reason / if God
loves his creation why’s he break its laws?
Examples of miracles
Buddhism – debate whether miracles occur or not / Buddha was
said to be able to fly / be in more than one place at a time / read
minds / hear things at long distances.
Christianity – walking on water / casting out demons / making
the blind see / stilling the storm / conversion of Saul, etc.
Hinduism – Ganesha statue drinking milk / Krishna saved from
death when he was a baby.
Islam – Muhammad receiving the Qur’an / miracles like Virgin
conception of Jesus in Qur’an / the Qur’an itself is a living miracle.
Judaism – Moses parting Red Sea / striking rock for water /
walls of Jericho falling / Moses and the burning bush.