Topic 3: Looking for meaning 6968 WJEC GCSE Religious Studies

3.1 Belief in God

Topic 3

GradeStudioQuestion‘God must exist because there is so much evidence to prove it.’ Give two reasons why a religious believer might agree or disagree with this statement. (4 marks)

This question tests your ability to explain a religious point of view (AO2). Examiners will use levels to measure your response. A good answer will explain instead of simply describing why religious believers may hold different views. Try to show how it links to other beliefs.

You could build an answer like this:

Level 1

First, offer a simple explanation of a view. For example, refer to the fact that there are many theists in the world who accept that God exists because they have had a religious experience.

Level 2

Next, develop your answer by giving examples of religious experiences, such as a miracle occurring or people believing they have experienced God through a sacred text.

Level 3

Then ensure you give two separate reasons by showing your understanding of other evidence for the existence of God, such as the fact that science cannot explain everything in our world but religion provides a complete explanation.

Level 4

Finally, ensure that you have given sufficient explanation of your answers. For example, explain that many people are brought up to be theists and, although suffering is a test of faith, it makes humans stronger; God has a plan that humans are not capable of understanding. All these reasons combined are successful evidence that God exists.

The next two pages will help you to:

analyse the concepts of theist, atheist and agnostic express reasons for different views of belief in God

and explore personal views about God’s existence.

Have you ever thought about your beliefs about God?

Have you considered the philosophical question of whether God actually exists?

Have you thought about what evidence there is to prove that God exists?

Activities

1 Look at the belief line above. Now make your own version. Decide where you would place each of these speech bubbles.

Why do some people believe in God?There are many different understandings of God. A common one is that God is the ultimate and supreme power in the universe to whom worship should be given. However, it could be argued that, in order to believe in God, there has to be some evidence to prove God exists. Many people – religious and non-religious – struggle to answer the question of what evidence proves the existence of God.

To prove God does exist, religious people point to:evidence contained in holy books��religious experiences��religious teachings.��

Why do some people not believe in a god?Many people claim that there is no evidence of the existence of a spiritual being known as God.

To prove God doesn’t exist, non-religious people point to:evidence of suffering from the world around us��scientific evidence.��

ATHEISTSomeone who does not believe

in God and is convinced that God is not real.

THEISTSomeone who does believe in God and is convinced that

God is real.

2 Write a paragraph explaining whether you think God exists or not. Give as many reasons as you can to support your opinion.

How can God exist when there is so much suffering in the world?

I was brought up as a Christian and believe that God is revealed through the Bible.

I have never seen God, so how can I believe in something I have never experienced?

I did believe, but then a family member died and I couldn’t understand why.

A miracle happened to me: my friend was dying but, after we prayed, she got better.

There just isn’t enough evidence to make a decision based on valid proof.

Science explains everything.

AGNOSTICSomeone who is not sure if God is real and feels that proof of God’s existence is beyond human

knowledge and experience.

Activities

3 Copy and complete this table with as many arguments you can think of FOR and AGAINST the existence of God. (You may want to use some of the speech bubbles on the facing page to give you some ideas.)

4 a Look at the statements below. Choose the one that most agrees with your arguments and explain why you think this.

b Now discuss these statements with a partner. Which ones do you agree with? Which ones do you disagree with? Decide on an order, from most convincing to least convincing.

5 On your own, answer this question: ‘Belief in God is the most important part of being a religious believer.’ Do you agree? Give reasons or evidence for your answer, showing you have thought about more than one point of view. Include reference to religious beliefs.

Research note

Find out what your friends and family believe about the existence of God.

Science explains how we got here but religion explains why we are here. Science is limited to facts rather than being open to the spiritual side of humans.

Science explains how the world got here – there is no need for God. Science deals with facts, while religion deals with something that can’t be proved.

God gave humans free will so they could freely choose to do good. We would just be robots otherwise and we would all be the same. God can’t intervene in the world, as it compromises our free will.

God has a master plan that humans are not aware of because God is beyond our human understanding.

The problem is the huge amount of evil and suffering in the world. Surely if God was all-loving, God would help us.

Suffering helps humans become stronger. It allows us to deal with events more effectively, so suffering has some purpose in our lives. Without evil, we couldn’t appreciate good.

THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

Arguments FOR Arguments AGAINST

Humans have free will, given to them by God, so they can do whatever they want to. That is why God doesn’t intervene in the world.

God must exist. There are too many examples of miracles and religious experiences for God not to exist. They can’t all be coincidences.

Evil and suffering are a test of our faith. Religious believers know that if they trust in God, they will eventually be rewarded.