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1.1.1 - Religious Upbringing
- They see their parents as examples of worshiping God so they think that God must exist.
- They see people praying and their prayers coming true.
- The go to holy places to learn about religion.
- They see the whole community worshiping and think that so many people can't be wrong.
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1.1.2 - Religious Experiences
- Numinous: If you can feel God then he must exist.
- Miracle: Only explanation is God.
- Conversion: Convinces them that God must exist.
- Prayer: If God answers you prayers then he must exist.
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1.1.3 - The design argument (God)
- William Paley believed that if a person saw a watch, they would know that it's designed because it's so complex.
- A watch has many parts just like the universe so it must be designed and not created by chance.
- The only being that can design something as complex as the universe is God.
- Therefore God must exist.
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1.1.3 - The design argument (Not God)
- We can't prove God's existence, this is just a theory.
- Could be the result of Evolution.
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1.1.4 - The Causation argument
- Thomas Aquinas: EVERYTHING HAS A CAUSE BUT THE FIRST CAUSE HAS NO CAUSE.
- In a train, every carriage is pulled by the one before it but the engine is being pulled by nothing because it's the first cause.
- Similarly, we came from our parents who came from theirs but the first man, who was created by God, did not have a cause because the first cause has no cause.
- Therefore, God created the universe and he needs no cause because he is the first cause and the first cause has no cause.
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1.1.5 - Origins of the world (Science)
- 'Big Bang' Theory: An enormous explosion started the universe.
- Evolution: Charles Darwin's theory of the gradual development of species over millions of years.
- Natural Selection: The way in which Species select the best characteristics for survival.
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1.1.5- Origins of the world (Christian responses)
- They believe the bible's description of the creation of the world is more like a story.
- The six days of creation were stages not actual periods of time.
- Science describes how the world came into existence and the Bible explains why.
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1.1.6 - Unanswered Prayers
- I might make them think that God is not listening.
- Omnibenevolent: If peoples prayers aren't answered, then God is not all loving and because he has to be all loving, there is no God.
- Omnipotent: God is all powerful so he should answer prayers and stop all suffering in the world and because there is still suffering in the world, God can't exist.
- Omniscient: God is all knowing so he should answer prayers by preventing bag things from happening and because bad things still happen, there can be no God.
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1.1.6 - Unanswered Prayers (Christian Responses)
- They may believe that God hears and answers prayers in a way that they do not fully understand. For example - A relative dying after suffering from cancer.
- God helps those who help themselves. They have to deserve what they wish for to get it. For example - Hoping to pass and exam you haven't revised for.
- God doesn't answer prayers that are selfish or may harm others. For example - Wishing pain on someone.
- Sometimes prayers aren't answered for our own good. For example - A parent not giving a child a knife becauuse it's dangerous.
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1.1.7 - The problem of Evil and Suffering
- Omni-benevolent: If God is all loving he would want to remove evil and suffering as he cares for his creation.
- Omniscient: If God is all knowing, he would know how to remove evil and suffering.
- Omnipotent: If God is all-powerful, he would be able to remove evil and suffering.
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1.1.7 - The problem of Evil and Suffering (Christian Responses)
- Free Will: God gave people free will. This means that people have the ability to make their own choices even if they are wrong.
- Test from God: Evil and Suffering is a test from God to test your patience. For example the story of Job in the Bible.
- Albert Einstein: Evil doesn't exist. God didn't create evil. Evil is the absence of good.
- Blessings: God sends evil to make us realize the importance of the blessings he had sent us. For instance, seeing a disabled person makes us appreciate our abilities.
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