St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme REVISION PRESENTATION C1 part 1 How religious upbringing in a Catholic family and community can lead to or support belief in God; The nature of religious experience for Catholics, as seen in the numinous, conversion, miracles, prayer, and how these may lead to or support belief in God.

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme A Catholic upbringing

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme pray with you teach you Catholic values tell you Bible stories take you to church

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme are baptised hear Bible stories sing hymns become part of a faith community

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme pray each day learn Catholic values in R.E. attend religious Assemblies see holy pictures

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme The feeling of awe and wonder when you look at the mountains you see the stars you enter a great Cathedral.

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme when someone’s life is turned around by faith when someone feels they must give their life to God

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme Something which seems to break a law of science and makes you think only God could have done it. e.g. a healing

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme  A belief that God listens to and answers your prayers. e.g. if you pray for a loved one to be cured of cancer and she is, you may think your prayers have been answered  N.B. Christians believe that God does answer prayers and “Sometimes the answer is ‘no’” (Cardinal Basil Hume)

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme C1 part 2  How the appearance of the world (design and causation) may lead to or support belief in God;  How the search for meaning and purpose in life may lead to or support belief in God;  How the presence of religion in the world may lead to or support belief in God.

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme Consider a WATCH It is so complicated it must have been designed. It must have had a DESIGNER. Consider the UNIVERSE It is so complicated it must have been designed. It must have had a DESIGNER. That DESIGNER is what Christians call GOD!

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme Everything is caused by something The universe exists Therefore the universe must have been caused by someone or something. This First Cause is what Christians call God.

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme In the midst of so much suffering, we all need a purpose in life For many people, God provides that purpose Faith in God has motivated many great men and women.

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme The common features of most religions involve: God as Creator You can pray to God There are moral rules to keep Miracles and visions do happen

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme How non-religious explanations of the world and of miracles may lead to or support agnosticism or atheism How unanswered prayers and the existence of evil and suffering (including moral evil and natural evil) may lead people to question or reject belief in God. C1 part 3

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme Non-religious explanations of miracles Science is more convincing at explaining miracles than religion! The Gospels exaggerated miracle stories to encourage belief - the stories of primitive people People who think God has helped them - have just used God as a psychological crutch

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme Non-religious explanations of the world Science is more convincing at explaining the world than religion! The Big Bang theory is more convincing than Genesis There is plenty of evidence of evolution so Genesis must be wrong

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme !!!!! REMEMBER !!!!!

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme The problem of Evil

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme does he allow suffering? does he not overcome evil and end suffering? does he not stop the next tragedy? If God is …

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme If God is … does he not answer all our prayers? did he create things like cancer or Siamese twins?

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme C1 part 4 How Catholics respond to the problem of evil and suffering.

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme EXPLANATIONS Suffering is caused by humans exercising FREE WILL Evil and suffering is the result of THE FALL Suffering is a kind of TEST It is only through pain that we DEVELOP as human beings.

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme HOW CATHOLICS RESPOND Praying for those who suffer Accepting their own suffering as Jesus accepted his Realising that suffering can bring people closer to God Reaching out to those who suffer (like Jesus reached out to the leper - Mark 1) Standing up & speaking out against those who do evil and cause suffering

St. Cuthbert’s R.E. Department Revision Programme