Outline the cosmological argument for the existance of God. and plan.
Outline the cosmological argument for the existence of God. (15 marks) The cosmological argument is one that attempts to prove the existence of God through a series of a posteriori (arguments made from experience of the universe) cases describing the necessity for a first creator. The argument is inductive, meaning that it rests on the notion that if its premises are true then it is unlikely that the conclusion will be false. The cosmological argument must and can only explain the universe in terms that a limited human mind can understand. Its based on the idea that everything is contingent and has a creator or beginning somewhere. Thomas Aquinas used the cosmological argument in three of his five ways to prove the existence of God. His first way was called the 'first mover' argument. This argues that everything that has motion must be in time, because to move from one thing or state to another time must have passed. This means that everything that is in time has a mover (something that first caused it to move) and that in turn has a mover etc... but that this chain of mover and moved cannot go back forever and their must be a mover outside of time which caused the first event which then in turn caused the rest. This mover is often called the prime mover. Aquinas said 'this everyone understands to be God' Aquinas' second way is very similar to his first identifying an
Why are the I AM sayings so controversial? Exodus 3: 14 says God said to Moses, "I am who I am.
Why are the "I AM" sayings so controversial? Exodus 3: 14 says "God said to Moses, "I am who I am". This simple phrase became the name for God and was easily recognised by Jews. When Jesus says in the bible "I am", he is mirroring what God said to Moses and in this way calling himself God. Although the seven "I am" sayings; the true vine, the way the truth and the life, the door of the sheep, the bread of life, the light of the world, the resurrection and the life, and the good shepherd, are most well known, Jesus actually says "I am" twenty six times in John. Each and every time he says just the two words, "I am" he is reinstating, and reminding the Jews that he is the Son of God, and therefore God himself. Robert Kysar comments that "When Christ speaks, it is God who speaks". This was very controversial to Jews because they did not believe Jesus was the Son of God, and therefore it seemed he was blaspheming. When Jesus says "I am the bread of life", there are many reasons why it could be controversial to Jews. Bread had different meanings and symbolised various things in Judaism. Firstly bread reminds Jews of the Manna, the heavenly bread, which God sent them whilst they were wondering in the desert. By Jesus saying that he is the "bread of life", he is showing himself to be heavenly, and sent by God just like the Manna. Tasker describes that, "This bread which alone can
Provide examples of the diversity found in Christianity in its first three centuries.
Provide examples of the diversity found in Christianity in its first three centuries. "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." (1Cor 12: 12-13) The Christian religion is said to be a "diverse phenomenon".1 This is because there is so much diversity existing in it although it claims to be a religion with unity based at the very core of its teachings. According to the Oxford English dictionary, Christianity is"the religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus Christ." 2 Considered to be the Messiah and "Son of God", Jesus' teachings and words of wisdom were not recorded until after his death around 30 C.E. The diverse nature of Christianity therefore becomes the main issue as the early Christians question whether or not the information they gain is true. Today, there are many denominations of Christianity proving that even now, it is impossible to know which church is the "true" church to follow. Although all containing certain crucial and similar core messages, all the forms of Christianity are different. This is a result of the early Christians interpreting Jesus' teachings in a way in which they saw fit, therefore spreading their message of God. This essay, therefore, aims to discuss and look at the early forms of Christianity and the diversity of the early followers of
Christian Aid - Once the Second World War had finished, there was widespread homelessness in continental Europe.
Christian Aid Once the Second World War had finished, there was widespread homelessness in continental Europe .In addition to the thousands of refugees; many people had lost their homes and their possessions. So as a result of this, Churches in Britain and Ireland decided to do what they could do help at the time and they set up an organisation called "Christian Reconstruction in Europe". Twenty years later the name was changed to "Christian Aid" and by 1964, the organisation began to focus on aid outside Europe which by then had largely recovered from the War. The aims of the organisation originally were to aid in the re construction of Europe and in the aid of refugees from all over the continent. During the 1960's Christian Aid joined forces with other relief forces and their aims were to respond to world-wide emergencies and disasters. An emergency committee was set up so that in an emergency situation immediate action could be taken and all the organisations could co-operate to make the best use of their resources by organising a joint repose. During the late 60's Food shortages and starvation were growing problems and Christian Aid wanted political action to be taken. So the latest aim was to campaign along with the World Development movement which was set up by the Churches and Christian Aid, so they could campaign on the hunger related issues. Their aims changed
'The Lord's Prayer'
'The Lord's Prayer' 'The Lords prayer' was the first prayer that Jesus told his disciples, it is short and therefore a prayer that is easy to remember. The prayer can be found in the New Testament at Mathew 6:7-13 and Luke 11:2-4. Jesus has a good relationship with God and in the Lords prayer he uses the work 'abba' meaning 'daddy' showing this prayer could be close and personal to whoever is praying. Jesus could believe that God provided all basic needs for children as well as trust, comfort and protection making the prayer a good basic prayer that covers many aspects of praying. The word 'hallowed' in the prayer means holy, and is used to describe God meaning he was greater and is greater than anything else, this helps the person praying because he is the best possible person to talk to for comfort, trust and protection, so all good Christians should treat God with the greatest possible respect. By studying the prayer, I have realised that the quotes 'Kingdom should come' and 'will be done on earth' are what Christians wish. This means the prayer looks for hope in the Christian beholder teaching us that God's kingdom will come if we help others and give respect. According to Jesus, Christians should follow this path and be perfect like him. This should mean that all Christians should 'forgive debts' or 'sins' as well as being forgiven themselves by God as the Lords
Describe and explain the main sources of authority for a Christian when considering the issue of sex in relation to marriage. What teachings do they contain?
Describe and explain the main sources of authority for a Christian when considering the issue of sex in relation to marriage. What teachings do they contain? The main source of authority, for a Christian, when considering any issue is the Bible. It is the Holy Book of Christianity and tells Christians how they should live their lives. The Bible is the way in which god has reveled himself to man. The Bible is shown to be an important source of authority in 2 Tim 3:16 'All scripture is ordained by God (literally breathed by God) and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness' The Bible is formed of 66 book and these are split up into the Old and New Testament. These two together are traditionally known as the 'Canon' of scripture, canon is the Greek word for 'rule' or 'measure'. The Old Testament is the 'first-half' of the Bible it contains the prophecies about the Messiah. It contains 39 books and these books can be split into three distinct groups- The Law, The Prophets, and The Writings. - The Law consists of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Numbers- the first five books of the Old Testament). This section contains the laws given by God to Moses, Christians believe that Jesus has given new laws in the New Testament and that these complete and clarify the Law that God gave to Moses. It also contains a record of the
Christianity And Infertility.
Christianity And Infertility In this coursework (essay) I will be talking about the Christian attitudes towards infertility treatments and explain that there are different views on this subject and why. But because there is nothing in the Bible specifically about these treatments, I will have to do some research about it and try to get different Christian views on this subject. However there some teachings in the Bible that can help us to understand Christian views on these treatments. I will try to get two different views on these treatments. The Bible teaches Christians that all life is sacred, because it's a gift from God. It also teaches the Christians that life should not be destroyed, that God has a plan for every human life, that life is God-given, that human life is gracious and that all life deserves respect. There isn't anything in the Bible specifically about the subject of infertility, but it does have advice and examples of people who were also infertile. The first and foremost thing is that in the Old Testament children are seen as a gift of God and as a blessing, mostly as a gift of obedience. On the other hand, it is also seen as a curse and a cause of great pain and suffering. There is no specific teaching in the Bible about infertility treatments because at the time the Bible was written medical science and these treatments didn't exist. If people are
Death and its effects.
There is a certain sequence to life. We are born, we die and the part in the middle is called life. Everyone must die and every religion in the world seems to have a belief about what happens after death. We can die at any age be it by accident, illness, disease or old age. Unfortunately accidents and disease are quite common and cause much more distress to loved ones than if someone dies of old age. This is because of the order of death which we expect. Most people believe that Grandparents should die first, followed by Parents then finally Children. However, the world does not always work this way, spawning the phrase 'a parent should never have to bury their child'. Accidents can strike someone down at anytime as can illness. When this happens it is usually a shock and the grief caused by this can be dependent on the age - if a younger person dies then the shock can be devastating but if someone dies in their 'twilight years' then the shock is greatly reduced as the family is half expecting it and they have led a full life. When someone dies, people cope with it in different ways. Some people cry and sob while others will quietly sit and contemplate. In other instances, people will go into denial and refuse to believe that their loved one is gone. This type of denial is aided by the fact that we do not have to deal with death directly, more often than not we will arrange
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28.14. What does this command of Jesus mean?
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." Matthew 28.14. What does this command of Jesus mean? Thomas Kee 9/10 In today's society people can make others into disciples without realising it. The world relies on a few people to act as examples and model Christians to set an example for others. These are people like Mother Teresa who stepped aside from the normal routine of life to give up theirs to help others. In 1948 Mother Teresa was granted permission to leave her post at the convent and begin a ministry among the sick. In 1952 Mother Teresa opened the Nirmal Hriday (Pure Heart) Home for Dying Destitutes in Calcutta. Subsequently she extended her work to five continents. "The rich young man" ( Matthew 19:16-30), A wealthy Jew asked Jesus what he needs to do to receive eternal life. Jesus answers him that he needs to obey the commandments. The man then asks him what he needs to do to be perfect. Jesus answered him that he needs to give up everything he owns and to follow Jesus. However, the man refused and walked away sadly. This story is an example of someone who cannot give up all his money to be a true disciple, but people like mother Teresa who give up everything they have to help the sick, poor and those in need. By doing this they help people on the road to discipleship by acting as
What are the advantages of utilitarianism? Identify the main problems of utilitarianism
What are the advantages of utilitarianism? Identify the main problems of utilitarianism. (21) To what extent do these problems make utilitarianism unacceptable? (9) Utilitarianism comes from the Latin word "utilis" meaning useful. This is in the terms of greatest good for the greatest number of people. It is a consequential argument as well as an instrumental morality. Which means that no act is intrinsically good or bad? Utilitarianism is the complete opposite to absolutism which believes that all acts should be judged the same. In utilitarianism the act is judged on whether or not the consequence of the act is good. The argument is secular, meaning it has nothing to do with God. The purpose of morality is to make the world a better place. Morality is about producing good consequences, not having good intentions The origins of utilitarianism begin with the age of reason (sometimes known as the age of enlightenment). This was the time when science and secularism were embraced and religion and theology were set aside. Next there was the French revolution in which the masses of France rose up to destroy the aristocracy that was forcing them to work for their own ends. Roseau famously said the revolution was about "liberty, equality and fraternity" and finally there was Victorian Britain. But one who summarized by hulme when he famously said that metaphysics is nonsense on