Term
| What are four reasons religouse beliefs have significance? |
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Definition
1. Central to one's worldview.
2.Consequential to one's understanding of their identity.
3. Provides justification and legitimacy to morality.
4. Foundational to happiness. |
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Term
| What are three objections to the existence of God? |
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Definition
1. The concept of God is incoherent.
2. The lack of empherical evidence for God's existence.
3. Alternative explanation for belief in God. |
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Term
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Definition
| An argument based on the need to explain the origin and nature of the universe. |
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Term
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Definition
| An argument from the perceived order and design in the universe. |
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Term
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Definition
| An argument that seeks to explain the existence of values and morality as requiring the existence of God. |
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Term
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Definition
| An argument from the concept of God that makes God's existence necessary. |
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Term
| What are the three versions of the Cosmological Argument? |
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Definition
Aquinas-"The first cause argument"
Samuel Clarke-"The Argument from Contingency"
Kalam-"Argument form the Universe's Origin" |
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Term
| What are the three Teleological Arguments? |
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Definition
-Argument from Analogy
-Argument from Probability
-Argument from Inference to the best Explanation (Dembski) |
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Term
| What are the four M's of Design? |
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Definition
Man
Mind
Morals
Meaning & Purpose to Existence |
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Term
| Strengths from the Argument based on Religous Experience |
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Definition
-Common, if not universal, grounds for belief in God.
-Subjective awareness satisfies subjective certitude.
-Mystical experiences are difficult to acount for on naturalist grounds
-Theological: Biblical justification for religious esperiences,especially "internal testimony of the Spirit." |
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Term
| Weaknesses from the Arguments Based on Religious Experience |
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Definition
-Susceptible to Religious Pluralism: diverse religious experiences used to confirm diverse religious beliefs.
-Are subject experiences sufficiently reliable to produce "objective" truths?
-Mystical experiences have been used to affirm contradictory religious beliefs.
-Some experiences, most notable experiences of evil, are difficult to roconcile with religious beliefs.
-Theological: possibility of deception due to human fallibility/ "fallenness" and evil influences. |
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Term
| The Problem of Evil: A "Classical" Formulation |
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Definition
If God is all powerful, then He should be able to eliminate evil;
If God is benevolent, the He should desire to eliminate evil;
Yet there is evil ion the world. |
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Term
| Three Manifestations of "Evil" |
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Definition
Moral Evil
Natural Evil
Gratuitous Evil |
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Term
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Definition
| Evil and suffering that is a consequence of the choices and actions of free moral agents. |
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Term
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Definition
| Evil and suffering that does not appear to be from the choices of free moral agents, but as a result of natural events and forces. |
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Term
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Definition
| Evil and suffering that is of such a quality or magnittude that there can be no purpose or reason for its existence. |
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Term
| Five possible resolutions to the problem of evil |
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Definition
Illusionism,
Impossiblism,
Finitism,
Sadism,
Atheism |
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Term
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Definition
| Evil and suffering is an illusion. |
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Term
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Definition
| It is not possible and/or desirable for God to elimanet evil and suffering at this present time, but God will in the future. |
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Term
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Definition
| God is limited in His abilities to eliminate evil and suffering. |
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Term
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Definition
| God is able, but not desiring nor concerned about eliminating, or even minimizing evil and suffering. |
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Term
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Definition
| The presence of evil and suffering is explained by the absence of "God" in the world. |
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Term
| Three Forms of the Argument from Evil |
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Definition
Logical/Deductive Argument
Evidentail Argument
The Natural Argument |
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Term
| Logical/Deductive Argument |
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Definition
| The existence of evil is logically incompatible with God's existence. |
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Term
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Definition
| The presence of evil and suffering serves as evidence for rejecting belief in God's existence. |
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Term
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Definition
| The natural world is not only characterized by suffering and pain, but such characteristics seem necessary for biological life to be sustained; this seems inconsistent with a good and wise creator. |
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Term
| Possible Explanations for Evil and Suffering |
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Definition
Nature of Evil,
Moral Freedom,
Natural Law,
"Soul-Making" |
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Term
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Definition
| Evil is not a created 'thing' that could be created by God, but is best understood to be a distortion and/or privation of good. |
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Term
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Definition
| moral evils and some natural evils (possibly all?) are the consequences of choices and acts of free moral agents; greater good that such free moral agents exist than a world where no evil but also no freedom. |
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Term
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Definition
| Evil and suffering often occurs as a result of natural physical laws and forces that are morally indifferent to man's interests and desires. |
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Term
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Definition
| Evil, particularly in the form of suffering, can be used to develop character and virtue in moral agents; God permits such evil for the ultimate good of the agent and God's purposes and plans. |
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