Write 3 rules for class Write 3 rules for class discussiondiscussion

Remember: we need to be Remember: we need to be able to hear each otherable to hear each other

Who’s the...Who’s the...

Most creativeMost creative CleverestCleverest Most powerfulMost powerful KindestKindest OldestOldest

...person that you know or have heard of?...person that you know or have heard of?

Write 5 names

Imagine someone comes to Britain from a country where religion is forbidden. How would you explain what is meant by ‘God’ to this person?

Write notes

The existence The existence

of of GOD.GOD.What is God like?What is God like?

So… what/Who is God?So… what/Who is God?

According to Christianity God is the According to Christianity God is the supreme being, Creator of all. In the supreme being, Creator of all. In the book of Genesis it says he made Man.book of Genesis it says he made Man.

God God made made man man in His in His own own

imageimage..

William William PaleyPaley said said

that just as a that just as a WATCH shows WATCH shows design and has design and has MAKER… so the MAKER… so the

world shows world shows design and has design and has

a maker… a maker… GOD.GOD.

(Teleological (Teleological Argument.)Argument.)

Is God up in the clouds?Is God up in the clouds?

Or a force out in space?Or a force out in space?

Or just some form of Or just some form of energy?energy?

Is he a Is he a bloke bloke with a with a

big big beard?beard?

Is God Is God

OMNIPOTENTOMNIPOTENT??

(This means all (This means all powerful. Able powerful. Able

to do anything!)to do anything!)

Is God Is God OMNISCIENT? OMNISCIENT?

(This means “All knowing” or “All (This means “All knowing” or “All seeing”.) seeing”.)

Is God Is God OMNIPRESENT?OMNIPRESENT?

(This means that God is everywhere!)(This means that God is everywhere!)

Is God Is God

OMNIBENEVOLENT?OMNIBENEVOLENT?

(This means God is all-loving.)(This means God is all-loving.)

BUT…….. If BUT…….. If God is all God is all

these “Omni” these “Omni” things… why things… why does he allow does he allow

evil in the evil in the world?world?

There is There is “HUMAN“HUMAN” evil… ” evil…

likelike

WARWAR..

TERRORISMTERRORISM

9/119/11

MURDERMURDER

STEALINGSTEALING

CRUELTYCRUELTY

We can say that God allows We can say that God allows people freewill…. And so this people freewill…. And so this explains why there is “Human explains why there is “Human Evil” in the world.Evil” in the world.Adam andAdam andEve wereEve wereresponsibleresponsiblefor the for the first “Sin”first “Sin”accordingaccordingto the Bible to the Bible

But what about NATURAL But what about NATURAL EVIL?EVIL?

FFAAMMIINNEE

DROUGHTDROUGHT

DISEASEDISEASE

EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

TSUNAMITSUNAMI

HURRICANESHURRICANES

TORNADOSTORNADOS

LIGHTNINGLIGHTNING

TORNADOS & TORNADOS & LIGHTNING!!!LIGHTNING!!!

Evil can be a Evil can be a mix of mix of

Human and Human and Natural. For Natural. For example a example a

famine where famine where no-one from no-one from

countries countries with food with food

sends help.sends help.

If God is omnipotent, If God is omnipotent, omniscient omniscient

omnibenevolent and omnibenevolent and omnipresent… surely he would omnipresent… surely he would

stop all these disasters?stop all these disasters?

And…. Why did he design a And…. Why did he design a planet with all these faults in planet with all these faults in

the first place?the first place?

Is it a test of faith?Is it a test of faith?Are we being punished?Are we being punished?

Is it all due to Adam and Eve?Is it all due to Adam and Eve?

Perhaps Perhaps God’s God’s

reasons reasons are too are too difficult difficult for us to for us to

understanunderstand or d or

explain?explain?

Is there in Is there in fact no God fact no God

at all?at all?

Surely that Surely that explains why explains why there is evil there is evil

in the in the world??world??

Ludwig Ludwig Feuerbach’sFeuerbach’s theory is that we theory is that we

are like are like passengers on a passengers on a train.   If we think train.   If we think

that there is a that there is a “driver” (God) “driver” (God)

then we are happy then we are happy on our journey as on our journey as we don’t realise we don’t realise

we are heading for we are heading for disaster.disaster.

We imagine We imagine that there is a that there is a driver (God) to driver (God) to make our life make our life bearable and bearable and

meaningful. In meaningful. In the end we just the end we just die… but never die… but never

know our know our mistake.mistake.

But then is Nature actually But then is Nature actually Evil?Evil?

““Natural” Natural” disasters disasters are not are not

deliberatedeliberately “Evil” if ly “Evil” if there is there is no God.no God.

But if the But if the world was world was designed designed

“intelligentl“intelligently” by y” by

God…. God…. Then surely Then surely

he is to he is to blame?blame?

Conclusions?Conclusions? Christians believe that God is Christians believe that God is

OmniscientOmniscient (all Knowing), (all Knowing), OmnipotentOmnipotent (All powerful), (All powerful), OmnipresentOmnipresent (Everywhere) and (Everywhere) and OmnibenevolentOmnibenevolent (All Loving). (All Loving).

William Paley’s Argument from William Paley’s Argument from DesignDesign is often explained by Atheists is often explained by Atheists using the theory of Evolution.using the theory of Evolution.

““Human Evil”Human Evil” is a lot easier to is a lot easier to explain away than explain away than “Natural Evil”.“Natural Evil”.