edexcel religious studies evil & suffering

Title: The Problem of Evil & Suffering and How Religion Responds to It

1. The Problem of Unanswered Prayers & Belief

In God

2. The Problem of Evil &

Suffering and How Religion

Responds to It

3. Christian & Muslim Beliefs

About Life After Death

4. Reasons Why Some People Do Not Believe In

Life After Death

5. Christian & Muslim Attitudes to Abortion

6. Christian & Muslim Attitudes to Euthanasia

Christmas!8. Assessment Feedback

7. Assessment Lesson

Homework: Revise for a test on what we have studied so far.

This will include: •Religious upbringing (features and how it leads to support or belief in God). •Religious Experience (numinous, conversion and belief, Miracles and Prayer). •Argument from Design. •Argument from Causation. •Unanswered prayers and how one religion responds.

How would you prepare for a test or an

assessment?

The Problem of Evil and Suffering

• D Describe what is meant by ‘The Problem of Evil & Suffering’

• C/B Explain how this might lead someone to doubt or reject the existence of God

• A/A* Evaluate the strength of the Christian responses to ‘The Problem of Evil & Suffering’

Key Words: Benevolent, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Moral Evil, Natural Evil, Free Will

Match the keywords with their definitionsMatch the keywords with their definitionsMatch the keywords with their definitionsMatch the keywords with their definitions

Match the keywords with their definitionsMatch the keywords with their definitionsMatch the keywords with their definitionsMatch the keywords with their definitions

How do Christians respond to

Unanswered prayers?

How can unanswered prayers lead to someone being

agnostic or atheist?

Consider which of the pictures

represent moral or natural evil.

• HURRICANE KATIA

1.Which ones are moral evil?

2.Which ones

are natural evil

3.Which ones are reasons for not believing in

God?

4.Which are results

of unanswered prayer?

If God Is…

How can there be

evil & suffering

in the world?

If God is omnipotent (all-________), he must be able to remove _____ and suffering from the world.

If God is ________ (all-loving/good), he must be able to remove evil and suffering from the _____ because they cause so much unhappiness.

If God is omniscient (all-________) then he would _____ about the evil and suffering in the world.

Therefore, as there is evil and suffering in the world, either God is not omnipotent, benevolent or omniscient, or God does not ______.

Missing words: Exist, All Powerful, Evil, World,

Omnibenevolent, knowing, Know

C) C) Explain how the existence of evil & suffering may lead people to deny God’s Explain how the existence of evil & suffering may lead people to deny God’s existenceexistence (8 Marks) (8 Marks)

The following question is now really easy: C) The following question is now really easy: C) Explain Explain how the existence of evil & suffering may lead how the existence of evil & suffering may lead

people to deny God’s existencepeople to deny God’s existence (8 Marks) (8 Marks)

The following question is now really easy: C) The following question is now really easy: C) Explain Explain how the existence of evil & suffering may lead how the existence of evil & suffering may lead

people to deny God’s existencepeople to deny God’s existence (8 Marks) (8 Marks)

1. Firstly, if God is omnipotent (all powerful), He must be able to remove evil and suffering in the world. This leads people to deny God’s existence because…

2. Secondly, if God is omni-benevolent (all-good), he must want to remove evil and suffering from the world. This leads people to deny God’s existence because…

3. Thirdly, if God is omniscient (knows everything – past and present) He would have known the suffering that Adolf Hitler was going to cause. This leads people to deny God’s existence because…

4. Finally, natural evil exists. This leads people to deny God’s existence because…

1. Firstly, if God is omnipotent (all powerful), He must be able to remove evil and suffering in the world. This leads people to deny God’s existence because…

2. Secondly, if God is omni-benevolent (all-good), he must want to remove evil and suffering from the world. This leads people to deny God’s existence because…

3. Thirdly, if God is omniscient (knows everything – past and present) He would have known the suffering that Adolf Hitler was going to cause. This leads people to deny God’s existence because…

4. Finally, natural evil exists. This leads people to deny God’s existence because…

Title: Christian Responses to Evil & Suffering

Turn to pages 22 and 23 in the textbook:

1.Scan and read looking for main ideas. Don’t read everything!

2.You have 10 minutes to record four main points explaining how one religion responds to the problem of evil and suffering.

How well did you do?

1. Response 1 – Christians respond by helping and supporting people who are suffering.

2. Response 2 – Humans have free will. God allows us to make good and bad choices.

3. Response 3 – Evil and suffering can help us mature. There will be a reward for this in the afterlife.

4. Response 4 – God has a plan that is far greater than we can understand.

D) ‘The existence of evil and suffering in the world proves God does not exist.’

Your view (3 Marks)

Another view (3 Marks)