Intro to God

8/4/2019 Intro to God

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Essay Reminder

• Assess the view that...

• FOLLOW THE STRUCTURE THAT WE WENT

THROUGH LAST LESSON

• Work is posted on my blog – so no excuses

(e.g. I wasn’t in the lesson when it was set....,etc)



Unit 1: 1st Theme

THE IDEA OF ‘GOD’



11th Jan 2012

50% of AS level



This section......

Our idea of ‘God’ and whether it makes sense

God’s characteristics that make him different from a human

being (his ‘divine attributes’)

Issues with saying that God has these characteristics

Ways in which the characteristics can be seen to conflict

with each other



Sample exam questions

15 mark questions

Outline and illustrate how God’s transcendence might conflict withone of His other attributes. (Jan 2010)

Briefly explain how, if God is immanent, this may conflict with threeof his divine attributes. (June 2011)

Explain two criticisms of the view that God is supremely good, thesource of moral laws and moral goodness. (Jan 2011)

30 mark questions‘The concept of God is incoherent.’ Discuss. (June 09)



By the end of today’s lesson

• Know the meaning of the seven divine

attributes (individual research and class

feedback)

• Have begun to think about some philosophical

problems thrown up by these attributes

(group work)



What do we mean by....

......‘GOD’???

BRUCE ALMIGHTY CLIPS on YOUTUBE (links on AS

Philosophy Moodle page):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjAM2J_D4UY&fe

ature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VauzhTAuoFw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjAM2J_D4UY&feature=player_embedded










NOW: Research the key vocab

• Can use: – Computers/internet

– Books

– Own knowledge

• Make it at least as detailed as fits in the box

• Try to find examples from religious texts that backit up. The use of HYPOTHETICAL examples willalso help

• If people have defined it differently, include thedifferent options



Basically, the idea that God can do anything

Potency = Power

Omnipotent = All powerful.

To say that God is omnipotent is to say that God can doanything. There is nothing that it is beyond God’s power

to do.



Basically, the idea that God knows everything

“Nothing in creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything uncovered and laid bare before him”

(Hebrews 4:13)

“God only knows how I

got into this mess!”

i.e. There is nothing which God

does not know.



God is supremely good

This can mean that God is the

source of moral laws and moralgoodness.

Or it can mean that God will

only ever do good things (you

can rely on him not to lie, ormurder, etc.)

(Also called ‘omni-benevolence’)



To say that God is everlasting is to say that he has always

existed, exists now and will always exist. He exists throughout

all time.

i.e. There was never a time before God and never will a time

come in which there is no God.

GOD



To say that God is eternal is to say that he is outside of time.

i.e. He does not experience the world moment by moment in

the way that we do, but experiences the world’s history all atonce, as a continuous present.

GOD



To say that God is transcendent is to say

that he is outside of the physical

universe and can exist without it.

i.e. It makes no sense to ask: “So where is

this God of yours? What is his exact

location?” He doesn’t have a location,

because all locations are inside the

physical universe (e.g. College, yourhome, the moon, Pluto – these are all

places in the universe. God is outside the

universe.)



Where are you on the spectrum?

I am sure

that there

is a God(I know for

certain that

God exists)

I am sure

that there

is NOT a God

(I know for

certain that

God doesn't exist)

i.e. The traditional Judaeo-

Christian concept we have

been looking at

THEISTATHEISTAGNOSTIC...

...but leaning

toward the

theistic side

...but leaning

toward the

atheistic side

Intro to God

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