Some Christians believe that human life is sacred. Explain how this belief influences their attitude to abortion and euthanasia, showing that you understand other points of view.
Fatema R. Mawji 11A R.S Coursework (1) Some Christians believe that human life is sacred. Explain how this belief influences their attitude to abortion and euthanasia, showing that you understand other points of view It is generally believed that human life is of inestimable worth and significance in all its dimensions, including the unborn, the aged, the mentally handicapped, and every other condition in which humanness is expressed from conception to the grave. In the world today the sanctity of human life is being challenged on many sides. To many religious people all over the world, human life is considered to be a sacred and important gift from God, and one of infinite value. Their religious beliefs can often be the foundation of their opinion on controversial and hotly debated issues such as Abortion and Euthanasia. Among and within the different Christian sects and Churches there are many different viewpoints on the decisions of life and living. However they all share the view on the sanctity and mystery of life, and the right to life of all human persons. They all condemn the growing practice in many countries of actions such as abortion on grounds of mere convenience, and believe that human life should not be treated in a casual way. Generally most Christian Churches look to the teachings in the Bible which stress that human life is sacred and is a gift
The Design Argument for the existence of God.
The Design Argument The Design Argument for the existence of God is often known as the Teleological Argument; telos meaning 'end' or 'purpose' in Greek. It is a posteriori argument based on observation of the apparent evidence of order, purpose and regularity in the universe, which makes the world appear to be designed. Such design implies a designer and this serves as a basis for the belief in God, the grand designer of the world, the universe and all that is in them. This argument makes the basic assumption that design does exist in the universe and that all things have a specific purpose and can be divided into two categories: design qua regularity and design qua purpose. Design qua regularity looks at design in relation to the order and regularity in the universe (e.g. cycles, seasons). Philosophers who support this argument consider that the order and regularity shown in the universe is evidence of a designer at work. Thomas Aquinas' Teleological argument argued from design qua regularity in the fifth of his Five Ways. Taken from the governance of the world, Aquinas argues that since those things that lack knowledge seem to innately act towards a beneficial end, and this is evident from the regularity seen in the universe - how things always or nearly always act in the same way to obtain the best result. Hence, it can be concluded that they reach their end designedly.
Does God Exist?
Does God Exist? A Critical overview on the Ontological Argument Before one can even begin to critique the ontological argument to God's existence, one must understand exactly what ontological is. Ontological is an area of philosophy that studies the nature of existence or being as such. The Ontological argument is based on the very being of god. Basically ontological arguments are arguments from nothing but analytic, a priori and necessary premises to the conclusion that God exists. The ontological argument is most commonly associated with St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, AD 1093 to 1109. Anselm argues that we can conceive God as "a being than which none grater can be conceived." Yet, if we conceive such a being as existing only in the understanding, a greater being could be conceived, namely, one that also exists in reality. Anselm's strategy, then is to move from the admission that we have a concept of "a being than which none greater can be conceived" to the conclusion that God cannot be conceived not to exist. Below are Anselm's own words, quoted from Proslogion, chapter 2, 1078. "we believe that God is a being than which none greater can be thought. Now even a fool knows that 'a being which none greater can be thought' exists at least in his mind. But clearly, 'that than which a greater cannot be thought' cannot exist in the mind alone. It could be thought of
Describe the Christian cosmology and the Muslim cosmology.
Science and Religion Ai) Describe the Christian cosmology and the Muslim cosmology. Cosmology is the theory of the origin and structure of the universe. There are two accounts of the creation in the Bible and both are written in Genesis. Genesis 2 is believed to have been written about 400 years after Genesis 1. This means Genesis is the work of an editor rather than an author. According to Genesis 1, God created the whole universe in six days. On day one He created heaven and earth, light and dark. On the second day He separated the earth from the sky. Day three, He created the dry land, plants and trees. On the fourth day, He made the sun, moon and stars. On day five, He created fish and birds and finally, on day six, he made animals and humans. According to Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" Humans were also given authority over the world: "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky, over the livestock, over all the earth" (Genesis 1:26). The sequence of events in Genesis 2 is different. In this chapter, there are no days. First, God created the heavens and the earth. He then "formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being". Thirdly, God
Outline the design argument for the existence of God?
The teleological argument for the existence of God a) Outline the design argument for the existence of God? (7 marks) The design argument is also known as the teleological argument, the word telos meaning 'end' or 'purpose.' It infers the existence of God from a specific aspect or character of the world, mostly the presence of order, purpose and regularity. These are seen as marks of design, and the argument concludes it must be God who was the source of the latter. Evidence used is often the solar system, with the planets revolving in their set orbits, and also the human eye. This evidence means that it is an a posteriori argument, meaning it is based on observation, which could easily be deceptive, is limited and can be open to several different interpretations. This means there will always be a measure of doubt. The argument has two parts, design qua regularity and design qua purpose, qua meaning 'as relating to.' The two most prominent philosophers in advocating the design argument are Aquinas (associated with design qua regularity) and Paley (associated with both parts.) A more recent version of the argument has been developed by Tennant and accepted by Swinburne, and this is known as the Anthropic Principle. Before looking in detail at the various types of the argument, it is important to establish the basics of the design argument for the existence of God.
"Religious experience is all in the mind of the believer" -Examine and comment on this claim
Bibliography Title Author Publisher Date The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S.Lewis A Beginners Guide to Ideas Raeper & Smith Lion Publishers 991 Philosophy of Religion Anne Jordan, Neil Lockyer & Edwin Tate A level Religious Studies Gordon Read & Sarah Tyler Philip Alan 999 The Puzzle of God Peter Vardy Harper Collins 990 Varieties of Religious Experience James 902 www.buddhistfaith.tripod.com/integrated/id10.html www.philosophyofreligion.info/principal of credulity www.wikipedia.org/wiki/religious_experienc The Bible "Religious experience is all in the mind of the believer" -Examine and comment on this claim In 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' by C.S.Lewis, when Peter and Susan go to the professor to express their concern for Lucy, the professor replies with "There are only three possibilities. Either your sister is telling lies, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth." This statement illustrates Swinburnes 'Principal of Credulity' which states that 'if it seems to a subject that x is present, then probably x is present'. Hence if Lucy isn't mad, and she does not tell lies, then you would have to conclude that she is telling the truth. This is what Swinburne is saying when it comes to God and religious experience. Generally, says Swinburne, it is reasonable to believe that the world is probably as we experience it to be. Unless
The idea of God - Who was Emily Dickinson's God?
The idea of God - Who was Emily Dickinson's God?" God, to Emily Dickinson, is seen in more than a church or a cathedral. God is seen in her poems in relationship to such themes as nature and the individual existence. These thematic ties are seen in such poems as "It might be lonelier," and "Some keep the Sabbath going to church." "Some keep the Sabbath going to Church" consists of the differences that exist between Dickinson's way of being close to God and many other people's ways of being close to God. While some may go to church every Sunday in honor of the Sabbath, Dickinson stays home and reflects. "A bobolink" is her "Chorister" and instead of a clergyman preaching, "God preaches" (Hillman 36). Dickinson believes she can find God on her own, without the assistance of a preacher or such. Nature, to Dickinson, is the equivalent of a chapel, its congregation, its clergyman, and its choir. Rica Brenner, a critic, wrote that she believed, "Nature, for Emily Dickinson, was the means for the enjoyment of the senses," (Brenner 288). Dickinson finds God, in the fullest sense, in nature. She does not feel as if a church would really convey the full affect of God, at least not to her. "The Sunday God of New England Orthodoxy, distant, awful, cruelly stern, was not for her," (Brenner 274). Dickinson, though she progressively conveys a disdain for the church and its idea
Does belief in God make sense in the modern world?
I remember as a young child always dressing smartly for church and bubbling to the brim with enthusiasm, looking forward to getting out of the house for one hour at church. If I was ready, early enough, I would jump onto my bike and cycle to church with my dad. I could then go and join the bell ringers (of which my dad was one) and sometimes I was allowed to ring the calling in bell with Roy; if Roy was in a good mood he would always find a £1 coin for me and my brother. When the service started I would try and sit in one of the front pews, behind the vicar's wife because she frequently organised activities for the young congregation and I could get the opportunity to read. I would put all my effort into singing and try to copy the adults' mannerisms. Very rarely, was there ever a time when there was no tea and biscuits at the end of the service. So why after so many years of fun and learning about God, Jesus, Moses and many other individuals or tales of the bible at church, did I stop going? Obviously I still go to the Christmas and other important services but why did I stop going? Why did I go in the first place? Was it for the £1 coin, no; was it for the tea and biscuits, no; was it to keep fit, no; it was because I believed in God, not fully as I was only young, but I believed the basics I knew. Why did I stop going as often as I had? In my case my sport took over the
Describe why Christians worship God
a) Describe why Christians worship God Christians believe in a trinitarian God, compromising of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They worship the Father, or creator, part of the trinity because they believe he is the sole creator of the universe and merits worship. The fact that the Father God had created the universe would be evident to a Christian because of the teleological or design argument, which says that because we see such beauty and order in the world, which could not have occurred by chance, the universe must have a designer. William Paley presents this argument as he talks of someone happening upon a watch on a path. They would know that the watch had a designer because of its intricate and perfect nature, however, if the same person discovered a rock on the path, they would dismiss it as a natural occurrence. This is relevant to the creation story because a stranger to the planet would see that the Earth was too perfect to occur without a designer, which must have been God. Christians also worship the Father because they believe in the cosmological argument, which is that nothing can happen without a cause, and in infinite regress there must have been a first cause, which Christians believe is God. Also, the cosmological argument states that because everything in the universe is contingent and finite, there must be a non-contingent, infinite and
Good and Evil
Good and Evil Religious Education A.) Describe what Christians may believe about the power of good and the power of evil B.) Explain how Christians may be influenced by these beliefs C.) 'If God really loved humanity we would never have to suffer.' Do you agree? A.) Describe what Christians may believe about the power of good and the power of evil The Christian God is believed to be both loving and omnipotent. Christianity teaches that as well as a power of good there is also a power of evil - traditionally this is said to be Satan (or Lucifer), one of the archangels who disobeyed God and was sent to hell (Luke 10:18). Christians believe that the power of evil, almost like a force, can persuade people to do the wrong thing. They also believe that it is up to the individual person to make the right choice and to follow God's teachings, as God will judge us on how we lived our lives, and whether or not we lived good lives. The Old Testament teachings on the power of good and evil are based predominantly on the story of Adam and Eve. The teachings in the Old Testament of good and evil are in two chapters mainly; 'Genesis' and 'Job'. Christians believe that the first ever sin was committed in the Garden of Eden. It is written in the creation story in Genesis that Adam and Eve disobeyed a direct command from God, thus committing the first sin. God said, "The man has