1. Arguments for the existence of GodProblems/reasons to be against COSMOLOGICAL (FIRST CAUSE) DESIGN/TELEOLOGICAL MIRACLES RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE MORALITY

2. FORMER EXAM QUESTIONS The former exam questions of the Existence of God papers for the last three years have been placed in a chart, with key language for comprehension of what is expected in the answer highlighted.

3. EXISTENCE OF GOD 201020112012 01 Explain briefly how an atheist might explain the experience described above. (2 marks) AO1 01 Explain the argument from morality for God’s existence. (3 marks) AO1 01 Explain the design (teleological) argument for God’s existence. (4 marks) AO1 02 ‘Religious experiences prove that God exists.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks) AO2 02 Give two reasons why some people disagree with the argument from morality. (2 marks) AO1 02 Explain why some people say the world is not well-designed. (3 marks) AO1 03 Explain the First Cause argument for the existence of God. (4 marks) AO1 03 ‘God must exist because so many people have experienced God.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks) AO2 03 ‘Miracles prove that God exists.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks) AO2 04 Explain the arguments against the idea that God is the First Cause of the universe. (3 marks) AO1 04 Explain why some people do not believe in God. (4 marks) (4 marks) AO1 04 Explain briefly one example of religious experience. (2 marks) AO1 05 ‘The design of the world shows that God created it.’ 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) AO2 05 ‘God is the First Cause of the universe.’ 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) AO2 05 ‘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) AO2

4. REVELATION 201020112012 06 Explain how nature might reveal God to some people. Target: Understanding of God’s revelation through nature (3 marks) AO1 Explain briefly how praying might help someone to know God. Target: Understanding of revelation of God through prayer (2 marks) AO1 Explain how God may be revealed to some people through worship. Target: Understanding of revelation of God through worship (3 marks) AO1 07 Explain what people might learn about God from scripture (holy books). Target: Knowledge and understanding of what might be learned about God from scripture (holy books) (4 marks) AO1 Explain the difference between general and special revelation. Target: Knowledge and understanding of key terms (3 marks) AO1 Explain briefly what religious believers mean when they say that God is immanent. Target: Knowledge and understanding of key term ‘immanent’ as applied to God (2 marks) AO1 08 ‘The best way to know God is through your conscience.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks) AO2 ‘There are too many religions for all their revelations to be true.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. Target: Evaluation of whether or not many different revelations can be true (3 marks) AO2 ‘No one can know what God is like.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. Target: Evaluation of whether or not humans can know what God is like (3 marks) AO2 09 Explain briefly what religious believers mean when they say that God is omnipotent. Target: Knowledge of key term (2 marks) AO1 Describe a special revelation found in religious scriptures. Target: Knowledge of an example of special revelation from scriptures (4 marks) AO1 Explain how a direct meeting with God might affect someone’s life. You may use an example in your answer. Target: Knowledge and understanding of how a direct meeting with God might affect someone’s life (4 marks) AO1 10 ‘God does not seem to be making himself known today.’ 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. Target: Evaluation of whether or not God makes himself known today (6 marks) AO2 10 ‘All revelations are illusions.’ 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. Target: Evaluation of whether revelations are illusions (6 marks) AO2 10 ‘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. Target: Evaluation of whether general revelation is better than a special revelation of God (6 marks) AO2

5. EVIL & SUFFERING 201020112012 Read the newspaper headlines below. “Villagers flee war zone Floods leave thousands homeless”. “Murderer given life sentence”; “Earthquake destroys hospital” 11 Explain, using examples, the difference between natural suffering and man-made suffering. (3 marks) AO1 11 Explain briefly what is meant by saying evil is a psychological phenomenon. Target: Understanding of one idea about the nature of evil (2 marks) AO1 Explain briefly what is meant by evil. Target: Understanding of key term ‘evil’ (2 marks) AO1 12 Explain what religious believers might do when faced with suffering. Target: Knowledge and understanding of what believers might do when faced with Suffering (4 marks) AO1 Explain religious teachings about the origins of evil. Target: Knowledge and understanding of religious teaching about the reasons for evil (4 marks) AO1 ‘Evil is God’s fault.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. Target: Evaluation of whether or not evil is God’s fault (3 marks) AO2 13 ‘God cannot be loving if he lets people suffer.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. Target: Evaluation of whether or not a loving God would let people suffer (3 marks) AO2 ‘Blaming a personal being (devil) for evil is just an excuse.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. Target: Evaluation of whether or not blaming the devil for evil is just an excuse (3 marks) AO2 Explain how some religious believers use the idea of karma to explain suffering. Target: Knowledge and understanding of the concept of karma as an explanation for suffering (3 marks) AO1 14 Explain where evil comes from. Target: Knowledge of ideas about the origins of evil (2 marks) AO1 Explain how religious believers might help people who are suffering. Target: Understanding of believers’ responses to the suffering of others (3 marks) AO1 Explain why suffering makes some people doubt God. Target: Understanding of the problem of suffering (4 marks) AO1 15 ‘There will always be 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. Target: Evaluation of whether or not evil will always exist (6 marks) AO2 15 ‘Suffering is part of God’s plan.’ 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. Target: Evaluation of whether or not suffering is God’s will (6 marks) AO2 ‘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. Target: Evaluation of whether or not suffering makes people stronger (6 marks) AO2

6. MIRACLES 201020112012 Look at the statement below.” Woman with cancer is cured through prayer”. 21 Give two reasons why some people believe that God performs miracles. Target: Knowledge of reasons for belief that God performs miracles (2 marks) AO1 Explain briefly why some people might say that events like those given above are not miracles. Target: Understanding of arguments against miracles (2 marks) AO1 Explain briefly what is meant by the term ‘miracle’. Target: Knowledge and understanding of key term ‘miracle’ (2 marks) AO1 22 Describe one miracle from scripture (holy books) or religious tradition. Target: Knowledge of one miracle described in religious scripture or tradition (4 marks) AO1 Explain why many religious people believe that miracles do happen. Target: Knowledge and understanding of why many religious people believe that miracles do happen (3 marks) AO1 Give an account of one miracle from history or from religious tradition. Target: Knowledge of an example of a miracle from history or religious tradition (4 marks) AO1 23 ‘Humans can perform miracles.’ What do you think? Give reasons for your opinion. Target: Evaluation of whether or not humans can perform miracles (3 marks) AO2 It is not important for religious people to believe in miracles.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. Target: Evaluation of whether or not miracles are important for religious faith (3 marks) AO2 ‘All miracles are performed by God.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion (3 marks) AO2 Explain why miracles might cause problems for believers in God. Target: Knowledge and understanding of why miracles may cause problems for believers in God (3 marks) AO1 Explain why David Hume thought that miracles were impossible. Target: Knowledge and understanding of Hume’s argument about the impossibility of miracles (4 marks) AO1 Explain what religious believers think miracles teach about God. Target: Knowledge and understanding of what religious believers think miracles teach about God (3 marks) AO1 25 ‘Miracles are impossible.’ 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. Target: Evaluation of whether or not miracles are impossible (6 marks) AO2 ‘Miracles make God seem unfair.’ Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. Target: Evaluation of whether or not miracles make God seem unfair (6 marks) AO2 ‘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. Target: Evaluation of whether or not Hume’s argument against miracles was Right (6 marks) AO2