1. Unit 3: Believing in God
In this unit you will learn about what Christians believe about God and how they come to believe this, and why some people do not believe in God at all.

2. OBJECTIVE:
To understand key terminology relating to belief and non-belief in God.

3. OUTCOMES… Your GOALS for the end of this lesson are…
Grade C – will be able to explain what it means to be an atheist, theist and agnostic.
Grade B – will be able to recognise and explain reasons why people may or may not believe in God.
Grade A – will be able to recommend whether to follow Pascal’s wager or not.

4. Theist-Atheist-Agnostic
These 3 words are KEY WORDS and will be used throughout this unit. It is important that you know them! So what do they mean?
NO PEEKING at your glossary!

5. Agnostic
A – Not being sure whether God exists B – Believing that God does not exist C – The belief that God is all good
The answer is .... A

6. Atheist
A – Not being sure whether God exists B – Believing that God does not exist C – Being sure that God does exist
The right answer is .... B

7. So a THEIST must believe…
That God exists.

8. OUTCOMES… Did you achieve the GOAL?…
Grade C – will be able to explain what it means to be an atheist, theist and agnostic.

9. Copy this table into your books...
Why believe that?
Sub Heading: Why do people believe OR not believe in God?
Theist
Agnostic
Atheist
Copy this table into your books...

10. Why believe that? You have 4 minutes to come up with the following...
1 reason a person might be a THEIST
1 reason a person might be an ATHEIST
1 reason a person might be an AGNOSTIC
Put your ideas into your table.
Now swap ideas with the people around you. Try to get 3 ideas in each column.

11. Why believe that? Theist Atheist Agnostic FEEDBACK: Upbringing
They are ill/dying
Near death experience
Miracle
Media influence
Guilty
Retribution
Guidance
Hope
To give life meaning
No proof either way
Good arguments for and against
For every good thing that happens
something bad happens too.
They don’t care either way
Upbringing
Death of a loved one
Evil in the world
No proof
Media influence
Bad life
Peer pressure
Not cool
Science
Rebellion

12. Atheist Theist Agnostic
Pick one example from each column and explain its meaning.
Example: The upbringing of a child will influence what they believe in as it will be part of their everyday life. Children often accept what their parents believe up to a certain age.
Theist
Atheist
Agnostic
Upbringing
They are ill/dying
Near death experience
Miracle
Media influence
Guilty
Retribution
Guidance
Hope
To give life meaning
No proof either way
Good arguments for and against
For every good thing that happens
something bad happens too.
They don’t care either way
Upbringing
Death of a loved one
Evil in the world
No proof
Media influence
Bad life
Peer pressure
Not cool
Science
Rebellion

13. OUTCOMES… Did you achieve the GOAL?…
Grade B – will be able to recognise and explain reasons why people may or may not believe in God.

14. Think – Pair – Share - Write
Pascal’s Wager
Complete the sheet
I was a French mathematician who lived between 1623 and I argued that there is more to be gained from wagering on the existence of God than atheism, and that a rational person should live as though God exists, even though the truth of the matter cannot actually be known.
Think – Pair – Share - Write
Some theists have a problem with my theory though. If you were to believe in God because of Pascal’s Wager, would it be true belief?

15. Pascal’s Wager
So would you accept my wager or not? Give a detailed reason for your answer.

16. OUTCOMES… Did you achieve the GOAL?…
Grade A – will be able to recommend whether to follow Pascal’s wager or not.

17. PLENARY…
Look at what the following people are saying carefully...

18. God has to exist. We have Jesus, his son as proof of this!

19. There is no proof either way
There is no proof either way. If he does exist why doesn’t he show himself, but I can’t say for sure that he doesn't.

20. God has always existed and always will exist
God has always existed and always will exist. God created the universe and everything in it.

21. God can’t exist. If he did he would put a stop to all the evil and suffering in the world.

22. We cannot know. If we did, God would not be God

23. God is a force made up by someone to control people.