The Nature of God: An Overview

1. To know the main areas of this module and the key terms

2. To understand why people choose to believe in God

3. To reflect on whether the evidence given for belief in God is sufficient

Creed: A statement of beliefsHoly Spirit: One person of the threefold nature of GodMonotheism: belief in one GodTrinity: The Christian belief that God is three separate persons within one

Belief There are three main types of people when talking about belief:

1

•Atheist•God is

not real and never will be. People who believe in God are mistaken and should learn not to rely on an imaginary being to get them through

2

•Agnostic•God

might exist but it is impossible to find out within our lifetime. All proof is beyond human understanding

3

•Theist•God does

exist, people have experience of God in their lives and that is evidence enough

What is God like?No idea!! People have said that they have had experience of God but no one knows for definite what He is like. People believe that He has certain abilities and characteristics that define Him.

Forgiving

Eternal

Perfect

Omnipotent

Omniscient

Omnibenevolent

Omnipresent

Judge

Merciful

Creator

Father

Invisible

Not physical / spiritual

Immanent

Transcendent

So, why do people believe? There are many reasons that people give for their

belief in God. Here are just 4 of them:

1

•Intelligent Design

2

•Moral Argument

3

•Experience

4

•Upbringing

Intelligent Design• The world that we live in cannot exist without an all-

powerful (omnipotent) God who created it.William Paley and the Design (Teleological) Argument.• Imagine that you come across a watch lying in the sand,

you open it and find a finely balanced arrangement of wheels and cogs.

• Can anyone honestly think that this just appeared by accident? Or does it imply a watchmaker?

How does this apply to the universe?

The Moral ArgumentWe know right and wrong

because we have a conscience.Christians believe the

conscience comes from God – he lets them know what he expects from them.

Some people’s conscience might be stronger than others, but it is still there in everyone.

Experience / MiraclesMany people believe they

have met God, and they can’t all be wrong!

The may have witnessed a miracle, or felt close to God through reading the Bible.

They may have had a revelation while worshipping that brought about a divine inner feeling of Love and Peace.

If people experience God, then He must exist!

Upbringing Some peoples belief in God

stems from their upbringing.

The family has read the Bible and prayed together.

They cannot remember a time when they didn’t believe in God or go to Church.

They do not need to be convinced of God’s existence – they just ‘know’.

The Trinity Triangle

The Trinity is the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Each part of the Trinity is separate – Jesus Christ is not the father, nor is the Holy Ghost Jesus Christ.

God is known through each different part – Father, Son and Ghost.

GOD

JC

FATHER SPIRIT

The Trinity

H2O

Liquid

Steam Ice

God the Father• Calling God ‘Father’

humanised him.• It was a way of teaching

people that God loved and cared for them – just as a good human father cares for his children.

God the Son• Christians believe the most

complete revelation of God has come to them through Jesus.

• He was born as ‘God in flesh’ – the son of God and of the Virgin Mary.

• Here he was able to show something of the true nature of God.

• He died on the cross so that sins could be forgiven. He was resurrected from the dead and ascended into Heaven.

God the Holy Ghost

•After Jesus returned to Heaven, he sent his Holy Spirit to guide his followers into all truth.

The Trinity

Task Complete the two exam questions:You have 15 minutes

(b) Explain why Christians believe in God (7)

(c) “God does not exist, people are wrong to believe in God” (5) Do you agree? Refer to Christianity.

Give a range of different answersRefer to a specific example to back up the point you are makingUse key terms and concepts to show understanding

Give your own opinion on the question with detailed reasoning. Give the Christian point of view with reasoning.Give a conclusion to sum up what has been said and what your conclusion is

Task:Using pages 16 - 18 in Philosophy and Applied Ethics (the

white textbook):

1) Explain what a miracle is2) Explain how a miracle breaks scientific laws/ laws of

nature3) How are miracles evidence of God’s intervention in the

world?4) Explain the miracle in Mark 4:35-415) Explain the miracle that took place at Lourdes in 1858

Plenarya) Why do people believe in God?

b) Do you think the evidence provided for their beliefs is sufficient?

c) Why?d) What do Christians

believe God is like?