Studied by 61 PeopleNaturalism
Tags & Description
Naturalism
Belief that there is nothing bigger than the natural world; no supernatural
Naturalism - Origins
Reality has a purely natural origin; life is a process of evolution
Naturalism - Purpose
No real meaning; life is a process of self-discovery
Naturalism - Morality
Right and wrong is based on whether that action maximizes self-interest (ethical egoism)
Naturalism - Destiny
Death is real and final
Theism
Belief that there is a divine and supernatural creator
Theism - Origins
God created everything
Theism - Purpose
Humans were created in the image of God (Imago Dei) and have a desire to return to God's original plan for us
Theism - Morality
God is the source of all truth and His law is the final authority
Theism - Destiny
Death is real but not final
Pantheism
Belief that everything is divine; the Cosmos is made of an energy
Pantheism - Origins
There is no beginning or end; everything materialized from a spiritual form and will return to it (emanation)
Pantheism - Purpose
Break the cycle of reincarnation and become perfectly balanced with the universe (enlightenment)
Pantheism - Morality
Good and evil are illusions
Pantheism - Destiny
Death is an illusion, you would simply assume another form (reincarnation)
Atheist
A person who doesn't believe in a god
Agonistic
A person who believes there isn't enough evidence for the existence of God
Skeptic
A person who doubts or questions the truths of a religion
Secularist
A person who advocates for separation of state from religion
Pascal's Wager
A gamble for God's existence; "The odds of God existing are infinity to nothing in favor of belief in God" - Blaise Pascal
Teleological Argument / The Intelligent Design
"Like a watch, which is complex, has function, and was created by someone, we have a maker somewhere outside of the natural world." - Thomas Aquinas
Cosmological Argument
"Humanity is infinitely dependent on a set of beings for its existence, so there must be a being that isn't dependent on a set of beings for its own existence."
What claims does the Bible make as evidence of its validity?
God is the Creator and the Bible is His word, so that makes the Bible true.
Post-Modernism
Nothing is true
Utilitarianism
Cost vs. benefit; which option has the biggest benefit?
Inclusivism
All views have pieces of truth
Pluralism
All views are equally true
Exclusivism
Only 1 view can be true
Worldview
How we see the world and our existence
Meta-narrative
"The big story" behind humankind and the universe
Empirical
Based on evidence of the sense rather than logic
Karma
The force generated by a person's actions
Reincarnation/Transmigration
The movement of the essential soul into another body or form after death
Emanation
All matter materializes from a purely spiritual formation and will eventually return to it
Cosmos
The Universe as a whole
Open System
The universe can be affected by something outside of it
Closed System
The universe cannot be affected by something outside of it
Reciprocity
An exchange that provides that mutual benefit
Survival of the Fittest
Those best adapted to their environment will survive
Enlightenment
Breaking the cycle of reincarnation and become perfectly balanced with the universe
Transcendent
Goes beyond; exists beyond the Cosmos
Immanent
Active within the Cosmos
Deism
Belief in the existence of God based on empirical reason
Infinite Set
You always need one more set of contingent beings to explain its existence
Contingent Being
A being dependent on another being for its existence
Necessary Being
Non-contingent being
Ex Nihilo
Out of nothing
Imago Dei
The image of God
Canon
The list of books considered to be authoritative within a religion community