How valid are visions? 0 They happen to an individual person 0 It comes from the outside 0 It isn't usually looked for by the person receiving it 0 A vision is startling and memorable 0 The "receiver" will want to tell others about it 0 Visions are hard to put into words 0 They only have meaning if they convey a deeper message 0 Visions could be the result of an overactive imagination - or drug or alcohol induced Find an example of a religious vision and explain what the vision was and why it is important Assessment question. "Visions are only important for the person who receives them." Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. I 25 Dreams are a series of thoughts, images and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. Many people forget their dreams. However there are some dreams which can make a deep impression on the person dreaming and, as with visions, they might give the dreamer new insights into reality and into God. Such dreams can give new direction to a person's life. For these dreams to be valid, they have to be free from any artificial stimulus, e.g. drugs! You are going to research 2 dreams and explain their meaning by answering the following questions: hlow valid are dreams? Name of Jacob's dream at Bethel Pharaoh's dream the dream Explain this dream How did God use this dream What affect did it have on the person 26 0 Dreams happen when a person is asleep 0 Most people forget their dreams but some leave a deep impression 0 Dreams might give new insights into reality and into God 0 People don't have control over their dreams 0 For dreams to be valid they have to be free from artificial stimulus Special Revelation: Enlightenment! Obiectives: Understand how enlightenment can help a believer deal with life and its pressures Evaluate the importance of enlightenment for believers and their faith ^ Task 1: Enlightenment is. w v y J f •sSK •%- * m Task 2: Summarise the story of Siddhartha Gautama below: 27 Revelation - reality and illusion "God is only human qualities on a bigger "God is only what society demands of people»5 scale." Karl Marx Sigmund Freud Is God a reality? 29 AQA Religious Studies A - Theme C: Existence of God and Revelation Key Words Atheist yiirytU.l'i'UAM.feliUW-IiyVAIeblsJ Omnipotent God's nature as all-powerful exists Benevolent ssstfi'hwiw.tSssifWM^fii's'ns^sss Omniscient God's nature as all-knowing and aware of all that has happened past, present, future A commitment to God and religion that Personal God's nature as merciful, compassionate goes beyond proof and something humans can relate to General Revelation God making themselves known through Evidence that shows something is true or ordinary experiences open to all existent Immanent BtSI;]l:a'ifeU!UAll,iU:}.(slilO)ifcItT»Wt llB-I«Bi' Special Revelation God making themselves known through the world extraordinary experiences Impersonal God's nature as non-human, unknowable Someone who believes in a God or Gods and mysterious Miracle tiyi'il;U^ra(;Idy4iUilikl!l«feIiI'iT«USB Transcendent God's nature as beyond our understanding, explained by science alone existing outside the universe Key Ideas The Design Argument argues that God must exist because the world around us is so intricate and well- Design Argument designed that there must be an intelligent creator behind it. William Paley puts this forward in his Watchmaker's Argument that says if you found a watch in the grass A. you would not assume its intricate mechanism had come about by accident, you would assume someone had created it. The same applies for the world around us. B Atheists argue that nature and science are responsible for the world around us and that much of the so- called design is the result of chance and natural selection. The First Cause Argument was put forward by Thomas Aquinas and it argues that there has to be an First Cause Argument uncaused cause that made everything else happen and that must be God. It argues that nothing moves without first being pushed and that God is the only possible being that can exist with no cause as God is •»<t eternal (never beginning, never ending) @ Atheists argue that by this logic God must have a cause or that if God is eternal then the universe itself ^ could be eternal as well. Argument from Miracles The Argument from Miracles argues that miracles (a remarkable event seemingly only explained by God s actions) prove that God exists. They argue that these events (like Jesus walking on water or people coming back from the dead) cannot be explained by science and that they must be the result of God's intervention. @ Atheists argue that miracles are not more than happy coincidences and that they can be explained either JL by science or people being delusional or lying. Special Revelation General Revelation This is a form of revelation where God reveals This is a form of revelation where God reveals Special and General themselves through remarkable experiences usually Revelation themselves through ordinary experiences which are only open to one or a small group of people. open to all people to experience. These could be visions (seeing Mary, God or Jesus), This could be through nature where God's creation dreams, miracles or hearing God's call directly. is revealed in the intricacy of the human eye or the ^!^* In the Bible Saul experiences a vision of Jesus on the beauty of the Grand Canyon. Road to Damascus and this causes him to believe in It could be through scripture, God reveals much God, change his name, and preach the Gospel information about themselves in the Bible. Omnipotent, Omniscient, Benevolent Problem of Suffering According to the Bible and Christian teachings. God This however leads to the Problem of Suffering. If is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all- God is all-powerful and all-loving why does so much knowing) and benevolent (all-loving). suffering exist in the world? Some people see this as an argument against God's existence. Nature of God Personal vs Impersonal Transcendent vs Immanent Different Christians have different views on God They also disagree about God's place in the world. with some seeing them as personal and some as A transcendent God exists beyond and outside of 9 impersonal. life on earth and is not limited by the laws of physics • A personal God has human characteristics and or the rules of time and space. Christians can form a relationship with them An immanent God is active and involved in life on through prayer. earth and can play a role in events that happen An impersonal God is mysterious and unknowable here. This could be through the Holy Spirit and has no human characteristics. More like an idea answering prayers for example. or a force than a human being. I Existence of God and Revelation Quote or reference to scripture Genesis quote on God being a creative "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." designer Psalms quote on the universe being God's "The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims handiwork his handiwork." Quran quote on how believers know the "Are the disbelievers not aware that the heavens and the earth were universe was made made..." Thomas Aquinas', Christian philosopher (Five "God is the First Cause & Divine Designer" Ways-Summa Theologica) on God the designer David Hume (atheistic philosopher) acknowledging the strength of the design "Design strikes even the most careless (stupid) of thinkers." argument Kant (Christian philosopher) acknowledging the "The design argument deserves our respect." strength of the design argument Frederick Tennant (Christian philosopher) s "The world is saturated with beauty." supporting the design argument Isaac Newton (Christian scientist) supporting "In the absence of any proof the thumb alone convinces me of God's the design argument [ existence." Richard Dawkins (atheistic scientist) rejecting ) the design argument "Evolution is blind. Evolution is the blind watchmaker." Genesis quote on God being a commanding "In the beginning God... commanded 'Let there be light' and there creator was light." Thomas Aquinas', Christian philosopher (Five Ways-Summa Theologica) on God being the "God is the First Cause & Divine Designer..." first cause Quran quote on God creating the universe with "We built the heavens (universe) with our power and made them his power vast..." "Travel throughout the earth and see how He (God) brings life into Quran quote on God's power and creation being. God has power over all things." Bertrand Russell (atheistic philosopher) rejecting the cosmological argument on the "The universe is brute fact." grounds that it is impossible to know what was before the universe. Jesus (in John's Gospel) on miracles bringing "Unless you see miraculous signs and wonders...you will never i faith in God believe" I David Hume (atheistic philosopher) provides the "A miracle is a transgression (breaking) of a natural law by the classic definition of a religious miracle volition (will) of God." Thomas Aquinas, Christian philosopher "Miracles are events brought about by God that nature could never j explains what a miracle is do." Ellie Wiesel (Jewish Holocaust survivor) "It seems strange that God did not intervene miraculously at illustrating why religious belief in miracles are Auschwitz." problematic. "If there is a God, we would expect Him to make His presence Richard Swinburne, Christian philosopher on known, not just through the pattern of the universe (e.g.