Explain what believers mean when they say that the scriptures of their religion are 'inspired'.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Zaineb Sheikh

Explain what believers mean when they say that the scriptures of their religion are 'inspired'.

Scriptures that are described as being inspired means that they have been revealed. In most cases this revelation is revealed from a figure of greater authority. In Islam God revealed the Koran to the Prophet Muhammad via the Angel Gabriel. It is thought to have been sent down from a spiritual, Supreme Being. There is something special about the scripture. It is not simply mans word but the words of God. This is the first characteristic of a scripture being inspired. Again using the Koran as an example, the way the scripture was revealed also plays an important part. God sent down the Koran via an Angel. In Islam an Angel is considered to be clean, made of light and made only for the worship of Allah. The fact that God sent an Angel highlights the importance of the scripture.

The Bible, like the Koran teaches well, it differentiates good from bad and expects the believers of the religion to abide by these rules. The Koran, in Islam, is not known as a 'Holy Book' but a way of life. The Koran being the word of God plays an important role. Anything to do with God is regarded very highly in Islam. It is viewed with utmost respect and this is another factor why believers see their scriptures as have been inspired.

The situation, circumstances and content have, probably, the largest role in whether or not the scripture is described as inspired. For example the Koran was revealed at the time of ignorance where, particularly, the people of Arabia worshipped many Gods and held various beliefs. The Angel Gabriel revealed it to Muhammad. In Islam Angels have a higher status than that of men and Jinn. He was illiterate and could not have made up the dictation. This adds to the exceptional circumstances of the revelation. The content is a complete guide to life for believing Muslims. It consists of everything a believer must do in order to get in to heaven. This shows that the situation, circumstances and content of the revelation that made up the Koran is special and therefore described by believers as being inspired.

b) In what ways may believers find their scriptures 'inspiring'?

Inspiring, in this sense, is what the people feel about the scripture that has already been inspired. A scripture may have been thought to be inspired, but it may not be inspiring to a believer. A person may not have to be a believer in order to find a scripture inspiring. The opinion of finding a scripture inspiring only belongs to an individual.

There are many ways in which believers find their scriptures inspiring. Certain aspects may have to accompany the scripture in order for believers to find it inspiring. Like mentioned in part (a), the circumstances, situation and content must be special or unique. A spiritual inspiration could be formed from the knowledge that the scripture is Gods word. This may cause the believer to have a deeper feeling of inspiration just knowing that these words aren't just made up but they are the words of God. In Islam believers see the Koran as the book of God sent down by him. According to Islam the Koran cannot compare to any other book. This is enough for some believers and in turn gives them the sensation of the Koran being inspiring.

Inspiration causes believers to act on a more religious basis according to that religion. The scripture may cause people to change their lives completely because of an inspiration. They may forget their life altogether and focus on the religion as a complete way of life. Similarly, the lives of those mentioned in the scriptures may also influence the believer's life. It may inspire the reader to live according to the lives of those mentioned in the scripture. This can create role models. This inspiration may be so strenuous in that it will cause martyrdom. People may be inspired so ...

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The inspiration can also affect non-believers. For example it was thought in Arabia that the beauty of the language of Arabic portrayed a great deal of inspiration, which caused non-believers to embrace Islam. The beauty of the Koran was said to lift the spirits of people and have a great impact on them. In Christianity, John, in his Gospel, used a unique technique in which he hid signs for people to look for. He used symbols to hide these signs. Again this beauty also inspired believers and non-believers to convert to the way of the Bible. This inspiration can lead to the occurrence of a religious experience because of what has been read or heard by the believer or reader.

Reward and punishment are mentioned both in the Bible and the Koran. This reminds the believers of the rewards and punishments that can inspire them to change their ways in order to reach their desired destination after death. Add an example of punishment and reward and judgement from Koran or bible.

The life of a believer or a non-believer may change because of the scripture. The person may be inspired to perform all sorts of religious acts. They may be inspired to teach that religion. The believer may 'see the light' and start practicing. The term often used is 'born again' meaning the person is ready to start practicing. The term 'born again' does not mean physically being born again but mentally. All the concepts mentioned contribute to the scripture being inspiring.

Believers of a scripture find their scriptures inspiring. Believers bring to that scripture some source of knowledge and this adds to its inspiration. By knowing in some detail about this religion a scripture may seem more inspiring. Rather than approaching the scripture without knowledge of the text, how it was revealed, what it contains and other concepts of the religion it is better to approach it with as much knowledge as possible. The reader must bring to the scripture some sort of knowledge in order to be inspired by it.

Identify the main sources of authority, other than scripture, found in one religion.

A creed is a summary of Christian belief. They were originally used to help Christians who were preparing for baptism, to provide them with the essential beliefs, which they must agree to. Creeds were written so that Jesus' place in the Trinity could be formally upheld. If a person did not believe in the creed, then he or she would be considered a heretic, or outside the Christian community. The three most famous Christian creeds are the Apostles, Athanasian and Nicene creeds. The Apostles, but is said to be based on their beliefs did not write the Apostles' creed. The Apostles creed contains many beliefs and the major beliefs are listed below.

God is one. God is believed to have created the world and is therefore omnipotent. Christians believe that God can be experienced in three ways (The Trinity), as the Father in Heaven, the Son who came to earth in the form of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, who is the comforter. Christians believe that the experience of Jesus Christ is fundamental to their belief. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The title ‘Lord’ was an important one in the ancient world. It was used in the Old Testament as a name for God. Jesus Christ is God Incarnate. In other words, he is God made flesh. It is very important to Roman Catholics that Jesus was born of a virgin. The last parts of Jesus' life are crucial to the beliefs of Christianity. Christians believe that God, in the form of Jesus, actually died, was resurrected and then rose up to be with God. Furthermore, they believe that Jesus will come again in glory. Christians believe that Jesus' death is very important. They believe in Atonement i.e. that Jesus' death was like a sacrifice. Jesus' death on the cross meant that all of mans' sins were carried on his shoulders and therefore forgiven. Christians believe that the resurrection of Jesus highlights the fact that Jesus and those who follow him, can conquer evil and death. The importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus can be seen in various symbols used by Christians. Roman Catholics often use the crucifix, which is a cross on which Jesus is still hung. This symbolises the importance of Jesus' death for Christianity. People in the ancient world believed that Heaven was literally up above the clouds. Christians therefore believed that Jesus went up to be with God in Heaven. Christians believe that Jesus will come again, either physically or spiritually, in glory to judge all mankind. In this judgement, man will be sent either to Heaven or to Hell. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son. All three have the same nature or substance. The Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. Christians believe in the importance of the Church. Each and every one has their role to play in the community. All Christians are members of the one Catholic Church. This word means ‘universal’, and all Christians hold the same central beliefs about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Christians from all round the world, therefore, can unite together knowing that they all believe the same things.

Another source of authority within the religion of Christianity is the life of Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus is the risen Lord. He was sent to earth by God to save people from sin. God raised him from death and he now remains alive with God. The resurrection of Jesus shows Christians that there is life after death. Christians believe that Jesus revealed the truth about God. Through the example of his own life he showed what God was like (he was a caring, loving, forgiving God who was intimately concerned for human beings). Christians believe that Jesus showed the way to live. Jesus left behind a set of values, which Christians aim to live up to. Christians should love each other and treat others with respect. Aspects of Jesus' life show Christians how to live their lives.

d) "Today scriptures cannot provide believers with a complete guide for life." How far do u agree with this statement?

There are two main opinions for this statement. Some people may agree and say that scriptures don’t provide a complete guide to life. On the other hand there are those who do not share this opinion. People who don’t agree with this statement are mainly believer of the faith that the scripture is taken from. Looking at the arguments for and against it can assess the statement.

One of the main arguments against the statement is the fact that most scriptures are out of date. The scriptures of the major world faiths were written over a thousand years ago. There have been many technological advances in those thousand years. Scriptures may not be able to respond to the issues of embryo research or global warming. Matters like this weren't present then but they can be of great importance nowadays. People argue that if there is no reference to these issues then scriptures cannot provide a complete guide to life. Someone may encounter these problems in their life and then if a scripture were approached it would contain the information needed. Life changes very quickly and scriptures may not be able to keep up.

Believers may not agree with certain basic rulings of life. For example people may not believe in abortion being forbidden in certain religions. They may face a situation where abortion may be an option and may not agree with the ruling of the scripture. The person may not be practicing and therefore may not wish to follow the rulings of that scripture.

Religious scriptures can contradict certain aspects of science. For example in the Bible it is believed that God created the world and everything in it. This is far from what scientists believe. They claim the world had been formed by a big bang and that this caused everything to sit in its place. Another area contradicted by science is the development of animals. It is scientifically proven that man had evolved the strongest surviving and the weakest dying out. In most religions it is thought that God created man and animal as they are. This is evident in the book of Genesis,

'…God formed man of dust from the ground,'

There are some aspects of the religion that contradict science and this may be enough for some to disagree with the scriptures in question.

Others argue that scriptures do provide a complete guide for life because God knows the future he knows what is going to happen in the future and it's just a matter of looking for the right information. God doesn't mention global warming in the Bible. However, God does mention keeping the world in good hands. In the book of Genesis Adam is described as a vicegerent. This means that he was created to look after the earth. Therefore according to the Bible global warming is definitely no acceptable. This also indicates that scripture can be interpreted in today's methods. Using the same example global warming can be tackled using religious evidence.

Science plays an important part in religious scripture. Some aspects of the Quran agree with science. For example,

'…He shaped the earth like an egg,'

Many people thought that the world was flat but the Quran as well as science agree that the world was round. This verse indicates that the Quran agrees with science that the earth is round.