Attachment 1.

1
Activity 1.1: To Exist or Not

Reasons why people say God exists Reasons why people say there is no God

1) Indoctrination into Religion 1) Growing up in a faithless family

-It is suggested by the high and -In one research, 32 % of the atheists
consistent degree of religious said they had grown up with parents
concentrations that people believe in who did not believe in God.
their faith because that is the one 2) They stopped believing in religious
which they have been indoctrinated teachings.
into and that is continuously being -On the other hand, more than 60 % of
reinforced around them. the atheists were raised in church-going
2) People may say that God exists homes but lost their faith at some point.
because the Bible says He does. This might be because they were never
-It helps that the Bible has such told why they believe, but only told to
outstanding evidence for its believe. They weren’t led to make their
trustworthy nature. faith their own.
3) They have experienced God’s 3.) Influence and life experiences
goodness and mercy in their lives. -It may be from exposure to people who
-Personal experiences where believe other things or to a professor
people’s lives were turned around who questioned God’s existence, and
once they met God greatly helped this person who grew up in the church
them to believe in His existence. can be left puzzled and wondering if
they were foolish for believing.

Sources:

 https://www.learnreligions.com/the-real-reasons-why-people-
believe-in-god-250957
 https://www.denisonforum.org/resources/why-believe-in-god/
 https://cityonahillstudio.com/9-reasons-people-dont-believe-god/

Attachment 1.2
Activity 1.2: Picture Analysis
https://images.app.goo.gl/eFweXQRkgtSmHuk1A https://images.app.goo.gl/eyEusrWTtwqd8Q8b6
Process Questions

1. Do you recognize the characters in the picture? Who are they?

Yes, I recognize the characters in the picture. The character on the left picture is Zeus
while the character shown in the right picture is Amun. Zeus is the god of the sky, lightning,
and the thunder in Ancient Greek religion and legends, who rules as king of the gods of
Mount Olympus. Amun is the ancient Egyptian god of the sun and air. He is one of ancient
Egypt's most important gods, who rose to prominence at Thebes at the beginning of the New
Kingdom period.

2. What are their characteristics?

Typically, Zeus was depicted as regal, in control, and strong. He was the supreme leader
of all the gods and gave wise counsel. If disrespected, Zeus was swift to rage, tossing
thunderbolts from the heavens. In the prime of his life, his physique was that of an idealized
mature man. He was bearded, powerful, resolute, cautious, and sexually potent.
Additionally, Zeus was famously lascivious. The power of Zeus is greater than that of any
other deity. Moreover, he was not a template for human behavior, much like other Greek
gods. Zeus also displayed great strength, wisdom, and mediation skills, resolving disputes
among gods, but still making many poor decisions. It is thought that his promiscuity and
sexual encounters embodied male virility, potency, and the supreme act of creation.

Amun is usually depicted as a bearded man wearing a headdress with a double plume or,
after the New Kingdom, as a ram-headed man or simply a ram, symbolizing fertility in his
role as Amun-Min. His name means "the hidden one," "invisible," "mysterious of form,"
and unlike most other Egyptian gods, he has been known as the Lord of All who
encompassed every aspect of creation. Additionally, he was considered no more powerful
or significant than the other gods that were part of the Ogdoad but embodied the element of
"hiddenness" or "obscurity" while the others portrayed more clearly defined concepts such
as "darkness," "water," and "infinity." Amun as "The Obscure One" left room for people to
characterize him through their own understanding of what they needed him to be. An
example would be the description of him as a god who represented darkness but could not
also represent light, nor a god of water stand for dryness, etc. A god who personified the
mystical secret nature of existence, however, could lend himself to any aspect of that
existence; and that's exactly what happened to Amun. He was also once known as the most
powerful deity in the universe he had acquired epithets that represented his different
attributes as best they could.
3. How do people arrive in the idea of gods?
During the primitive age of the hunter and the hunted, the survival of man was of the
utmost importance to save him from vicious beasts and natural calamities because there were
no sufficient safety nets available to protect him, fear was running at its peak. God as a
rescuer was the product of those extremely frightening circumstances. So, because of this
life-threatening fear, the concept of God was built up in a man's mind to find support
systems and to keep him alive. Even animals and trees were elevated to the level of a
protector. Thus, fear was the sole cause for people to arrive in the idea of gods. Fear and
insecurities bred blunted and bad beliefs. Man began to worship elements, the sun, fire, and
water, out of a sense of extreme fear. Man started praying to appease the divine forces while
hoping he could be saved and protected by some of these forces. If all attempts fail and life
itself is in danger, then survival instinct craves desperately to seek a helping hand even from
non-existent sources. This imaginary source of protection is the creation of the initial God-
concept, invented by the human mind.

Western conceptions of God ranged from Aristotle's detached transcendent demiurge to

Spinoza's pantheism. However, much of the western thinking about God has fallen into some
vague category of theism. Theism is the belief that there is a God who is the creator and the
sustainer of the universe and who is unlimited in terms of knowledge (omniscience), power
(omnipotence), extension (omnipresence), and moral perfection. While seen as sexless, the
masculine pronoun has historically applied to God. In philosophy, concepts of God are
entwined with concepts of God in religion. This is most apparent in figures such as
Augustine and Aquinas, who sought to add more rigor and clarity to the religious doctrines.
Others, such as Leibniz and Hegel, have dealt with religious ideas constructively and in-
depth. And those like Hume and Nietzsche who were dismissive of God's existence dealt
with religious ideas. Though Western philosophy most obviously interfaced with
Christianity, Judaism and Islam exerted some influence. The orthodox forms of all three
religions have embraced theism, though each religion has also produced a wide variety of
other views.

Sources:
 https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeus#:~:text=Zeus%20is%20the%20god%20of,and
%20queen%20of%20the%20Titans.
 https://www.ancient.eu/amun/#:~:text=Amun%20(also%20Amon%2C%20Ammon
%2C,1570%2D1069%20BCE).
 https://www.reference.com/world-view/characteristics-zeus-f9140721c48a0630
 https://www.ancient.eu/amun/
 https://iep.utm.edu/god-west/
 https://thegodconcept.weebly.com/origin.html#:~:text=So%2C%20fear%20was%20the
%20sole,the%20intention%20to%20pacify%20them.
Attachment 1.3
Assessment 1.1: My Mantra

God, I trust you

wholeheartedly.
 Attachment 1.4
Activity 1.3: Faith Sharing - The Story of my Faith

1. If God exists, where does our knowledge of God come from?

God’s revelation in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was the culmination of
His revelation through the Hebrew prophets is the principal source of our knowledge of
God. Besides this, we have two primary sources of our knowledge of God. The first is the
study of religious experience, called Comparative Religion, in all lands and ages. It is very
modern science, little more than a century old in its present form, but it has made
considerable progress, collecting and classifying a vast mass of information of the most
varied kinds. From these facts, the following general results such as the “Universal Need of
God”, “ Importance of the Consequences of Religion,” “Religion is a Fundamental Activity of
Man”, “Religion Involves Dependence on Non-Human Powers”, and “Religion is a Social,
not Merely an Individual Activity” have been obtained. The second source of our knowledge
of God (apart from revelation) is the analysis or investigation of the essence of man and his
relationship to the world around him. Man, alone among material objects, may inquire into his
own nature, the universe of which he is a member, and the relationship between them, since
he alone is self-conscious.

2. Recall your worst experience to the point that you questioned God’s existence?

I remember the time where I had an atheist classmate who is much vocal about his
disbelief in God’s existence. I was always curious as to why his belief is like that. That
classmate of mine is an eloquent speaker and he was capable of convincing other people
through his words. He was always open to discuss with me his beliefs. Somehow, I got
swayed by his words to the point that I questioned God’s existence. I can’t forget when I
would just space out in the bathroom while thinking about all the things that my classmate
told me about not believing in God’s existence. However, I immediately brushed off the
thoughts because I would remind myself of all the wonderful things God has done in my life.
However, I’m still guilty of almost falling for my classmate’s words. That is by far the worst
experience I had in questioning God’s existence.

3. What or who is the source of evil in the world?

It will be helpful to divide the evils in the world into two broad categories. In the Bible
they all are called "evil," but the two classes' natures are very different. One category
comprises the destructive forces of the natural world: drought, flood, and earthquake would
fall into this group. Such factors affect people but usually, they have no role in causing or
stopping them. The other type of evil includes moral or theological wrongs: it can be
described here as oppression, treachery, and war. These things only happen if people do them.

Much of this second category of evil in the world is clearly the work of man, either as a
product of fearfulness, stupidity, or wickedness. Wars and killing, robbery, fraud,
abandonment, adultery, hatred, and the like fall in this category. Indeed, many of the evils that
we identify as natural disasters are simply man-made: droughts in Ethiopia, Sudan, and
Somalia were intensified when wicked men made starvation a weapon in their wars. The
Bible describes the exact source of all those evils. James writes:

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by
evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is
dragged away and enticed.

Notice in James' reasoning that it is not God's duty to cause man to do wrong. God is
consistent above all (see, for example, Malachi 3:6). He has revealed his will bringing His
children to live in the word of truth, . He can't be the root of temptation and sin either, since
both are contradictory to the word of truth. The lusts of man alone are the source of his
temptations, sins, and death.

We are left then with two sources of evil that the Bible describes have changed the world
from the unscarred goodness in which it was created, and which God intends. One is human
wickedness and all the horrible things that emerge from that source. The other is God himself,
who governs and judges all the Earth's inhabitants by natural as well as human events. The
pictures the Bible shows us of a world to come clean, free from man's wickedness, can only
come true when God intervenes to eradicate the wicked men's evil deeds. He has vowed to do
this as he establishes his Kingdom, with Christ ruling himself as King.
Sources:
 http://www.katapi.org.uk/ChristianFaith/II.htm
 https://www.one-gospel.org/concepts/i_concepts_03.htm

Attachment 1.5
Activity 1.4: Lesson Tweet

Mr. Perfecio

 Something I learned today is that people

would constantly look for perfect things in a
perfect world which is one of the reasons in
man’s natural inclination on transcendent
beings.

 I didn’t know that there are five

transcendental desires of man.

 One question I still have is about the

difference between atheists and agnostics.
Godisreal
 Attachment 1.6
Activity 1.5: (3-2-1 Reflection)
 3 New Things I Learned
Attachment 1.7
Activity 1.6: (Guide Questions for Film Dialogue)
 I learned that I should be firm in my
belief in God’s existence and not be
afraid to share the reasons for my
faith to others especially to the non-
believers.

 I have learned that those who don’t

believe in God’s existence have their
own reasons, so we must respect these
people but not forget to share our
faith with them.

 I realized that it is only during

moments of despair do we really
discover the real depth of our faith or
lack thereof. As C.S. Lewis’ quote
states: “Only a real risk tests the
quality of belief.”

2 Interesting facts

 The film God’s Not Dead was inspired by

the following legal cases where Campus
Ministries and University Students were
condemned for their faith.

 Professor Jeffrey Radisson, an atheist,

revealed during his debate with Josh
Wheaton who is a college student and
Evangelical Christian, that he hates
God for his mother's death.

1 Question I still have

 Why didn’t Josh Wheaton complain to the

administration about his college
professor for grading his students
based on their beliefs as it is a
discrimination against the students’
religious beliefs?
1) Has your faith ever been challenged as directly as Josh’s? What would you have
done on the first day of philosophy class? Why?

Yes, I had an experience similar to Josh’s where my faith was also

challenged. However, the one who challenged my faith was a previous classmate.
On the first day of philosophy class, similar to what Josh did, I would also refuse
to sign a declaration that "God is dead" to pass. I am willing to debate the topic
with my professor if he suggests that. Most importantly, I will also question his
acts since it is unprofessional of him to grade his students based on their religious
beliefs since no school should be permitted to discriminate against a child based
on their beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, or pregnancy.

2) What character do you identify with most? Why? What are some of the
challenges faced by other people in the movie?

   The character which I identify with the most is Josh Wheaton, a college
student, and Evangelical Christian, who enrolls in a philosophy class. Similar to
what happened to Josh, I also had encounters with many unbelievers who
criticized my faith in God. Professor Jeffrey Radisson dates Mina, an evangelical
whom he belittles in front of his fellow atheist colleagues. Mina had to endure
those belittlements by her partner, but she wasn’t afraid to boldly proclaim her
faith in God. Her brother Mark, a wealthy businessman and atheist, refuses to
visit their mother, who suffers from dementia. Mark's girlfriend Amy is a left-
wing blogger who writes articles critical of the Duck Dynasty. After Amy was
being diagnosed with cancer, Mark dumps her. A Muslim student, Ayisha,
secretly converts to Christianity, and when her father found out about it, she was
disowned.

3) When Josh is trying to figure out what to do about Professor Radisson’s

challenge, he quotes C.S. Lewis: “Only a real risk tests the quality of belief.” Is
that always true? Why or why not?

I believe that C.S. Lewis’ quote which states that “Only a real risk tests the
quality of belief,” is always true. I agree with C.S. Lewis’s elaboration that we
will never know how much we really believe anything until its truth or falsehood
becomes a matter of life and death to us. It is easy to say that we believe a rope to
be strong and sound if we are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose we had
to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn’t we then first discover how much
we really trusted it? It is easy for us to say that we believe in God, but do we still
hold on to our faith in Him when He seems distant and quiet when we are facing
trials and hurdles in life? In connection with the plot of the film, the professor’s
condemnation of Josh’s belief in God and suggesting him to prove God’s
existence was a big challenge and risk for Josh which tested the firmness of his
faith. Indeed, only during moments of despair do we truly discover the real depth
of our faith or lack thereof.
4) Josh says, “Evil is the most potent weapon against Christianity.” Professor
Radisson says he hates God because God allowed his mother to suffer and die.
Why do evil and suffering exist in the world? Read Romans 5:12, Romans 8:28
and Romans 8:38-39.

a. Romans 5:12: " When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin
brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”

 From this verse of the Bible Paul says that sin came from one man into
the world. This one man is Adam, the first man God Himself made from dust
(Genesis 1:27). Adam embodied the entire essence of human nature. When
Adam ate from the restricted tree, he became the first lawbreaker. To those
that came after him, he brought sin and death. This was the devastating and
almost inescapable consequence of the first sin in the garden of Adam. When
Adam disobeyed God, the whole of human nature disobeyed God. Thus, the
whole of human nature became sinful and the whole human race was
damaged for all time since both evil and suffering exist in the world.

b. Romans 8:28:” And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

This verse tells to those who love God and are doing their best to obey
His commands, “Even though bad/sad/evil/wicked things will touch your life,
I (God) will use them to ultimately bring about good, both in your life and in
the world.” A Bible teacher once said that “God allows everything into our
lives for one of two purposes—either to bring us into a relationship with Him
or, if we already know Him, to make us more like His Son.” As long as we
live in this world, people will strive to reconcile the sovereignty of God with
the suffering of humanity. Verses like Romans 8:28 remind us that no
suffering is wasted, and that God is always at work for our benefit and His
glory. If we cannot understand why trials come and fail to believe something
positive can come from them, then we can rest in the security that God is in
control.

c. Romans 8: 38 -39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

From these Bible verses, Paul was persuaded beyond a doubt that not
even death could separate him from God. He goes on to list several things
noting that not one of them could separate him from God's love. I think that
evil and suffering exist in the world to remind us that God has our backs. I
believe that evil and suffering exist to teach us that God has our backs. These
verses show that God promises to free us from the old way of life through His
Son and to give us a life guided by His Spirit. He invites us into his family
and looks after us. These verses offer hope that no matter how tough life
might be, and even when evil and suffering exist in the world, nothing we can
 imagine will bring an end to God's love for his people. God continues to be
greater than our struggles and will never forsake those in Jesus.

5) How does Josh’s willingness to take a stand affect other people? Who else takes a
stand for Jesus? What are the results of their choices on other people? Read
Hebrews 12:1 and Isaiah 55:10-11.

Because of Josh's willingness to take a stand, Martin, a Chinese student

whose father forbids him to speak about God to avoid jeopardizing the chance of
Martin's brother studying overseas, stands up and says, "God is not dead." After
that, most of the class follow Martin's lead, and Professor Jeffrey Radisson leaves
the room in defeat. The other people in the film who takes a stand for Jesus
include Martin and those classmates who followed Martin’s lead. Mina, the
woman whom Professor Radisson is dating takes a stand for Jesus when she
boldly proclaims her faith in God when her partner belittles her in front of his
fellow atheist colleagues. 

a. Hebrews 12:1: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of

witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

This Bible verse reflects the results of the characters’ choices on other
people. Because of their choices, the proper response of a Christian which is to
purposefully shed our sins and selfishness and "hold fast" as we strive to fulfill
the plans God has in store for us, given all of the "witnesses" to godly faith, and
their success despite their hardships, and in light of God's loving patience, is
observed. Because these characters weren’t afraid to take a stand for Jesus, God's
former work inspired others to have a complete, dedicated devotion to His will.

b. Isaiah 55:10-11: “ As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do
not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so
that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that
goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish
what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

These Bible verses give a metaphor for the result of the firm belief of the
characters in the movie. These verses refer evidently to the times which should
succeed in the coming of the Messiah. The hearts of people by nature are what
the earth would be without the rains of heaven - barren and sterile. The rain and
snow from heaven represent God’s word that is firmly shared by believers like
those who take a stand for Jesus in the movie. God says that surely His truth will
have an impact like that created by the showers coming down. The rain never
comes down in vain. It's making the world fertile, beautiful, and lovely. So, in
the moral world, this would be with His truth.  The comparison of truth with
falling rain or snow is exceptionally beautiful and is not uncommon in the Bible.
God has a purpose in giving people His Word and it is to be accomplished. It will
never be spoken in vain and will never fail to achieve the result that He intends.
He has a distinct intention in his Word as he has in sending down rain upon the
earth. God used His believers to spread His words for others to grow spiritually.
6) How does Professor Radisson’s death and salvation make you feel? Are they fair?
Read Luke 23:39- 43, Romans 6:23 and John 3:16-17. Have you ever accepted
Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and eternal life? Would you like to?

I felt relieved and touched about Professor Radisson’s death and salvation.

a. Luke 23:39-43: “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him:
“Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us! “But the other criminal
rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same
sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.
But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me
when you come into your kingdom. [a]” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell
you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

b. John 3:16-17:” For 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. 17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to
save the world through him.”

After reading these Bible verses, I can say that Professor Radisson’s death
and salvation were fair. I believe that God loves each one of us even non-
believers. However, according to God’s word, we should believe in Him to gain
eternal life. 

Yes, I have accepted Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and eternal life many times
since I have also sinned a lot of times. Of course, I would like to accept Jesus’
offer of forgiveness and eternal life since that is the only way in which I can have
eternal life with God’s grace. I will not stop doing so because I admit that I’m
imperfect, I mean all of us are except for God.

Sources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God%27s_Not_Dead_(film)
 https://biblehub.com/nlt/romans/5-12.htm
 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans
%208%3A28&version=NIV
 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:38-
39&version=NIV
 https://www.bibleref.com/Romans/5/Romans-5-12.html
 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/3-things-you-never-noticed-in-
romans-8-28.html
 https://www.quora.com/What-does-Romans-8-38-39-mean
 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews
%2012%3A1&version=NIV
 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2055%3A10-
11&version=NIV
 https://www.studylight.org/commentary/isaiah/55-11.html

Attachment 1.8
Assessment 1.2: (Let’s Recall)

Instruction: Explain each statement. Be brief, concise, precise and direct to the point.
Answers should not exceed the lines provided.

1. Man’s innate desire to seek for something beyond his world and beyond his earthly
experience would lead to the idea that there is a Supreme Being that exist.

This is because man has a conscious desire for perfect knowledge and complete truth. It is
man’s innate desire for a full and complete explanation since humans want to know just for
the sake of knowing.

2. Ludwig Feuerbach mentioned that human’s earthly existence is filled with pain, frustration,
failure, anxiety and the awareness of his own finitude and approaching death. But man, longs
for unlimited fulfillment, perfect happiness, and everlasting life. Hence, he posits a God who
will realize for him in another world the wishes which are dissatisfied on earth. But this God
is nothing else than the illusory internationalization of human hopes.

Feuerbach sets out to show how God is only a projection. He saw that humans get lost in the
process of self-consciousness. They mistake their own objective nature for something distinct
themselves (i.e. God), thus displacing themselves.

3. For Karl Marx, everything that is in the world are material. God is nothing but a projection
of the poor and the oppressed. They project a place of consolation where they will find
comfort. Hence, religion is an opium of the poor.

Marx believed that in society, religion had many functions similar to the role of opium in a
wounded person: it minimized the immediate pain of people and provided them with pleasant
illusions that gave them the strength to carry on.

4. Blaise Pascal explains that the heart has its reasons, which reason does not know.

Pascal further explains that we feel the heart in a thousand things and it’s the heart which
experiences God, and not the reason. Thus, genuine faith is when God is felt by the heart, not
by the reason.

Rubric:
Content – 3 points
Organization – 2 point
Total: 5pts.