Knowledge (usually about 2 marks): Asking you for facts about the topic.

. Understanding (usually about 7 marks): This is where you explain the religious teachings about a topic. Evaluation (always worth 3 and later 6 marks): Follow this simple formula to get full marks.
Explain your opinion on the statement giving a reason. Explain a reason for the other side of the argument. Include some religious element Finish by evaluating all the ideas briefly and give your final opinion.

Topic 1 Gods existence

FOR
Theists believe in God, they are likely to support one of more of the arguments below

AGAINST
Atheists do not believe in God, they are likely to raise some of the objections

Agnostics Say that there is not enough

evidence to be sure whether of not there is a God

FIRST CAUSE

Thomas Aquinas said the everything in the universe has to have a cause. These causes cannot go back for infinity, so there must have been a first cause that started off the whole of creation. ======= BUT! This theory does not explain what caused the BIG BANG, Aquinas would argue that there has to be a being that always existed and always will that is capable of bringing the world into existence and shaping it.. This being is it self uncaused.==============

THE BIG BANG THEORY

BUT! Scientists claim that the universe was not created by a God like being, it all began with the BIG BANG this is when the universe was crammed into a tiny space so dense that it had to rapidly expand outwards. ======== Some Atheists believe that this contradicts Aquinas first point that everything has a cause.

DESIGN
William Paley said that the world must have been designed because it is complex and intricate and so it could not have come about by chance. Other complex and intricate objects all have designers, like a watch, so why should this one be any different. Issac Newton added to this argument by saying that human thumbs are very complicated and unique so it must have taken an extremely intelligent designer to have made them all.

PROBLEM OF EVIL
Some atheists argue that God is not real because if God existed the world would be a lot better than it is at the moment. They would say that the world has many faults (earthquakes) and whatever designed it is incompetent, not god-like. They would argue that an all-loving God would not create a world with so much evil and suffering in it. So an Omnibenevolent and Omnipotent god does not exist.

EXPERIENCE inc. Miracles

Simple one this people have experienced God in many ways (visions, miracles, answered prayers, worship) so that must mean that there is a god to experience. Examples are: Moses experiencing god through a burning bush. Jesus disciples seeing him after his death. John Rajah being healed overnight after praying.

CRITICISMS

Many atheists argue that there are other explanations that explain these experiences. Coincidence things just happen by chance Fake the claims are made up for: fame, money, entertainment etc Wishful thinking people see what they want to see. Other scientific explanations power of mind healing etc

The Moral Argument

People have an inbuilt sense of morality (right and wrong) This sense must be absolute as all cultures agree that certain acts are right and wrong. (Conscience) So morality must come from an absolute higher source God Also morality seems rational, we should be rewarded for good actions this doesnt happen in this life so there must be an afterlife where God rewards the deserving in heaven.

Criticisms
Firstly morality may not come from God, it may come from the pressure of society and our upbringing by parents etc. Thats where we learn right and wrong not from God. Freud suggested that feelings of a guilty conscience actually originated in repressed feelings (often of a sexual nature) and do not come from a higher power at all.

You need to be able to argue the strengths and weaknesses of each argument and decide whether you think God exists and give reasons for both sides.

Topic 2 Revelation and the Nature of God

Knowledge Christianity and Islam are monotheistic religions, believing in one All Powerful, Creating God. they believe that God is: 1. All Powerful (Omnipotent) able to do anything.. 2. All Knowing (Omniscient). There is nothing that God does not know all facts, opinions, thoughts. Gods eternal nature means that He stands outside of time, and so knows the future as well as the past. 3. All Loving (Omnibenevolent). Gods basic nature, or character, is pure good. God is Love, and acts completely out of love (or compassion). God is completely just, fair and good. 4. Infinite God has no boundaries he is all-present (omnipresent). He is in everything, and is everywhere. 5. Eternal God has always existed, and always will exist. God never came into being, or was made. God has simply always been, and always will be. 6. The Creator God is the power behind the creation and continuing development of the Universe. It was God that made there be something rather than nothing, and God maintains this something. 7. Transcendent beyond Human understanding, above and beyond the universe. 8. Immanent can be experienced within the human world, is with and around humans. The term God is given to the supreme being, the greatest thing in the Universe. Whatever being fits this job description is what we call God.

You must be able to explain these qualities and what the different types of revelation and be able to give examples also you should be able to argue which one is the best way for religious people to know God.

General Revelation
Indirect Open to all The person usually initiates it Eg: The beauty of nature, The need for there to be a cause experience of heaven

Special Revelation
Direct To select individuals The person is passive A vision of God A mystical

Which is best? General Its open to all, so people can discuss it and analyse the evidence whereas special revelation cant be proven. Special Its more powerful and would leave the person in no doubt that they had experienced God.

ISLAM
"There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet" The simplest belief a Muslim has about Allah is Tawhid. Tawhid means that God alone is the creator and power behind all things. He knows all that is in the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. Muslims believe that nothing can be compared to God; He is the Almighty, Merciful and Mercy-giving. It is clear that He is the owner of their lives and they return to their maker after their death. This is most clearly explained in the Qur'an, which is the Muslim holy book.

CHRISTIANITY THE TRINITY

Christians view God in 3 parts, this enables Gods different qualities to be explained by the actions of different parts. God as Father = (Transcendent and Impersonal) The most common prayer in the Christian church is known as the Lord's prayer. This starts off "Our Father who lives in Heaven". This image of God as Father is one that is very important to Christians. The image of Father is not to be confused with thinking of human Fathers who may not be perfect but rather the image of a perfect Father as a person who loves and cares for his children, and wishes the best for them. Also a good Father needs to guide his children and punish them when they have done wrong, so Christians belief that God is their judge and they see it as their duty to please him. God the Son = (Immanent and Personal) Jesus was born in Bethlehem about 2,000 years ago. He was the son of Mary and also of God. It is important for Christians that Jesus was incarnate (born as a human). This means that Jesus knows what it is to suffer and to be tempted. The difference is that Christians believe that while Jesus was tempted he did not sin. Jesus also had power over human life, this is shown in the gospel stories of the miracles of healing his power over nature and his resurrection, or coming back from life after death. God the Holy Spirit = (Immanent and Impersonal) After Jesus went back to heaven he promised that he would send his Holy Spirit to help and guide the disciples. The story of this can be found in the Acts of the Apostle. This is

celebrated each year at the festival of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Holy Ghost, and is represented by a dove. Christians believe that God will send his Holy Spirit to help them when they pray. Many Christians finish prayer with the expression, "In the Name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." This reminds them of the 3 fold nature of God.

Topic 3 - The Problem Of Evil

some of the above beliefs.

raises problems concerning

1 God is the name given to a being who is: Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnibenevolent. 2 If there was a being who was Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnibenevolent then there would be a being who was powerful enough to stop evil, knows about all evil to stop it, and wants to stop all evil. 3 If this being existed then there would be no evil in the world. 4 But there IS evil in the world, so there cannot exist such a being. 5 SO a being who is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnibenevolent cannot exist. 6 SOOOOO God cannot exist.
SEE BELOW FOR HOW RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF EVIL!

There are 2 main types of evil in existence Natural Evil death, accidents, volcanos, earthquakes, disease. Moral Evil murder, rape, theft, vandalism, adultery. Some things can be combinations of the two Poverty, Disease, Famine. Both studied religions have solutions to the problem of evil be able to get all the marks by explaining them clearly.

Christianity * Suffering was brought into the world because human beings disobeyed God and spoilt his creation. The Adam and Eve story symbolizes this belief. * Suffering is a test of peoples faith in God and they will be rewarded for staying on the right path and being grateful for what they have. The story of Job illustrated this. * Jesus suffered on the cross and was resurrected, he understands how it feels to suffer and faith in him will lead the way to an afterlife, where suffering is rewarded with an eternity with God. * Suffering will strengthen us and help us to develop good characteristics, for example: without fear and suffering, we could not develop courage and compassion.

* Humans have freewill, so we have to have the option to do bad actions as well as good actions. * Evil comes from the Devil who can be ignored and conquered by good. * God will give people the strength to cope with suffering in their lives and guide them in their choices. Islam * Allah has a plan and knows that all will be well in the future. Humans must trust Allah. * Allah is testing humans and Angels will report back all your actions and intentions to Allah. Those who pass the tests in life and keep on the path to Allah will be rewarded. * Allah gave people freewill so that they can choose to do good and bad things. * Muslims must resist the temptations put before them by Shaytan (Satan). * Good can come from suffering, for instance a persons courage or faith can be strengthened. * Allah is merciful and will listen to peoples prayers and support those who suffer.

Topic 4 Immortality

This topic considers the meaning of death, and the afterlife. It also explores the reasonableness of such belief, as well as the problems created by it. ideas of what would count as immortality reincarnation,- Hindu belief that the soul leaves the body at death and enters into a new body depending on Karma. resurrection, - the belief that people will be brought back from the dead in some form to live on. Bodily resurrection: some people believe that your body will be raised from the dead to go to Heaven, but others think that this causes philosophical problems in that it raises questions to do with bodies that are totally destroyed.

Spiritual resurrection is more reasonable to some that you will be given a life after death that doesnt rely on your body. However, what form do you take on? And where does that matter come from?

rebirth, The Buddhist idea that ones actions lead on to a new life. This life is a result of the last one, but there is no continuation of personal identity. a legacy, as a memory of others, or as a passing down of your ideas or leaving behind a great work or art or an invention. For example: Martin Luther King and Van Gogh left behind a vision of equality and works of art respectively, one problem of this view is what happens when that legacy is forgotten, and is it much of a comfort to most of us? Who will be talking about a bog standard RS teacher who worked in a small Suffolk town in the year 6000? The problems associated with any of these options of immortality; Evidence of immortality, such as scriptural accounts, ghost experience, channelling, Near Death Experience, revelation; evidence against immortality, such as lack of proof, science, atheism; the concept of dualism, and the mind/body/soul debate, including its impact on how we define death, and issues raised by people thinking of themselves as a combination of these entities. The ways in which Christians understand the distinction between body and soul; Christians believe in the immortality of the soul or life after death. Most believe that one is judged by God according to how well one has lived and/or whether one has faith (trusts) in Jesus. This judgment will lead to spending eternity in Heaven or Hell, though many Christians do not believe in a literal (or any sort of) Hell. Roman Catholics believe that some people get a second chance to get to Heaven by suffering in Purgatory. Most Christians believe that there will be a resurrection with a new body. Christians believe in the sanctity of life. That is all human life is sacred; special, of value to God, because all humans are made in His image. Life after Death

Most people believe in some sort of life after death, not just Christians. Here are some of the arguments that people use for and against. The case for life after death Every religion gives evidence for something beyond this life and for life beyond death. Our minds are not just physical machines, our personality or soul is more than a product of the brain. Your self awareness seems to have a quality that is more than merely chemical and electrical activity. Over 70% of people who are resuscitated* claim to have had experiences while dead; e.g. out of body experiences, visions of lights, meeting with loved ones or some wonderful person. *At least 12 million people. There are lots of accounts of ghosts and contact with the dead. The case against life after death Death means the end of life, to live on beyond death is illogical. Our minds only work because our brains do; once the brain is dead you no longer think, feel or exist. You only need to hit the head, or introduce alcohol into it through the blood, to see how totally dependent the function of your mind is on the working of the brain. There is no scientific proof of life after death. Useful texts Genesis 2:7 The Lord God 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. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Understandings of heaven, hell and purgatory; Some Christians believe that when they die they will not need the old body, but will have a new perfect body when, at the end of the age, they will be resurrected. Others picture a continued spiritual life in a non physical heaven. All Christians accept that understanding life after death is difficult and perhaps impossible to put into words. They generally accept that while they cannot know what heaven is like it will be an eternity with God, when suffering no longer exists.

Heaven and Hell used to be a central part of Christian teaching. In the Middle Ages teaching on Hell preoccupied Christians. It was a place of everlasting torture for people who turned their backs on God . Today many Christians do not believe in a literal Hell and focus on a message of forgiveness and love. Descriptions of Hell in the Bible are all symbolic. Roman Catholics teach that for those who are not completely ready to go straight to Heaven there is a place/state called Purgatory. They stay there until they are free from sin. Roman Catholics often pray for those who are in Purgatory; that they wont have to spend to long there. The concept of God as judge, the relation between moral behaviour and the afterlife; The parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:41-46) is a good example of God as a Judge. He divides all people into two groups; those who have been kind to those in need and those who have not. The former go to Heaven, the latter, to Hell. However because God is loving and will forgive those who trust in Jesus, there is hope even for those who have done wrong. If they will admit their sins, turn away from such behaviour and trust in Jesus they will be forgiven. Paul wrote in his letter to the Christians in Rome: Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life sets me free from the law of sin and death. Christian funeral rites, and the ways in which these reflect belief and aim to support the bereaved. Christians believe that through faith in Jesus and his sacrifice Christians have the chance of going to heaven. Hence death is not the end of a person, only the end of their life on earth. Christian funerals reflect this belief. While people are sad at the loss of a loved one, they are encouraged to think about the promise of resurrection and eternal life. They ask God for comfort and thank Him for the good qualities of the person. Christians are able to choose whether to be cremated or buried. What happens? The funeral begins with the vicar or priest reminding the congregation of Jesus words I am the resurrection and the life. This stresses their hope of going to Heaven, through faith Jesus sacrifice.

 There are prayers thanking God for the life of the person who has died and to comfort those left behind. There are often hymns and someone may give a short talk about the deceased. In Roman Catholic churches a special mass (bread and wine) is celebrated at the funeral (a Requiem Mass)

Topic 5 Miracles
This topic considers whether miracles occur, and if we can properly define them. Possible definitions: The breaking of a law of nature. / An act of God / An amazing or (impossible) event. It also explores the idea that miracles are based on interpretation rather than real evidence, and as such are always subject to doubt and cynicism. what do we mean by miracles? something impossible, something contrary to the laws of nature, something only God does; does God work in the world through miracles?; can humans perform miracles?; Examples of miracles from scripture, tradition, history and experience; The Parting of the Red Sea / The Resurrection of Jesus / Healings at Lourdes. Evidence of/for miracles; the power of miracles in revealing God, and the qualities of God, such as benevolence, omnipotence, immanence; The question of to what extent the acceptance of the existence of miracles lead to problems for the believer? 1. Why does God not grant miracles to help us all the time? 2. Miracles may come across as tricks that blur the actual message. 3. Miracles may be seen as unfair, because God chooses some people to be favoured. Eg. David V Goliath David was looked after by God who

made his stone kill Goliath, this is brilliant for Davidbut not for poor Goliath! Humes arguments regarding the impossibility of miracles. 1. There is never enough evidence for miracles. The laws of nature are more probable that a miracle. 2. The witnesses are unreliable because they want to believe what they see. 3. The witnesses are foolish and uneducated. 4. All religions cant be right so their different miracles cancel each other outnone of them are true.
Use the command words on the left to spot what the exam board wants you to do in each question. Sometimes it can be worded in a difficult way but if you pay attention and practice, you can usually pick up the marks.

Advanced Exam Tips

Use the clock in the exam room. You have 90 minutes to answer 4 questions. That means for each 18 mark question you have 22.5 minutes. If you have the self control, dont move on to your next question until you have spent the full 22 and a half minutes on your current question. This leaves over a minute per mark, but the earlier knowledge questions wont take 2 minutes to answer more like 10 seconds. If you are confident about picking up all the marks in the earlier questions quickly, you should find that you have a good 8 or 9 minutes to tackle the 6 mark essay questions at the enduse that time well to create a really good response full of points and examples. If you are unsure about having picked up all the marks on a question, leave a generous space in which to revisit it later if you get some more ideas. Eg. If you forgot some details about Topic 1 God Arguments, you may get ideas later in some of the other unit questions go back and add them in!