Reasons for Believing in God

1. The Influences of a Religious Upbringing

   The following ideas need to be explored and explained:

   In Christianity

   • Baptism
   • Prayers at meal-times (grace) and at bed-time
   • Sunday School
   • Being taken to Church especially at festival times such as Christmas and Easter
   • Assemblies and Religious Education at school, home-time prayers at Primary school reinforcing home experience
   • Confirmation in teenage years

   In Judaism

   • Adult male daily prayers with tephillin and Tallit at morning prayers
   • Mezuzah on doorpost
   • Sabbath meal and celebrations
   • Blessings on the children
   • Passover and other festival celebrations in home
   • Visits to the synagogue
   • 'Heder' - Jewish school in synagogue
   • Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah
   • The Laws of Kashrut - food laws

2. Religious Experience

   Be able to explain the following religious experiences:

   • Numinous
   • Conversion
   • Miracle
   • Answered Prayers
   • Mystical
   ...and give an example of each of these experiences.

3. Logical Arguments

   • The Design Argument - microscopic structures such as DNA; the apparent design of the universe; the right size and power of the Big Bang etc. If there is a design there must be a Designer. Remember the Paley's Watch illustration.
   • The Cosmological Argument - Causation (There must be a first cause); Purpose (we conduct our lives as though we are moving to a final purpose); the interdependence of living things (e.g the nitrogen cycle). Remember the 3 famous forms of the Cosmological Argument:
     • The Way of Motion
     • The First Cause Way
     • The Principle of Sufficient Reason
     
     

4. Why People Find it Difficult to Believe in God

   1. Natural disasters cause much suffering - how could a good God have created such a world?
   2. Scientific theories of the origins of the universe and life do not need God.
   3. God in heaven, miracles and apparent contradictions in the Bible make it difficult to believe in God in a scientific age.
   4. According to some psychologists, religion is just in the mind.
   5. God is supposed to care but he does not seem to answer prayers for peace or for an end to famine and starvation.
   6. If miracles happen, why does God help just one or two but not all those who desperately need a miracle.
   7. Astronomy and space travel make it difficult to think where God might be.
   8. Most British people do not bother much about religion and yet lead good lives. Therefore God and religion cannot be so important.
   9. There are many different religions but each claims to have the truth about God. They do not agree between themselves. If God existed there would surely be only one religion.
   10. You can live in comfort now without ever needing to think of God to help you. Surely if God existed He would make you think of Him.