Un|t 1 8e||ev|ng |n God Un|t 1 8e||ev|ng |n God

Inc|udes
W 8ellef and nonbellef
W 8ellglous upbrlnglng
W 8ellglous Lxperlence
W 1he deslgn argumenL
W 1he causaLlon argumenL
W Sclence vs ChrlsLlan ldeas of Lhe
beglnnlng
W unanswered prayers
W 1he problem of evll and sufferlng
W 8ellef ln Lhe medla
Inc|udes
W 8ellef and nonbellef
W 8ellglous upbrlnglng
W 8ellglous Lxperlence
W 1he deslgn argumenL
W 1he causaLlon argumenL
W Sclence vs ChrlsLlan ldeas of Lhe
beglnnlng
W unanswered prayers
W 1he problem of evll and sufferlng
W 8ellef ln Lhe medla
60Il0l 0 000Il0l l b00 60Il0l 0 000Il0l l b00
lms
undersLand and explaln whaL lL means Lo be a
LhelsL aLhelsL or agnosLlc
uescrlbe whaL a LhelsL belleves
Lxplaln reasons why an aLhelsL re[ecLs bellef ln
Cod
Clve your own oplnlons and Lhe reasons for Lhem
lms
undersLand and explaln whaL lL means Lo be a
LhelsL aLhelsL or agnosLlc
uescrlbe whaL a LhelsL belleves
Lxplaln reasons why an aLhelsL re[ecLs bellef ln
Cod
Clve your own oplnlons and Lhe reasons for Lhem
1hursday 01 uecember 2011
9eople have always Lrled Lo undersLand ulLlmaLe quesLlons ln llfe
such as 'why are we here?' 'WhaL happens when we dle?' and 'ls
Lhere a Cod?' Pere are some responses Lo Lhese quesLlons
Look aL Lhe world around us lL can'L have happened by
accldenL lL musL have been deslgned by a greaLer
lnLelllgence Cod perhaps
Look aL Lhe world around us lL can'L have happened by
accldenL lL musL have been deslgned by a greaLer
lnLelllgence Cod perhaps
When you
dle you're
[usL dead
Lhere ls no
afLerllfe
When you
dle you're
[usL dead
Lhere ls no
afLerllfe
We can'L posslbly know
wheLher Lhere ls a Cod or
noL Lhere are some
quesLlons we [usL can'L
answer
We can'L posslbly know
wheLher Lhere ls a Cod or
noL Lhere are some
quesLlons we [usL can'L
answer
lf Cod exlsLs
Lhen why does
he allow so
many Lerrlble
Lhlngs Lo
happen?
lf Cod exlsLs
Lhen why does
he allow so
many Lerrlble
Lhlngs Lo
happen?
LoLs of people
clalm Lo have
experlenced
Cod ln Lhelr
llves 1hey
can'L all be
wrong
LoLs of people
clalm Lo have
experlenced
Cod ln Lhelr
llves 1hey
can'L all be
wrong
1here ls no evldence LhaL Cod exlsLs
Sclence wlll soon be able Lo answer all Lhe
ulLlmaLe quesLlons
1here ls no evldence LhaL Cod exlsLs
Sclence wlll soon be able Lo answer all Lhe
ulLlmaLe quesLlons
W Someone who belleves ln Cod ls called a
'the|st'
W Someone who does noL ls called an 'fthe|st'
W person who ls noL sure and Lhlnks lL ls
lmposslble Lo know for cerLaln lf Cod exlsLs or
noL ls called an 'fgnost|c'
cLlvlLles
1 Look aL Lhe speech bubbles carefully
a) ueclde for each one wheLher lL ls from a LhelsL an aLhelsL or
an agnosLlc or wheLher you cannoL Lell
b) Whlch of Lhe speech bubbles do you agree wlLh? Clve your
reasons
2 1hls ls a famous plcLure
by Mlchelangelo showlng
Cod creaLlng man uo you
Lhlnk lL ls reallsLlc or noL?
Say why
3 Cod ls allpowerful ls Lhere anyLhlng he cannoL do? Can you
llsL Lhree posslble Lhlngs LhaL he could noL do? 1o help one
mlghL be LhaL he cannoL creaLe a Cod greaLer Lhan hlmself
ChrlsLlan bellefs abouL Cod
ChrlsLlan belleves LhaL
W Cod creaLed Lhe world
W 9eople can have a relaLlonshlp wlLh Cod
W Pe answers prayers and can perform mlracles
W Cod ls omn|potent omn|sc|ent and omn|
benevo|ent
W 8ellef ln Cod glves meanlng Lo llfe and helps
people Lo answer dlfflculL quesLlons abouL
deaLh and sufferlng
LhelsLs have dlfferenL reasons for noL
bellevlng ln Cod
W Some aLhelsLs suggesL LhaL Lhere ls evldence
LhaL Cod does noL exlsL
W CLhers do noL belleve because ln Lhelr
oplnlon Lhere ls no evldence LhaL he does
exlsL
W 8lchard uawklns ls a famous aLhelsL
who wroLe '1he Cod ueluslon' and has
presenLed many 1v programmes on
Lhls Loplc More ldeas here
rgumenLs
an aLhelsL
mlghL use
1he
exlsLence
of evll and
sufferlng ln
Lhe world
counLs
agalnsL
bellef ln a
lovlng and
powerful
Cod
Sclence explalns
how Lhe world
came lnLo
exlsLence
1here ls
no
evldence
for Lhe
exlsLence
of Cod
LvenLs and experlences
LhaL bellevers say are
evldence for Lhe exlsLence
of Cod are colncldences or
naLural evenLs
CLher vlews
gnosLlcs wlll argue LhaL slnce Lhere ls no
rellable evldence elLher ln supporL of Cod's
exlsLence or agalnsL lL Lhe only reasonable
poslLlon Lo hold ls llLerally 'noL knowlng' n
agnosLlc may argue LhaL boLh Lhe aLhelsL and
Lhe LhelsL have made a declslon wlLhouL
sufflclenL evldence and LhaL agnosLlclsm ls Lhe
only approach we can Lake unLll Lhere ls more
evldence for or agalnsL Cod's exlsLence
Summary
W 1helsLs belleve ln Cod and clalm LhaL
everyLhlng ls dependenL on hlm for exlsLence
and meanlng
W ChrlsLlans belleve LhaL Cod ls omnlpoLenL
omnlsclenL and omnlbenevolenL
W LhelsLs re[ecL bellef ln Cod and clalm LhaL
Lhere ls no evldence Lo supporL Lhe clalms
LhelsLs make abouL Cod
W gnosLlcs clalm LhaL Lhere ls noL enough
evldence Lo say wheLher Cod exlsLs or noL
oes our upbr|ng|ng fect our
be||es?
A|ms
W uescrlbe ways ln whlch ChrlsLlan famllles encourage
chlldren Lo belleve ln Cod
W uescrlbe how rellglous communlLles conLrlbuLe Lo a
rellglous upbrlnglng
W LvaluaLe Lhe lmporLance of a rellglous upbrlnglng on
comlng Lo belleve ln Cod
W Clve your own oplnlon on rellglous upbrlnglng
@hursdf 01 ecember
2011
Jhft |s numfn|sm?
W WhaL dld you flnd ouL for homework?
W Pow would you summarlse Lhelr vlews?
W PumanlsLs don'L rely on a god for answers
does Lhls mean LhaL Lhey don'L have a moral
code?
W WhaL would you llke Lo ask abouL Pumanlsm?
W WhaL do you llke abouL Pumanlsm?
W Many people come Lo belleve ln Cod Lhrough
Lhe way Lhey are broughL up lor ChrlsLlans
one of Lhe purposes of marrlage ls Lo have
chlldren and Lo brlng Lhem up ln a secure
ChrlsLlan home ChrlsLlan parenLs lnLroduce
Lhelr chlldren Lo bellef ln Cod and encourage
Lhelr chlldren Lo develop a relaLlonshlp wlLh
Cod because Lhey belleve LhaL Lhls ls Lhe way
Cod lnLended us Lo llve and LhaL lL glves
meanlng and purpose Lo llfe
W SomeLlmes as Lhey grow up lL ls dlfflculL for
chlldren Lo conLlnue Lo accepL Lhelr famlly's
rellglous bellefs 1he chlldren wlll learn abouL
oLher bellefs and ways of llfe and aL some
polnL wlll need Lo work ouL for Lhemselves lf
whaL Lhey have learned whlle growlng up wlll
be rlghL for Lhem ln Lhe fuLure 1hls can be
dlfflculL for parenLs Lo undersLand lor oLher
chlldren Lhe comforL of growlng up ln a
rellglous home can help Lhem Lhrough
dlfflculLles and glve Lhem a secure basls for
adulLhood
ulscusslon ulscusslon
W '9arenLs should noL force Lhelr rellglon onLo
Lhelr chlldren' uo you agree?
W Pow mlghL ChrlsLlan parenLs who aLLend
church and belleve ln Cod avold brlnglng up
Lhelr chlldren Lo belleve ln Lhe same Lhlngs as
Lhemselves? ls Lhls posslble?
W WhaL oLher Lhlngs mlghL lnfluence a person as
Lhey geL older? Would Lhese Lhlngs affecL Lhelr
bellef ln Cod?
W '9arenLs should noL force Lhelr rellglon onLo
Lhelr chlldren' uo you agree?
W Pow mlghL ChrlsLlan parenLs who aLLend
church and belleve ln Cod avold brlnglng up
Lhelr chlldren Lo belleve ln Lhe same Lhlngs as
Lhemselves? ls Lhls posslble?
W WhaL oLher Lhlngs mlghL lnfluence a person as
Lhey geL older? Would Lhese Lhlngs affecL Lhelr
bellef ln Cod?
Summary
W 9arenLs help chlldren Lo belleve ln Cod by
brlnglng Lhem up ln a rellglous famlly
W 9arenLs and Lhelr chlldren may share bellefs
pracLlces and acLlvlLles LogeLher wlLh Lhelr
rellglous communlLy
W Chlldren wlll need Lo make Lhelr own cholces
abouL whaL Lhey belleve when Lhey are older