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Key Concepts about God and Humanity

  • Goodness

    • Definition: The quality of being like God.

    • Characteristic: Putting the needs of others first.

  • Free Will

    • Definition: The God-given ability to choose right from wrong freely and without being controlled.

  • Evil

    • Definition: The absence of good that results in suffering.

  • Incarnation

    • Definition: Means 'made flesh'; the belief that God became human in the person of Jesus.

  • Suffering

    • Definition: The pain or loss that harms human beings.

  • Natural Law

    • Definition: A belief that there are universal laws of right and wrong that apply to all humans at all times.

  • Privation

    • Definition: The absence of something; Catholics believe evil is the absence of good.

  • Conscience

    • Definition: A God-given feeling of right and wrong.

The Trinity & The Incarnation

  • Trinity

    • Definition: The doctrine that God is one single entity known in three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit.

    • Catholic Belief: Fundamental to all Catholics; it is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended.

    • Biblical References:

    • Nicene Creed: "We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty…"

    • John: "The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."

    • St Paul - Kenosis Hymn: "Who, being in very nature God…made himself nothing."

    • Analogy of Love (St Augustine):

    • Lover, Loved, and Love itself show the relationship among the Trinity.

    • Jewish Perspective:

    • Jews reject the Trinity, affirming that God is one.

    • Claim that belief in the Trinity challenges the first commandment.

  • Incarnation

    • Catholic Belief:

    • Jesus is God the Son, the incarnate in flesh.

    • He is both fully divine and fully human.

    • St Paul’s Kenosis teaches that God emptied Himself to become human.

    • Jewish Perspective:

    • Rejects the notion of Jesus as God, maintaining that the Messiah is a human descendant of King David.

Suffering and Its Implications

  • Good & Evil Framework

    • Types of Evil:

    • Moral Evil: Caused by human actions.

    • Natural Evil: Not caused by humans, e.g., disasters.

    • Catholic Views:

    • Original Sin: Adam and Eve's disobedience caused evil and suffering in the world.

    • Augustine's View:

      • God created a perfect world; fall led to both natural and moral evil.

      • Evil is necessary to appreciate good.

    • John Hick's Theodicy:

    • Suffering is necessary for spiritual growth (Soul-Making).

    • Addresses 'why' suffering exists by asserting it helps humans grow.

  • Jewish Responses to Suffering:

    • Belief in free will; not born evil but have inclinations.

    • Torah provides moral guidance and opportunities for atonement.

    • Festivals like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur foster reflection and reconciliation.

Sources of Authority in Making Moral Decisions

  • Jesus’s Example:

    • Teachings as the Son of God guide moral actions.

  • Scripture Credentials:

    • The Bible is seen as authoritative as the Word of God.

  • Natural Law Considerations:

    • Instinct to do good and avoid evil drives moral choices.

  • Conscience:

    • Viewed as the voice of God within individuals.

Religious Practices and Symbols

  • Use of Statues in Catholicism:

    • Statues serve as reminders of faith and inspiration; Catholics do not pray to them but ask saints to intercede.

  • The Rosary:

    • Beads aiding prayer and contemplation on Jesus’s life, particularly during troubling times.

  • Visitation and Pilgrimage:

    • Festivals, pilgrimages (e.g., Lourdes), prayer for healing, and collective worship strengthen faith.

Concluding Reflections on the Nature of Good and Evil

  • Philosophical Perspectives:

    • St Augustine: Evil is a lack of good; it enhances the admiration of good.

    • Implications of suffering lead to discussions on God’s nature: omnipotent and omnibenevolent.

  • St Augustine's Teachings on Evil:

    • Understanding evil as privation invokes discussions on God’s role in human suffering.

    • The purpose behind suffering as a moral and spiritual development tool.

  • Exam Practice Prompts:

    • Describe St Augustine’s views on the origin of evil (5 marks).

    • Discuss whether suffering is necessarily evil (15 marks).