Believing in God (or not) THEISm – THEre IS a God (someone who believes in God is called a THEIST) Atheism – God DOES NOT exist (someone who doesn’t believe in God is called an ATHEIST) AGNOsticism – Not knowing if there is a God (someone who isn’t sure / doesn’t know if God exists is called an AGNOSTIC)

Believing in God: Key words agnosticism not being sure whether God existsagnosticism not being sure whether God exists atheism believing that God does not existatheism believing that God does not exist conversion when your life is changed by giving yourself to Godconversion when your life is changed by giving yourself to God free will the idea that human beings are free to make their own choicesfree will the idea that human beings are free to make their own choices miracle something which seems to break a law of science and makes you think only God could have done itmiracle something which seems to break a law of science and makes you think only God could have done it moral evil actions done by humans which cause sufferingmoral evil actions done by humans which cause suffering

natural evil things which cause suffering but have nothing to do with humansnatural evil things which cause suffering but have nothing to do with humans numinous the feeling of the presence of something greater than younuminous the feeling of the presence of something greater than you omni-benevolent the belief that God is all- goodomni-benevolent the belief that God is all- good omnipotent the belief that God is all- powerfulomnipotent the belief that God is all- powerful omniscient the belief that God knows everything that has happened and everything that is going to happenomniscient the belief that God knows everything that has happened and everything that is going to happen prayer an attempt to contact God, usually through wordsprayer an attempt to contact God, usually through words

Religious upbringing as a reason why people believe..  Taken to church – surrounded by believers  Sunday school – taught God exists  Taught to pray and read Bible at home  Go to religious school – Assemblies & RE lessons  All make it natural to assume God exists

Arguments for  Design  Paley said no-one would believe a watch just go there by chance, it’s too complex (it has purpose and design).  The world too is full of complex things, like the human eye and DNA.  These too must have been designed by someone i.e. God.

Another argument for  First Cause  Aquinas said everything that happens (every effect) in the universe has a cause.  This creates a cause and effect ‘domino chain’  If you go back to the start of the universe something must have caused it (started it)  That 1 st cause was God

Religious Experiences Involve a feeling of God’s presence A feeling of AWE and WONDER from a religious place When someone feels god has ACTED in their life to change their BELIEFS An act which breaks the LAWS OF NATURE and can only be explained by GOD

Religious Experiences  All religious experiences convince BELIEVERS that GOD EXISTS because only he is POWERFUL enough to do these amazing ACTS and cause SUCH FEELINGS Lord, please help my nan get better. Oooh, that pain in my back has gone!

Reasons against believing  Reverse the ‘for’ arguments  Design explained by Evolution  Design faults  First Cause – who made God?  Answered Prayer – Unanswered Prayer Oooh, my back still hurts!! I don’t believe in God anymore!

PRAYER PRAYER UNANSWERED PRAYERS can lead to atheism or agnosticism because…  People may not feel God’s presence when they pray.  They may think God is not listening to them.  They may wonder why God answers some people’s prayers and not others.  All this may lead a person to think that God doesn’t exist. ‘an attempt to contact God, usually through words’

HOW CHRISTIANS RESPOND TO UNANSWERED PRAYERS CHRISTIANS THINK…  Sometimes God says ‘NO’ because it’s not part of his plan for our lives or because he doesn’t answer selfish prayers.  Sometimes he says ‘WAIT’ because it’s not part of his timing.  Sometimes he does say ‘YES’ but not the way we expect. They think God knows what is best for them. Most Christians think that God answers all prayers but not always in the way people expect…

Scientific Explanations for the World…   The matter in the universe became so compressed that it produced a huge explosion (the Big Bang)   As the matter flew away from the explosion, it formed stars and the solar system.   The gases on the earth’s surface produced primitive life forms.   Through the process of evolution new life forms came about.   2.5 million yrs ago humans evolved.

EVIDENCE FOR SCIENCE…  The evidence for the BIG BANG is the RED SHIFT BANG is the RED SHIFT in light from other galaxies in light from other galaxies shows that the universe is shows that the universe is expanding. expanding.  The evidence for evolution is FOSSILS that have been FOSSILS that have been found showing new life forms found showing new life forms that have evolved. that have evolved. SOME PEOPLE THINK THESE EXPLANATIONS DISPROVE GOD’S EXISTENCE.

RELIGIOUS RESPONSE TO SCIENCE  HOW DO CHRISTIANS RESPOND TO THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION FOR THE UNIVERSE? 1.Many Christians think the scientific explanations are TRUE scientific explanations are TRUE and God created the universe and God created the universe this way. this way. 2. Some Christians say science is WRONG and the world was made WRONG and the world was made just like it says in the bible because it is God’s word. just like it says in the bible because it is God’s word. 3. Some Christians believe that BOTH the bible and science are TRUE as one of God’s days of creation could be billions of years!

More reasons against believing  Evil and Suffering

The Problem of Evil and Suffering  Christians believe God is omnibenevolent (all good) omnibenevolent (all good)  so he must want to stop evil and suffering evil and suffering  He’s omnipotent (all powerful) (all powerful)  so he must have the power to stop it. to stop it.  The fact that he doesn’t means he mustn’t exist. means he mustn’t exist.  He’s also supposed to be Omniscient, which means he must have known that creating the world would result in all this evil

Christian Reponses  Free Will – God wanted people that would follow him out of CHOICE, not robots. Some people use their FREE WILL to disobey him and do moral evil.  Christ understands our pain, because He himself suffered on the cross

Reponses - cont  The world was created perfect, but evil entered it when Adam and EVE chose to sin and go against God’s rules  Christians try to help out by setting up charities to relieve suffering, like Christian Aid.

Explain how a programme about religion could affect a person’s attitude to belief in God.  Programme: Bruce Almighty  Summary: Bruce Nolan is discontented with almost everything in life discontented with almost everything in life and at the end of the worst day of his life, and at the end of the worst day of his life, Bruce angrily ridicules and rages against God and God responds. God appears in human form and gives Bruce all of his powers, challenges Bruce to take on the His job to see if he can do it any better. There’s just one rule, he can’t mess with free will. Bruce angrily ridicules and rages against God and God responds. God appears in human form and gives Bruce all of his powers, challenges Bruce to take on the His job to see if he can do it any better. There’s just one rule, he can’t mess with free will.

How does the programme encourage people NOT to believe in God? I’ve also had unanswered prayers = God doesn’t exist. If God existed he would stop the evil & suffering. He doesn’t so he doesn’t exist. I have not witnessed a miracle like in the film or spoken to God so therefore God doesn’t exist. How does the programme encourage people TO believe in God? The film explains why it The film explains why it seems like God doesn’t seems like God doesn’t answer prayers. He does but answer prayers. He does but we don’t always realise it. we don’t always realise it. The film explains that God The film explains that God can’t mess with free will so can’t mess with free will so evil and suffering isn’t evil and suffering isn’t God’s fault. God’s fault. The film says that if we want to make difference to the world we should ‘be the miracle’. We can see miracles every day when God works through humans. The film says that if we want to make difference to the world we should ‘be the miracle’. We can see miracles every day when God works through humans.