Unit 1: The Nature of God Christianity (a) (b) (c) (d)

What do Christians believe about the nature of God? Why do Christians believe in God? What authority does the Bible have for Christians? Ho does God act in the orld! accordin" to Christians?

A: What do Christians believe about the nature of God?

1# &# (# )# 0# 1# ONE $ %onotheis% MYSTERY ' transcendent IN O! E" ' i%%anent #$"GE ' *+ C,-./ T%REE $ Trinity 0#

Creator of the entire universe! ith a 2lan for all thin"s +erfect: his bein" and doin" have no contradiction nor stru""le -%ni: o%ni2otent (all$2o erful)! o%niscient (all$6no in")! o%ni2resent (every here) *ud"e: God ill 7ud"e every hu%an life

Christians believe in one God! ho co%%ands "oodness (ethical %onotheis%)# God is transcendent (beyond the universe) $ a uni1ue holy %ystery! beyond our co%2rehension! and i%2ossible to describe fully in ordinary lan"ua"e3 God is also i%%anent (inside the universe) ' very close! involved! in all thin"s every here: 4in hi% e live and %ove and have our bein"5# God is:1 ,ove: cares for all and see6s their ulti%ate elfare .2irit: ithout 2hysical body or li%it3 /ternal: the ! beyond s2ace and ti%e! al ays

&#

(#

)#

#& C!OSE 'Mne(oni): the #usti)e of the &ea)e *ho ulti(atel+ )loses the universe,
1

Trinity: three$in$one 8ather: Creator of all thin"s3 cares about 2eo2le! li6e a true 2arent3 reliable3 but does not %ean 2hysically %ale9 .on: *esus of Na:areth! .on of God! God a%on" us! teachin" about life in the ;in"do% of God<Heaven ( hen God rei"ns)3 *esus sacrificed his life on the cross 4for us and for our salvation5 so sins could be for"iven3 the resurrection sho s God=s 2o er over death3 *esus ascended into Heaven# Holy .2irit: the Co%forter! God=s 2o er at or6 in the orld to ins2ire! "uide and su22ort the lives of Christians#
?da2ted fro% source: * @aylead! Aiscovery (&BB&)

GC./ >.: Unit & ' The Nature of Belief

-: Wh+ do Christians believe in God?

1# &# (# )# 0# 1# Creation Ri"ht and Wron" $2brin"in" "esi"n EC2erience

1uestion still re%ains! Ds believin" in God true or false? ;no in" ho e "ot a belief does not tell us hether the belief is true or not# )# Aesi"n: Willia% +aley! rote in 1EB&! that findin" a atch in a field as evidence for the eCistence of a Watch%a6er3 and that because the universe fitted to"ether and or6ed so ell! it counted as evidence for a universe$desi"ner# BUT an atheist %i"ht say: /volution eC2lains that thin"s %ust fit to"ether or 2erish# BUT a Christian %i"ht re2ly: This universe see%s ell desi"ned for creatures li6e us! ho can see6 God and love others# There see%s a 2ur2ose to life! rather than a %ere accident ithout 2lan# /C2erience: %any 2eo2le clai% to have had so%e 2ersonal eC2erience of God=s 2resence! hel2 or res2onse to 2rayers# .o%e %i"ht be deluded3 but %ost of these 2eo2le see% 4nor%al5 in every other ayF and %any clai% these eC2eriences#

Creation: the universe! life and everythin" is not 7ust an accident3 there %ust be a Creator ho started it all# /verythin" has a cause3 and God is the only bi" enou"h cause for the eCistence of the universe# BUT an atheist %i"ht say science eC2lains ho everythin" started (the Bi" Ban") and ho e develo2ed by chance (/volution)# >i"ht and Wron": our conscience is evidence of a dee2 sense of ri"ht and ron"3 it see%s %ore than 7ust hat our 2arents or society told us! e#"# the Holocaust is actually ron"! not 7ust ron" fro% the 2oint of vie of %e! %y fa%ily or %y society# BUT an atheist %i"ht say: it feels li6e there is %ore to it! but in reality it is 7ust hat e have learnt# U2brin"in": Hindus usually co%e fro% Hindu fa%ilies! Christians fro% Christian fa%ilies3 so! one reason %any Christians believe in God is because that is the ay they ere brou"ht u2 $ 2erha2s! it is 7ust 2sycholo"ical# BUT everyone has u2brin"in" eC2eriences3 every thou"ht and %ind eC2erience can be 2sycholo"ical# The
2

&#

0#

(#

Df God cannot be conclusively 2roved nor dis2roved! then any final decision involves faith ' both for atheists and Christians# These ar"u%ents can hel2 so%eone see that the eCistence of God %i"ht be 2ossible and that faith in God %i"ht be reasonable# When e cannot 2rove so%ethin"! 2eo2le often use 2robability ' and consider hat eC2lanation %a6es the %ost sense ' hich has the "reatest eC2lanatory 2o er#

GC./ >.: Unit & ' The Nature of Belief

?da2ted fro% source: * @aylead! Aiscovery (&BB&)

What authorit+ does the -ible have for Christians? %o* does God a)t in the *orld. a))ordin/ to Christians? The authorit+ of the -ible for Christians The Bible is the holy boo6 of Christianity# Dt is %ade u2 of t o collections of boo6s: the -ld Testa%ent! and the Ne Testa%ent# The Old Testa(ent has the sa%e content as the *e ish scri2tures# Dt contains (G boo6s of stories! 2oe%s! la s! history! %yths! 2ro2hecy and son"s! all of hich sho the relationshi2 bet een God and his 2eo2le over %any hundreds of years# The Ne* Testa(ent contains &H boo6s# There are four /os0els hich tell the story of the life! teachin" ! death and resurrection of *esus! and also other boo6s containin" history! letters of advice to ne Christians! and 2oetic descri2tion of the future end of the orld# 8or %any Christians! althou"h the -ld Testa%ent is i%2ortant and sacred! the Ne Testa%ent is even %ore s2ecial because it contains the story of *esus and "ives a ne understandin" of God# When Christians say that the Bible has authority for the%! they %ean that they believe that it co%es fro% God and they try to understand its teachin"s and 2ut the% into 2ractice in their daily lives# They read about 2eo2le ho are 2raised in the Bible! and they try to behave in the sa%e ay the%selves! follo in" the eCa%2les set in the stories# They loo6 to the Bible for teachin" about %oral
GC./ >.: Unit & ' The Nature of Belief 3

issues! to hel2 the% decide hat to do if they are havin" difficulty %a6in" decisions# Christians have different o2inions about ho the Bible should be inter2reted# .o%e believe that it co%es directly fro% God! and that every ord in it is 2erfect and should not be challen"ed# They believe that the stories in the Bible all really ha22ened eCactly as described# Df scientists or historians su""est that he Bible is ron" then they should not be believed! because God does not %a6e %ista6es# -ther Christians believe that there are %any different 6inds of truth to be found in the Bible! but so%e 2assa"es are not %eant to be ta6en literally# They say that so%e of the stories are %yths! hich "ive i%2ortant and true %essa"es! but they do not necessarily describe real events# They also say that althou"h God as res2onsible for the ritin" of the Bible! the hu%an authors also had a 2art to 2lay! ritin" in their o n ords and suin" their o n ideas and eC2eriences to hel2 the%# ?ll Christians believe that the Bible is very s2ecial and %ore i%2ortant than any other boo6# The Bible is read in church services on .undays! and at i%2ortant occasions such as eddin"s and funerals! and %any Christians read the Bible on their o n at ho%e or in s%all "rou2s ith other Christians# The Bible is used for hel2 and advice! and to settle disa"ree%ents# Because Christians believe that the Bible is so i%2ortant! it is often used in this
?da2ted fro% source: * @aylead! Aiscovery (&BB&)

country in courts of la ! hen 2eo2le 2ro%ise to tell the truth and use the Bible to sho that they really %ean it#

GC./ >.: Unit & ' The Nature of Belief

?da2ted fro% source: * @aylead! Aiscovery (&BB&)

God in the *orld Christians believe that God did not 7ust start off the orld and then "o a ay# ?ccordin" to Christianity! God has had a relationshi2 ith hu%anity ever since the first 2eo2le ere created and this relationshi2 continues today# @any Christians believe that God acts in the orld throu"h %iracles# They believe that God occasionally chan"es the rules of nature so that 2eo2le can have a "li%2se of God=s nature and reach a better understandin"# .o%e 2eo2le believe that they have been %iraculously healed! even fro% illnesses that are usually incurable# -thers believe that they have been saved in ti%es of dan"er! or that they have been sent a s2ecial si"n fro% God# Dn the bible! there are %any stories of *esus 2erfor%in" %iracles for eCa%2le! in ,u6e=s "os2el there is the story of a blind be""ar! ho as "iven bac6 his si"ht: 4What do you ant %e to do for you?5 4,ord! D ant to see5 he re2lied# *esus said to hi%3 4>eceive your si"ht3 your faith has healed you#5 D%%ediately he received his si"ht and follo ed *esus! 2raisin" God# When all the 2eo2le sa it! they also 2raised God# (,u6e 1E:)1$)() Christians believe that the Holy .2irit continues to or6 %iracles# ,ourdes is a 2lace of 2il"ri%a"e for >o%an Catholics! because it is believed to be the site of a
GC./ >.: Unit & ' The Nature of Belief 5

%iraculous vision of the Iir"in @ary# Dt is visited by Christians ho "o there to 2ray to"ether and ho often ho2e that their faith ill brin" the% %iraculous healin"s# Christians believe that God so%eti%es or6s throu"h %iracles# .o%e visit ,ourdes! a centre of Christian 2il"ri%a"e! in the ho2e of receivin" %iraculous cures# Dn Christianity! the %ost i%2ortant ay that God sho ed his involve%ent ith the orld as hen he ca%e to the earth as *esus Christ# The riter of *ohn=s "os2el eC2resses it li6e this: The Word beca%e flesh and %ade his d ellin" a%on" us# We have seen his "lory! the "lory of the -ne and -nly! ho ca%e fro% the 8ather! full of "race and truth# (*ohn 1:1)) Christians believe that e do not have to onder hat God is li6e! because God ca%e into the orld and sho ed us# @any 2eo2le have found it difficult to understand ho a 2erson could be co%2letely hu%an! and also God! at the sa%e ti%e! and there have been %any different atte%2ts to eC2lain this idea3 but %ost Christians acce2t that it is a %ystery# They say that because God ca%e into the orld! it de%onstrates that God cares enou"h about 2eo2le to ant to teach the% thin"s! and to share in their ha22iness and their sufferin"#

?da2ted fro% source: * @aylead! Aiscovery (&BB&)