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Religion Center, Christianity vs Hinduism :, Knowledge of God, Other…

- - - - GOD AND BELIEFS
        
        Hindus believe that when people are enlightened, they return to Brahman and they are released from the endless cycle of rebirth and death
        
        Christians believe that if they want to be saved on Judgement Day, they must follow and obey God's will
        
        Hindus believe in many Gods and many of them worship different Gods in order to reach enlightenment
        
        Christianity believes in a single God who is the most powerful and also the creator of everything in the universe. They also believe in the Holy Trinity
- - - - Also it is possible that the universe os infinite, even if it isn't infinite we cannot prove that it was God who caused it to happen.
- - - - EVOLUTION:
        Atheists would argue that it is through evolution that features such as opposable thumbs developed and not designed by God.
        Theist reply: The fact that we can write books paint pictures etc. suggests that we are designed as through natural selection these activities are not necessary.
- - - - In Christian thought, Jesus' miracles reveal the nature of God in different ways.
        
        Jesus calming the storm reveals God's omnipotence over the laws of nature.
        
        Jesus healing people from leprosy, blindness and paralysis reveals God's grace in restoring people.
        
        Jesus feeding the 5000 shows God is the giver of everything people need for their lives.
        
        Jesus raising Lazarus reveals God as the giver of life after death.
- - - - Thomas Aquinas:
        
        In Summa Theologica, Aquinas explores how empirical and logical knowledge 'scientia' is certain because we can see the evidence in front of us.
        
        This could either be through our senses or by using reason.
        
        Faith, in contrast, does not have this firm self-evident certainty.
        
        So, faith is a voluntary choice; "an act of the intellect assenting to the truth at the command of the will."
    - - Richard Dawkins:
        Richard Dawkins and other atheist thinkers believe that faith provides insufficient reason for belief.
        
        Moreover, he would argue that faith is actually harmful.
        
        It encourages people to be lazy in their thinking and avoid trying to reach any kind of certainty.
        
        He believes religion is a virus and prevents us from gaining scientific knowledge.
      - David Hume:
        
        Claimed "A wise man... proportions his belief to the evidence (An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, 1739-40)
- - - - St Augustine : God created a world devoid of evil
        Gave humans and angels the blessing of free will (because he is loving), and through their own actions they introduced decay and sin into the world
        
        Adam and Eve ate from forbidden 'tree of knowledge of good and evil'
        Didn't resist Satan's temptation
        Disobeyed God
        Threatened God's position as judge with their knowledge
        
        This shows that God is still loving, as if he had stopped them, he would be taking the gift he had given them (free will)
        And therefore he had to allow the suffering to exist as the consequence
    - - St Irenaeus : When humans respond positively to suffering, it helps us to grow spritiually and morally, we learn how to make morally correct decisions
        
        God's likeness
        
        Likely to be accepted into heaven
        
        Therefore God can still be loving, as this is what a loving God would want for us. The suffering/evil present is negated by the insurmountable greater good
  - - - Omnipotence + Omniscience, knows all instances and has power
        If he were loving as defined Bible - patient kind and persevering, he wouldn't want us to suffer
        
        If God was loving - 0 suffering
    - - William Rowe's fawn
        
        God would only inflict or allow suffering where there is a greater good to be achieved, if he was loving
        Fawn : Objectively better to prevent suffering - it doesn't prevent good nor create a greater evil
        
        If God was loving - 0 pointless suffering in world, yet there is such as genocide
- - - - Walking on water, turning water into wine
    - - It is the word of God, a voice from heaven said 'You are my Son'
  - - - Human is limited, God is omnipotent
    - - When Jesus talks to his disciples about the end of the world he says that no-one knows what would happen
- - - - Broadening of horizons and cementing of beliefs
    - - Miracles such as healing at Lourdes cement belief
      - Specifically sets aside time for activities such as meditation and contemplation
- - - - Supporting Quotes:
        'And to every soul will be paid in full (the fruit) of its deeds; and Allah knoweth best all that they do. - Surah39:40
        'Of the good that they do nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knoweth well those that do right' - Surah 3:115
        'Those who reject faith -neither their possessions nor their (numerous) progeny will avail them aught against Allah: they will be companions of the fire, dwelling therein for ever. - Surah 3:116
      - In Islam, there are two general paths after death: the first is Jannah, roughly the equivalent of paradise, and the second is Jahannam, the equivalent to Hell. One's assignment to Jannah or Jahannam are determined by one's deeds in life. Those who believe in and follow the rules laid out, as well as who perform good deeds, are allowed to enter Jannah, whereas those who do not believe in Islam or are unfaithful to it are punished in Jahannam.
- - - - All powerful ; capable of anything
      - Unlimited authority
    - - 'And God said, 'let there be light,'and there was light.'
    - - They would follow the rules set out by God as he has unlimited authority, also because he can reward them in any way
  - - - Loving of all humans
    - - 'God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life'
    - - God loves all, so Christians won't be prejudiced
      - Aspire to show agape as God and Jesus does/did
  - - - Able to differentiate between right and wrong, able to judge human character
      - Bringing about what is right and fair or making up for a wrong that has been comitted
    - - The Ten Commandments show how he opposes injustice
      - 'Do not kill'
    - - Act justly in the eyes of God to not be punished for sinning
      - Avoid prejudice and stereotyping
      - Professions such as lawyers or police
- - - - A loving God wouldn't allow for pointless suffering
        
        William Rowe's fawn
        
        God would only inflict or allow suffering where there is a greater good to be achieved, if he was loving
        Fawn : Objectively better to prevent suffering - it doesn't prevent good nor create a greater evil
        
        If God was loving - 0 pointless suffering in world, yet there is such as genocide
      - Inconsistent triad
        
        Omnipotence + Omniscience, knows all instances and has power
        If he were loving as defined Bible - patient kind and persevering, he wouldn't want us to suffer
        
        If God was loving - 0 suffering
    - - God would allow suffering to exist as it helps to better people
        
        St Irenaeus : When humans respond positively to suffering, it helps us to grow spritiually and morally, we learn how to make morally correct decisions
        
        Likely to be accepted into heaven
        
        Therefore God can still be loving, as this is what a loving God would want for us. The suffering/evil present is negated by the insurmountable greater good
        
        Strive towards God's likeness
      - He didn't create suffering
        
        St Augustine : God created a world devoid of evil
        Gave humans and angels the blessing of free will (because he is loving), and through their own actions they introduced decay and sin into the world
        
        Adam and Eve ate from forbidden 'tree of knowledge of good and evil'
        Didn't resist Satan's temptation
        Disobeyed God
        Threatened God's position as judge with their knowledge
        
        This shows that God is still loving, as if he had stopped them, he would be taking the gift he had given them (free will)
        And therefore he had to allow the suffering to exist as the consequence
    - - Suffering doesn't always better people, some end in death, particularly miscarriages are pointless suffering which a loving God wouldn't allow
      - Even if he didn't create it, he still actively allows it to exist to this day
      - Therefore my view is most persuasive
- - - - Created Earth + all living things
      - Protective and supportive father
      - Omnipotent,benevolent,omniscient, and omnipresent
    - - Incarnation of God through Jesus
    - - Unseen power of God, guides and influences actions of earth and all life on it, to sustain them
- - - - 'yom' means age not days
  - - - Neither contradicts with the other
        
        Myth view - Genesis isn't a scientific account, only explain religious truths, so doesn't contradict with big bang theory
      - Both agree on the beginning of the universe
        
        Scientists suggest nothing happened before universe, coinciding with Genesis 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.'
    - - Only one set of events can be true
        
        Fundamentalist view - Genesis is infallible and cannot be wrong , God created light , not the Big Bang
      - The events directly contradict
        
        There can't have been light before the sun, as all light in our solar system is from that star
    - - According to the non-literal and myth view, Genesis is a religious story/myth which has the purpose of revealing religious truths, not showing what actually happened in the creation of the universe
  - - - 'without him nothing was made that has been made.'
    - - 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God'
  - - - To act as stewards who manage and protect it
        
        ''as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries'
      - 'and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food'
- - - - Justified Conclusion
        
        God is omnipotent and has many natures which contradict such as being transcendent and immanent, so it is fully possible for Jesus the Son of God to be similar in that nature
        
        Jesus wasn't omniscient as at the incarnation he willingly became fully human, so had to give up some of his divine knowledge (temporarily)
      - Agree
        
        The stories of incarnation are supported by evidence of Jesus performing miracles
        
        Walking on water, turning water into wine
        
        The Bible is infallible
        
        It is the word of God, a voice from heaven said 'You are my Son'
      - Disagree
        
        Human and Divine cannot co-exist
        
        Human is limited, God is omnipotent
        
        Some stories in the Bible about Jesus suggest he doesn't know everything
        
        When Jesus talks to his disciples about the end of the world he says that no-one knew what would happen
    - - Saviour such as Jesus, who cleansed humanity of their sins and allowed them passage into heaven
    - - A religious offense including claiming to be god
    - - Rising from the dead
    - - Becoming flesh, taking a human form
  - - - The execution of Jesus on Good Friday
      - Influence
        
        Act morally to obey God's wishes
        
        As Jesus did by willingly sacrificing Himself on the cross for humanity
        
        Do social work
        
        Offer themselves to the service of God as Jesus surrendered himself to God's will
      - Reasons for death of Jesus
        
        Political
        
        The Sanhedrin wanted him dead as his teachings/interpretation contradicted theirs
        
        Pilate sentenced Jesus as releasing him would be disloyal to Caesar
        
        Theological
        
        To atone for our sins
        
        To enable us access to heaven
        
        To save us from Original Sin
    - - Jesus rising from the dead on Easter day, as recorded by all four gospels - the central belief of Christianity
        
        Influence
        
        Confirms Jesus' divine power, as he overcame death, which means Christians would believe in his teachings, as the teachings of God
        
        They would believe that God is omnibenevolent as He sacrificed His own Son to atone for Original Sin, granting access to heaven
      - Beliefs on the resurrection (say that resurrection is possible, counterarguments given too below)
        
        RCC + Orthodox
        
        Bodily resurrection to glorified state without suffering
        
        No suffering : 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes'
        
        Other Christians
        
        Spiritual resurrection only
        
        Story of the dragonfly
        
        Confined to barriers of pond
        
        Once climbing out, they cannot nor want to return and they are free to live in the new world which they had entered
        
        Evidence supporting
        
        John Hick Replica Theory (Bodily resurrection)
        
        People are given a new immortal body when resurrected, does not age or decay
        
        All four gospel accounts share the same details meaning they are reliable
        
        e.g. Mary Magdalene is said to be witness to the resurrection on all four counts
        
        Problems with belief
        
        No evidence of a physical place for the physical body to exist, no evidence of the physical existence of heaven (Bodily resurrection)
        
        Heaven is an undetectable place to humans who are still alive
        
        No evidence for the existence of immortal souls (Spiritual resurrection)
        
        Soul is an undetectable substance to humans and their medical equipment
    - - Jesus Christ rose to heaven on the 40th day after the Resurrection
        
        Needed 40 days to give teachings to his disciples, to enable them to become apostles, and spread the great commission
      - Non-literal
        
        Imagery just shows that finality of Jesus' last appearance
      - Myth
        
        The story is simply symbolic of God's forgiveness and omnipotence
      - Influences
        
        Influences them not to sin
        
        Imminence of Judgement Day because Jesus has returned to God, to help judge
        
        Influences them to believe in the divine kingship of Jesus
        
        Miraculous event
        
        Influences them to believe in his teachings, as he is the Son of God
      - 'he left them and was taken up into heaven'
      - 'he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight'
    - - Jesus/God judges the dead and decides where every person should be sent
        
        Judged after death
        
        Judged on Day of Judgement, when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead
      - Catholic belief in purgatory
        
        Further penance for sins before being allowed to enter heaven
  - - - Through works
        
        Having faith in God and obeying Christian morality
        
        A view stressed in Old Testament of Bible
      - Through grace
        
        Given through faith in Jesus, gift for the faithful
      - Some believe mixture of both methods is needed, while others believe there is evidence that salvation through grace is enough
      - Both means or only through grace?
        
        Both
        
        'But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?'
        
        'But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace'
        
        Only through grace
        
        'The one who believes in me will live, even though they die' - said by Jesus
        
        'He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy'
    - - Jesus' death was an act of atonement and the reconciliation of humanity with God through sacrifice
      - Jesus' death payed the debt caused by human sin
  - - - 'if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away'
    - - 'For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners'
    - - Augustine said that fallenness and sin from the disobedience of Adam and Eve were passed on through sex
        
        All humans were sinful from birth
    - - Feel a need for a saviour (Jesus) to atone for their Original Sin
- - - - Council of Chalcedon (451)
        
        Oriental Orthodox
        
        Coptic Churches
        
        Syriac Church
        
        Ethiopian Church
        
        Armenian Churches
        
        Great Schism (1054)
        
        Reformation (1500s)
        
        Protestant
        
        Lutheranism 1513
        
        Evangelical Lutherian Church
        
        Calvanism
        
        Reformed Church
        
        5 more items...
        
        Anglicanism
        
        Church of England
        
        2 more items...
        
        Restorantionism (not really Christians)
        
        Mormon 1844
        
        Jehovah's Witness 1870's
        
        Catholics
        
        Eastern Orthodox
        
        Greek Orthodox 1204
        
        National Churches
        
        Russian Orthodox 8th century
      - Nestorianism
        Church of the East
- - - - 36AD -64 AD
      - CHRISTIANITY OUTSIDE JUDEA
      - The group of followers continued to meet, under the direction of the apostles.
      - Paul the Apostle goes on missionary journeys across Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome.
      - Establishment of various Christian communities in the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece, Egypt, and at least the city of Rome
- - - - Impossible miracles such as water into wine
    - - An example is stairwell B where He used his omnipotence to protect people, 16 escaped unscathed
  - - - The prophet Elijah called upon God to burn offerings. It was assumed it couldn't be lightning because of clear skies, but current knowledge proves it could've been lightning (anvil lightning)
    - - David Hume - 'Witnesses to miracles are unreliable as most of them are primitive uneducated people'
  - - - They are always good
        
        Plane crash --> everyone dies
        Not a miracle
      - According to religious believers, God uses His Omnipotence to help because he loves us.
      - Often very personal; people see the miracle as God showing Himself to them by acting in their life for their good.
- - - - 'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.' Bible
    - - This is supported by the Big Bang theory
      - God must have been the original creator
  - - - This chain of causes cannot be infinite as infinite regression is impossibe
        
        Something cannot come out of nothing so there must be a first cause which is an uncaused causer
        
        This must be God as He is transcendent
  - - - 'If God is eternal why can't the universe be eternal?' David Hume
    - - Brick and Window analogy
- - - - FR Tenants Anthropic Principle
        
        The distance from the sun
        
        The strength of gravity
        
        The amount of water on Earth
    - - Isaac Newton's Design Argument
        
        Thumbs are complex and intricate as every thumbprint is different and unique
        
        Thumbs are designed to a purpose to allow precise and delicate movements and dexterity
  - - - Emergent Systems : Intricacy happens because of countless simple or random rules and interactions.
        
        Galaxies form over long periods of time because of gravity slowly gathering more mass together
        
        Evolution. Random mutations filtered by the necessity of survival. Shows how humans can have complex organs without the need for a designer
    - - 'A flawed world implies a flawed creator'
        
        Poverty - Causes hardship in the lives of many
        
        Natural Disasters - Tremendous casualty counts, kills innocent and evil people alike
  - - - It is absurd reasoning to argue backwards from designer to God
    - - 'Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity' God is an example of where entities have been multiplied beyond necessity as there are alternative explanations
- - - - Arguments for
        
        The impacts of revelation are massive
        
        For example Saul on the Damascus road used to persecute against Christians but after his revelation he got baptised
        
        The only being who could have such a profound impact is an omnipotent one such as God
        
        There are so many documented examples of revelation that they can't all be fake
      - Arguments against
        
        The person may be pretending to have a revelation for monetary gain
        
        Example : Mr/Mrs Bakker - Televangelists who committed fraud
        
        The person may be under the illusion of having seen a revelation . This can happen because of temporal lobe epilepsy / medical conditions
        
        Example : Ellen G White - Only had revelations after head injuries and would have epileptic fits
      - Justified Conclusion
        
        The many documented examples may be an example of placebo / mass hysteria
        
        This disproves both the massive impacts as well as the many fake documented examles
    - - Christian Beliefs
        
        Nature + Scripture
        
        'They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them'
        
        Shows his omnipotence as God's work can still be heard
        
        He is able to surpass natural laws as he is transcendent
        
        Metaphorical meaning : The beauty in nature is a display of God's omnipotence and omnipresence
        
        Scripture is interpreted in different ways, literal, non literal, and as myths intended to pass one core truth
      - Muslim Beliefs
        
        Scripture
        
        Scripture is the direct word of God
        
        The hidden depth of the words allows the presence and power He conveys to be felt
        
        'This is the scripture in which there is no doubt'
        
        Nature
        
        'He sends water down from the sky to restore the earth to life after death'
        
        Nature reveals God as omnibenevolent as He is allowing the world to thrive
        
        Nature reveals God to be omnipotent as he creates complex weather systems
    - - In Islam, there is no concept of special revelation like in other religions. It is only for prophets and messengers because the human brain could never cope seeing God
        
        "It is not granted to any mortal that God should speak to him except through revelations."
      - For example, in the Bible, it shows Saul, later becoming known as Paul, receiving a vision on the Damascus road by God.
        
        The vision completely changed his life, making him totally committed to the Christian faith after previously being a Jew.
        
        This strongly indicates that special revelations such as dreams or visions were given to people by God for specific reasons.
- - - - Jesus of Nazereth
        
        Persictution
        
        Christians did not want to beleive in the roman gods .
        
        The roman rulers saw this as a threat
        
        How were Jesus’ teachings at odds with Roman values and religious ideas?Because the roman leaders wanted the people to beleive in the roman gods but they wanted to beleive in there own god
        
        Why do you think Christian persecution rose as the Pax Romana crumbled? Because the pax romana protected the different nationalitys and when it started to crumble christianity grew and romans saw that as a threat.
        
        The teachings of Jesus
        
        The Gospels
        
        Matthew
        
        The book of Matthew was mostly about christ Fulfilling the oold testiment
        
        Britannic
        
        Mark
        
        He mostly talks about the deads and strengths of jesus
        
        Luke
        
        He talks about the resurection and his whole life
        
        John
        
        He talks about how jesus is gods son and that beleivers might have eternal life
        
        Values and Beleifs
        
        Why might the Romans have felt threatened by Jesus?
        The roman leaders thought that jesus was wanting the christians to undermine the government
        
        Paul
        
        Why was the apostle Paul so important to the spread of Christianity?
        Paul expanded churches and emphasized that there would be no barriors and anyone is welcome
        
        Paul
- - - - Perhaps one of the fiercest and most misunderstood deities is KaliPerhaps one of the fiercest and most misunderstood deities is Kali, also known as the Dark Mother. https://www.blueosa.com/10-hindu-deities-everyone-know-pilgrimage-india/
    - - Rama is the model of reason and virtue and is often considered to be the ideal man due to his compassion, courage, devotion, and adherence to dharma.
    - - Out of all of the Hindu deities and goddesses, Saraswati is the most beautiful one.
    - - The goddess Durga is an essential representation of the Divine Mother, also known as ‘the Invincible.
- - - - roughly 7 percent of the world’s population practices Buddhism,
        
        Buddhism can be traced back to the teachings of a single founder, Siddhartha Gautama who is also called Buddha,
        
        Siddhartha Gautama, was born into a noble family. According to Buddhist legend, he exhibited the marks of a great man. A prophecy indicated that if he stayed at home he was destined to become a world ruler. but if he left home, he would become a universal spiritual leader,
        
        Siddhartha Gautama’s mother had dreamt of a beautiful elephant that was bright as silver. When asked to interpret the dream, Brahmin priests declared that the child to be born would either be a great monarch or a Buddha (an enlightened one),
        
        Buddha sat in meditation under a large fig tree. After 49 days of meditation, he achieved an understanding of the cause of suffering in this world,
        
        Origins and Beliefs
        
        4 more items...
        
        Buddhism in India
        
        3 more items...
- - - - General revelation
        Nature provides a point of contact, and so proves of God's existence.
        
        Conscience
        experiences like guilt makes us aware of God's law
        
        True knowledge
        Through grace and renewal of self, knowledge of God is available to those who have faith. ''and of a second in Christ in whose bright light he can clearly perceive the former''. (Brunner, Nature and Grace)
  - - - The order of creation
        Duplex cognito Domini
        ''The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmaments proclaims his handiwork'' (Psalm 19:1)
        
        Order and design
        'Yet, in the first place, wherever you cast your eyes, there is no spot in the universe wherein you cannot discern at least some sparks of his glory'' Calvin, Institutes) Principle of accommodation.
        
        Pourpose
        Paley watch analogy
        
        Process theology
        'Both experience and history point to a God who acts not by coercing but by evoking the response of his creatures' (Barbour, Issues in science and religion)
- - - - No point of contact
        Until a person has received grace, it is not possible for a person to feel guilt and so no point of contact.
        
        Order of creation
        we can only see God natural law, because it was revealed to through faith in the bible.
  - - - Grace
        Trinitarian perspective
        
        through God as father, the prophets and writers bear witness to his revelation
        
        throguh Christ as the mediator, clarity is given to his promise
        
        through the Holy spirit , Christians are inspired, sustained and led in the process of interpretation
        
        Revealed theology in Christ
        Bible should be read from a Trinitarian perspective.
        1.God as father
        2.Through Christ as mediator
        3.Through Holy spirit as a inspiration
- - - - (1a): A nature which is so great that no nature is greater.
      - (1b): Sound, but proves only the instantiation of the greatest instantiated nature (not the existence of God).
      - (2a): A nature which can be thought so great that no nature can be though greater.
      - (2c): The nature in question may be exceeded in actual greatness.
      - (2b): The nature which can be thought so great that no nature is greater.
      - (3a): A nature which is so great that no nature can be thought greater.
      - (3b): If no God exists, then no nature in fact is great enough. This phrase fails to denote anything.
- - - - Jesus teachings contain many ideas from Jewish tradition
        
        Jesus attracted large crowds from his preaching
        
        Jesus growing popularity concerned Roman leaders
        
        Why might have Romans have felt threatened by Jesus?
        
        Jesus was accused of defying authority and was sentenced to death
        
        Jesus was nailed to a cross
        
        His body rose from the tomb 3 days later
        
        How were Jesus’ teachings at odds with Roman values and religious ideas?
  - - - Jesus taught about the Ten Commandments
      - What are the Ten Commandments
        
        Why do you think the Ten commandments were established to follow God
  - - - Paul wrote influential letters to believers stressing that Jesus was the Son of God who died for our sins
        
        Why was the apostle Paul so important to the spread of Christianity?
  - - - Values
  - - - Why do you think Christian persecution rose as the Pax Romana crumbled?
  - - - Priests led small groups of Christians and bishops led several churches
        
        Paul the apostle became the first bishop which Jesus called the "rock" of bishops
        
        Disagreements about the beliefs start rising and get more intense
        
        In order to settle disputes church leaders set a single standard of belief which compiles into the New Testament
        
        Why do you think church leaders could not agree about the new religion?
        
        Explain how establishing a church structure helped Christianity spread?
- - - - Eventually after following the eightfold path one would be able to reach nirvana.
        
        What is nirvana?
        
        No it's not just a band but a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. It represents the final goal of Buddhism.