Christian Beliefs

• Nature of God:


  God is:

  • Omnipotent
  • Omnibenevolent
  • Omniscient
  • Just
  • Forgiving
  • Transcendent (incomprehensible)
  • Holy (worthy of worship)
  • Neither male or female
• The Trinity:


  God is one, but has three distinct persons

  
  

  God the Father:

  • The creator of all life
  • Father to his children

  God the Son:

  • God incarnate
  • Fully human and fully divine

  God the Holy Spirit:

  • The unseen power of God
  • Influences, guides and sustains life on earth
• Responses to the problem of evil and suffering:

  • David Hume's Triangle - God cannot be both loving and all powerful.
  • God created us with free will, meaning we have the freedom to choose good or bad.
  • It is the actions of humans that causes evil and suffering, not God.
  • The Devil tempts us into committing sin and going against God, therefore evil is caused by the Devil.
  • If there is good there must be evil.
  • Life is a test to show God we are worthy of Heaven, we will face trials and tribulations during our lives.
• The Inconsistent Triad:


  • If God is loving, why does he let us suffer?
  • If God is powerful, why can he not prevent evil and suffering?
  • If God is just, why does he allow injustice to happen?

  As evil exists in the world, this means that either God can't stop suffering, doesn't know suffering is happening or doesn't want to stop suffering.
• Literalist Christian 's views about Creationism:


  • The creation story is the literal truth
  • It happened exactly as described in the Bible
  • It is a divine revelation from God
• Liberal Christian views about Creationism:


  • The creation story was a metaphor or myth
  • It may have been true but over thousands of years
• Resurrection means rising from the dead.
• The parable of the sheeps and the goats confirms the idea of an afterlife. It shows us that we will be judged by Jesus and then sent to Heaven or Hell
• Life after death

  • St Paul mentions everyone will be resurrected
  • Some Christians believe the soul is resurrected and judged by God on the DOJ before going to Heaven or Hell
  • Some Christians believe the soul waits until the DOJ and then returns
  • Catholics/Orthodox believe the physical body is resurrected with the soul
  • Others only believe in spiritual resurrection
• Salvation means to be saved from sin and it's consequences and to be granted eternal life. Salvation repairs the damage caused by sin.
• Salvation through faith


  • Believing and accepting teachings of Jesus
  • Following teachings of Jesus
  • Doing good deeds
  • Helping the poor and needy
• Salvation through grace

  • Not deserved or earnt
  • Given freely
  • Given by the Holy Spirit
  • Taking part in sacraments
• Atonement means making ammends
• Reconciliation between God and humans was achieved through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
• John 3:16

  • God gave us his only Son
  • Sins have been forgiven
  • All sins are punished on Jesus instead of sinners
  • Believers go to heaven instead of Hell
• The Original Sin:


  • Belief that human nature is flawed
  • We all have the tendency to sin
  • This came from Adam & Eve
  • This causes separation from God
• The Nicene Creed:


  We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, of all that is, seen and unseen.

  We believe in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made.

  For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven :by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
• Denominations of Christainity


  Catholic:

  • Based in Rome
  • Led by the Pope

  Orthodox:

  • Split from Catholic Church in 1054
  • Mainly practised in Eastern Europe

  Protestant:

  • Split from Catholic Church in the 16th Century
  • Churches: Methodist, Baptist, Church of England
• God as Omnipotent:

  • Supreme being
  • All powerful
  • Unlimited authority
  • Creating the world showcased his power
  • "Anything is possible with God"
• God as Benevolent:


  • Uses his power to do good
  • Showed his love by caring for humans
  • Showed his love by sending Jesus to die so humans could gain salvation
  • "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son"
• God as Just:


  • A fair judge on humanity
  • Will never support injustice or prejudice
  • Will judge the living and the dead on the DOJ
  • Will decide whether people go to heaven or hell
• Genesis account of creation

  • Day 1: Day and night
  • Day 2: The sky
  • Day 3: The sea, land and plants
  • Day 4: The lights in the sun, moon and stars
  • Day 5: Fish and birds
  • Day 6: Animals and humans (Adam and Eve)
  • Day 7: God rested and said it was good
• Other views about Creationism:

  Lingustic: There may have been misunderstandings in the translations

  Scientific: Science can allign with the Genesis creation story.
• The Holy Spirit was active in creation.

  "And the spirit of God was hovering over the waters" - Genesis 1:1-3
• Jesus was also involved in creation.

  "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God" - John 1:1-3
• Incarnation of Jesus

  • Angel Gabriel appeared to Virgin Mary to tell her she was pregnant
  • This occured through the power of the Holy Spirit
  • The Virgin conception is evidence of Jesus being the Son of God
  • Jesus lived for around 30 years
• Jesus as the Son of God:

  • When He was baptised a voice from heaven spoke and a dove (the Holy Spirit) appeared
  • He was called the Messiah by his disciples despite him telling them not to so he wouldn't get arrested before his mission was over
  • Admitted to being the Messiah when the High Priest asked on his trial before his death
• The Crucifixtion:


  • Jesus was sent to Pointus Plate
  • He was forced to wear a crown of thorns to mock him
  • Felt pain and suffering
  • Placed on a cross to die
  • His body was placed in a cave on Friday
• Importance of the Crucifixtion:


  • Shows that Christains will be forgiven for their sins if they repent
  • Shows that God understands human suffering
  • Suffering is a part of human life, and it was a part of Jesus' life
  • Emphasises that Jesus was fully human and fully God
  • Teaches Christains that forgiveness is possible
  • Teaches Christains God's love
• The Resurrection:


  • Some of Jesus' female followers visited his tomb on Sunday morning
  • They found that Jesus' body wasn't there
  • An angel told them that he had rosen from the dead
  • Jesus appeared to several people over the next few days
• Importance of the Ressurection:


  • Shows the power of good over evil and life over death
  • Showcases that sins will be forgiven
  • Christians will also be ressurected if they accept Jesus
  • Shows that there will be life after death
• The Ascension:


  • This was 40 days after the ressurection
  • After meeting his disciples, Jesus left them for the last time
  • He returned to his Father in Heaven
  • This marks the end of his time on Earth
  • The Holy Spirit came to the disciples, resembling fire
  • The Holy Spirit gave the disciples gifts so they could spread the word
  • For example, speaking in tongues and healing
  • This was called the Pentecost
• Importance of the Ascension:


  • Shows that Jesus is with God in Heaven
  • Shows that the Holy Spirit will provide comfort and guidance
  • Comfirms the idea of an afterlife
• Sin:

  • Something that separates you from God
  • Going against God
  • Going against the 10 commandments
  • Causing death or harm
  • Sinful thoughts (such as anger)
  • Disobedence
• Free Will:

  • Humans should use their freedom to make choices that God approves of.
  • God provides us guidance on how we should live (e.g. the Ten Commandments)
• Salvation through Law/Goodworks:


  • Believing and accepting the teachings of Jesus
  • Following the teachings of Jesus
  • Doing good works
  • Helping the poor and needy
  • Feeding and clothing those in need
  • Old Testament makes it clear that salvation comes through faith and obedience
• Salvation through Grace:


  • Not deserved or earnt
  • Given freely
  • Given by the Holy Spirit
  • Taking part in the sacraments (like mass)
  • Through faith in Jesus
  • A free gift of God's love
• Christ in Salvation:

  • Jesus' crucifixtion make up for the original sin
  • Jesus' death was necessary to restore the relationship between God and humanity
  • God accepted Jesus' sacrifice on behalf of humanity
  • Jesus' ressurection means humans can now recieve forgiveness for their sins
  • Jesus' death and ressurection made it possible for humans to recieve eternal life
  • Believers go to Heaven instead of Hell
  • All sins are punished on Jesus instead of sinners
• Atonement:

  • Removes the effect of sin
  • Allows people to restore their relationship with God
  • Jesus atoned for the sins of humanity through his sacrifice
  • It was made possible for all who follow Jesus to recieve eternal life
• Atonement means making ammends. It refers to the idea that reconcillation between God and humans was brought back by Jesus' sacrifice.