1. Practice Exam Question Describe Christian beliefs about religious experience (3 marks). To get 3 marks you must make 3 points. (straight to the point) For example: you could say something like this: 1) Christians believe that our conscience is a gift from God. Numinous conversion Miracle prayer conscience

2. Miracles in the Bible; a belief in God Objectives to understand the importance of Biblical miracles for Christians to examine miracles in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible

3. What is a miracle?

4. Is this a Miracle?

5. Key words Miracle: the laws that govern the universe have been broken. Natural law: the idea that certain actions will produce certain consequences, based on how scientists’ expect nature to work.

6. Miracles in Christianity  A miracle is a marvellous event that cannot be explained by any human activity. It is said, by Christians to be evidence of God intervening in the world at a time of crisis or in our daily lives (God exists).  Christians say this happens because God is omnipotent.  In the New Testament, two terms are used to describe miraculous events – ‘mighty works’ and ‘signs’. A Philosophers definition: A miracle occurs when some ‘invisible agent’ affects the working of the universe.

7. Scientific laws are descriptions of how nature normally behaves. Scientific laws do not say that something must happen, only that on the basis of previous experience we can expect it to happen. Therefore it is misleading to talk about scientific laws being ‘obeyed’ or ‘broken’. Science laws reflect the way God’s creation works. However, if God wishes to act differently for a particular purpose (i.e. miracles), then Christians believe that he is free to do so. Do miracles break scientific laws? Meaning ???????? A Christian might say this…

8. Miracles in the Bible; a belief in God Objectives to understand the importance of Biblical miracles for Christians to examine miracles in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible

9. Miracles in the Old Testament Exodus 14: 21-22 The parting of the Red Sea. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuipLOlk_hk

11. ????????? Waters made blood - Egypt Exd 7:20-25 Exd 7:20-25 Frogs produced Exd 8:5-14 Exd 8:5-14 Lice Exd 8:16-18 Exd 8:16-18 Flies Exd 8:20-24 Exd 8:20-24 Murrain Exd 10:3-6 Exd 10:3-6 Boils Exd 10:8-11 Exd 10:8-11 Thunder Exd 10:22-26 Exd 10:22-26 Locusts Exd 11:12-19 Exd 11:12-19 Darkness Exd 11:21-23 Exd 11:21-23 Death of the first-born - Egypt Exd 12:29-30 Exd 12:2930 Exodus 7: 20 - 12: -23

12. See miracles sheet… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEc_jeGB Vxs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEc_jeGB Vxs Task… 1.Read the Bible passages and fill in the sheet 2.Highlight the key points of the text

13. Miracles in the New Testament Christians believe that the most important example of God’s intervention in the world was in God taking human form as his Son, Jesus, know as the incarnation. There are a number of accounts of miracles performed by Jesus in the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). These can be divided into four types: 1.Natural miracles 2.Casting out demons 3.Healing the sick 4.Raising the dead Christians would say that the final miracle, and greatest, was the resurrection of Jesus and his appearance to his followers after his death.

14. What do Christians think? But are there any differences ( denominations) Life after death – without this no Christianity Literal beliefSymbolic

15. Catholic Church Church of England - Believe in miracles. - Peoples’ views vary - Tend to believe only the most important ones. Transubstantiation – Last Supper Some Christians do not believe that the miracles in the Bible actually happened but are stories to symbolise important ideas: i.e. Christians should keep faith despite what happens (calming the storm) or that God’s love is for everyone (feeding the 5000).

16. Why would miracles lead people to believe in God? Shows God intervening in the world through The Holy Spirit Norm gave up alcohol Answers prayers Recap

17. What are the problems with believing in miracles? some miracle accounts can be explained away as coincidences some miracle accounts appear pointless yet others are not supported by sufficient evidence other miracle accounts should be rejected upon moral grounds (why does He not answer every prayer)? Irrational

18. The Case against miracles Quotation by David Hume, Philosopher (1711 to 1776) “It is no miracle that a man, seemingly in good health, should die suddenly: because such a kind of death, though more unusual than any other, has observed to happen. But it is a miracle, that a dead man should come to life; because that has never been observed in any age or country” What is Hume saying?

19. Explain why some Christians might not believe in miracles. (6 marks) You could say: Coincidences Irrational No evidence - unreliable A good God would not perform miracles for some people who need them and not for others. Because God created the universe and the laws which govern it then He would not do things which break his own laws.

21. The Jewish tradition argues that in the Exodus account in the Old Testament, God intervened miraculously to save the lives of several thousand Hebrew slaves. In the light of the twentieth-century Holocaust, what moral problems might God's intervention in the past raise for a modern Jew?

22. Key Question: Do people believe in God because of miracles or do people believe in miracles because of their belief in God?