Evaluate the claim that miracles lead to believe in a God who favours some but not all of his creation. When evaluating terms such as miracles, and concepts such as God, one has to recognise that there various ways people define them. How you define miracles may determine how you view God, and equally the opposite way around. The idea of a God who favours some but not all his creation is common. Calvin’s idea of predestination suggests that some people are God’s ‘elect’ and that, after death, these ‘elect’ will join God in heaven.
Hick argues that if God had created humanity in his presence then the gap between God and humanity would be so small that it would limit our freedom. Hick calls this knowledge gap between God and humanity ‘The Epistemic Distance’. Hick further explains that if we were created too close to God in terms of knowledge, we would be overwhelmed by him and would worship him for the wrong reasons. Humans are not born
This intended that he was the divine Son of God and recognised as being ‘one with the Father’. Christian adherents believe of the divinity through the birth of Virgin Mary and the Son of God. Shown in the scripture passage Matthew 1:16, “and to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ”, this can explicitly identify the Virgin birth, thus showing divinity. He was recognised as being human, living with normal human restrictions and sufferings however; was considered Son of God as his life, death and resurrection plays importance in humanity. Through the divinity and humanity of the Christ, Christians and believers share the stories through word of mouth.
Whether that means it solely educates those who firmly believe in god that there are other views, or it converts a person to non religious views, it is a worthwhile read. Gould shows his view that god may have only created life, not control what it will inevitably do, that portion is left up to evolution and
However, in the New Testament God heals and individual who is blind and lets others die. A strength of Maurice Wiles argument is that it appeals to educated believers of God and scientific laws. This I because Wiles says that the concept of miracles can exist as it is "logically impossible" to prove miracle wrong scientifically. By saying this, Wiles is allowing religious people to also uphold their beliefs in scientific laws. A second strength of Maurice Wile's argument against miracles is that it allows a re-interpretation of miracle.
Examine the view that the cosmological argument provides an explanation for the world and is a trustworthy basis for belief in God? (21) The cosmological argument is an à posterioriargument based ultimately on the existence of the cosmos, and the indication it leads to a supreme being generally identified as God. The existence of the universe, the argument claims needs an explanation or a cause, the only appropriate cause for this could be God, this argument is based on experience rather than theoretical logic. Aristotle claims ‘if there is movement and change then there must be an unmoved mover’ although there is one huge problem with this, why does God have no cause? Most scientists argue that "God" is not a scientifically proven cause, whereas Aristotle would argue that God is ‘a remote and unchanging being who allows his world to be changeable so that it can gradually move towards the perfection which he already enjoys.’ A further fault with this would be the principle that the universe can’t explain its own existence, Why is it here at all?
Romans 1:20 says “that the creation has been seen and understood because of God’s invisible qualities, divine nature and His eternal power so that men may not have an excuse.” It, therefore, follows that God is seen through His creation. He has made everything showing mercy to those who spit on His face that He is the same God that created everything by the power of His word. People who have seen His glory through His creation have no excuse before Him for they have seen and experienced yet rejected Him (Frank, 2013). Our Human Identity According to Paul, Christians should find their human identity in knowing Jesus and their true nature. Genesis 1:27 says “that we are made in God’s image” and according to Romans 7:25, “are joined to the father in spiritual union through Jesus Christ.”In Him, we find who we are because of the fellowship we have with Him.
For the Puritans, who have such a high influence in religion and in God, their science was meshed with religion as well. Winthrop believed that nature was created by God, and thus the Puritans' way of the science was more of an act of worship. On the other hand, Franklin was a discoverer. He wanted to find out how things work and how they evolve and end up. Franklin wants to understand the nature not the belief that God created nature ideas by the Puritans.
Without God, there can be no absolutes or enforced morality. Furthermore, the cosmological argument asserts that because this universe has a beginning, it must have been created by something greater. Finally, when looking at the universe, we are forced to logically conclude that a God was behind the creation due to the deliberate way in which it is obviously set up in order to sustain human life. These principles show that Atheism, while given the appearance of science and discovery, fails to address the major questions that the theology of a creator God more than
This means that do we do good things because God says is good or do we do good things so than God says that it is good. Another argument I am going to examine, is for the statement, and it is an argument based on a group of people called Anti-Theists. They don’t believe in God, so they agree with the statement. However, Anti-Theists like Richard Dawkins say that anyone who believes in religion or in a god is an extremist and it clouds and distorts your view on morality. The next argument that I am going to examine is what some people in the world think, but it is based around Cultural Relativists, who say that if morality was decided for by God then he could say one day to murder somebody and it would be fine.