AS Religious Studies Paper – January 2020

Time allowed = 2 hours

Choose two questions only from Section A and two
questions only from Section B
Section A – Ethics – Answer 2 from three questions
below
Question 1:
(b) Comment on the view that abortion violates the
rights and dignity of the mother and child. Justify your
answer. (25)
Question 2:
(b) with reference to other aspects of human
experience, explore the view that Utilitarianism has
had little impact on society. Justify your answer. (25)
Question 3:
(b) Explore the view that the teaching of the Decalogue
is no longer relevant. Justify your answer. (25)
Section B – Philosophy of Religion – Answer 2 from
three questions below
Question 1:
(b) The arguments for the existence of God are
adequate proof of God’s existence. Discuss (25)

Question 2:
(b) With reference to other aspects of human
experience discuss the view that suffering is a
necessary and inevitable part of being human. (25)

Question 3:
(b) Miracles play an essential part in religious belief.
Discuss (25)

Question 1:
The arguments for the existence of God are adequate
proof of God’s existence. Discuss (25)
For:
- The arguments such as the Ontological,
Cosmological and Teleological are otherwise
known as “classical” proofs of God – They have
 been in existence for centuries and thus indicate
that they are adequate for some – the fact that
they have been revised by other modern scholars
would indicate the such e.g. Anselm’s Ontological
revised by Descartes and later by Malcolm.
- The arguments are often deductive arguments –
these are arguments where if the premise cannot
be found false then the conclusion cannot be false
either – this is the case with the Ontological
argument and the Cosmological – when such
logical premises are followed they can be deemed
as successful.
- In the case of Inductive arguments such as the
Teleological – i.e. the evidence of order, regularity
and purpose suggests a designer – there can been
countless examples found in the natural world
both on a microscopic and macroscopic level to
evidence “design” and “purpose” – the idea of an
accidental and random universe capable of
sustaining complex life does not seem logical and
even agnostics within the Intelligent Design
movement recognise the need to find a deeper
explanation.
- Those who have had a religious experience which
brings them the point of belief in God do not
 require any further proof of his existence – such
experiences have had such a profound and
personal effect that to suggest God’s non-
existence seems ridiculous given the impact the
experience has had on them e.g. the impact of a
miracle or a conversion experience (Apostle Paul
in Acts 9 lead him to move from being a
persecutor of the Christian Church to an
evangelist).
- The Moral argument also seems a rational basis
for the existence of God as we cannot effectively
explain why humanity recognises the distinction
between concepts such as good and bad otherwise
– even Michael Ruse (Atheist) quoted by William
Lane Craig (theist) writes: “The man who says it is
morally acceptable to rape little children is just as
mistaken as the man who says that 2+2=5.”
On the other hand:
- It must be recognised that many of the classical
arguments do have weaknesses. The Ontological
argument could be dismissed as Kant does on the
basis that existence is not a predicate – existence
is not a quality like goodness, it either is or isn’t.
The Cosmological argument could be dismissed by
suggesting that an alternative cause for the
 universe is Big Bang, though this still leaves the
logical problem of cause in relation to Big Bang,
perhaps another cause could be found but the
argument itself does not prove that God is the
Causer.
- Gaulino – is critical of Anselm’s view and refers to
the “holiday island” – reducio ad absurdum
(Anselm wins – God not contingent or subjective.)
- Hume developed an anti-cosmological position
arguing against the principal of sufficient reason.
- One of the fundamental problems with the
Teleological argument is that the reality of pain
and suffering or the appearance of what seems
“bad design” in the world. Bad natural effects do
not point to a designer or if there is a designer,
they don’t seem worth of worship (Nietzsche).
Hume also suggests that the analogy used by Paley
of a watch maker is inadequate since the
comparison is drawn between something organic
with an inorganic mechanism (this argument is
taken up by Dawkins in his book “The Blind
Watchmaker”).
- More broadly the argument from the basis of evil
and suffering in the world is often used to justify
God’s non-existence since if God did exist, then
 surely He would have the capacity and will to do
remove the suffering, especially the suffering of
the innocent (view taken by Epicurus, Mackie and
Rowe in various permutations of the Inconsistent
Triad). Other scholars such as Camus and Sartre
have responded to this reality by suggesting that
there is simply no order and humans must accept
that reality but find purpose in this absurd
existence.
- Modern anti-theists such as, Dawkins, Hitchens,
Fry et al have been vehement in their dismissal of
arguments for God citing a range of reasons from
religious fundamentalism to evidence derived
from science to reject God or humanities need for
Him. Of course, this has been going on for
centuries – as humans become more confident in
their own resources, they discover that they can
manage to live a comfortable life regardless of a
deity and their need for God becomes redundant.
Nietzsche called humans to rise above the “slave
morality” which is dependent on God and others
and seek self-sufficiency in the “master morality”
since “God is dead” – we don’t need Him.
- The trend of human progress in technology and
medical science has enabled human confidence
 towards the rejection of God. We can even “play
God” in the realm of Bioethics and engineering.
Conclusion:
The adequacy of the arguments really depends on
the individual. The reality is that no intellectual
argument will ever prove God’s existence – God is
transcendent and therefore the modern reliance on
physical/scientific proof cannot be satisfied when
trying to prove a metaphysical being. In any case,
proof may not even be enough to result in faith.
According to the Bible, Satan has all the proof he
needs that God exists but this has not encouraged
him to give God worship!

Question 2:
(b) With reference to other aspects of human
experience discuss the view that suffering is a
necessary and inevitable part of being human. (25)
Agree:
Recognise that there are two components to the
statement – Is Suffering necessary? Is Suffering
inevitable?
  Suffering is necessary - Suffering has a purpose – a
test, a punishment, enabling personal growth, part
of God’s bigger plan. Examples: Abraham’s test of
faith (Genesis), Job’s Test, the punishment of
Sodom and Gomorrah and Zechariah for his lack of
belief, Joseph in the Old Testament went through
suffering and personal growth in order for the
Israelites to be saved from famine, Jesus’ death on
the cross enabled the atonement for sin for the
world and man’s reconciliation with God.
 It would seem that persecution of Christians
actually led to the growth of the Church –
Tertullian writes: “The blood of the martyrs is the
seed of the church” at the time of the early church
expansion in the Roman Empire. Even today,
Christian Church growth is most accelerated in
countries where the persecution and restriction is
greatest – in China, North Korea and the Yemen
(according to the Open Door statistics).
The Apostle Paul recognised that suffering was
necessary also: Romans 5v3 “Not only so, but we also
glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering
produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and
character, hope”. Indeed, through suffering Paul
identifies with Christ: “We are hard pressed on every
side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not
destroyed. We always carry around in our body the
death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be
revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4v8-10)
 The earth is the “vale of soul making” – Irenaeus
 The “epistemic distance” required for God to
enable freewill inevitably leads to the
consequence of suffering.
 You cannot have freedom without suffering –
reference Swinburne, C.S Lewis.

Suffering is inevitable:
 Following the view of Augustine that suffering is
the direct consequence of the fall it would seem
that it is inevitable as punishment for original and
ongoing rebellion of humankind against God.
 Certainly the evidence of suffering in our world
both past and present would have the potential of
overwhelming us – natural disasters such as: the
earthquake in Turkey (January 2020, 29+ dead and
over 1000 injured). Or moral evils from which we
haven’t learnt the lessons of history e.g. Holocaust
(6 million Jews), Rwanda (estimated 1 million in
100 days), Syrian Conflict.
Nevertheless – according to the Christian faith –
suffering is not the end of the story and in this respect
it is neither inevitable or necessary for ultimately it will
be defeated – death will be conquered and sin will be
removed as Christ comes at the end of time
establishing is kingdom for eternity: Revelation 21v4
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be
no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the
old order of things has passed away.”
Also – Jesus promised his disciples glimpses of this
reality while they await the consummation of God’s
plans – they will receive the Holy Spirit and through
him they will know freedom, peace and purity in their
daily lives. Whilst the battle with sin will continue they
will ultimately, with the Holy Spirit’s help, be victors.
They should “run the race” with tenacity and hope:
2 Timothy 4:7 7I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 24Do you not know that in a race
all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in
such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who
competes in the games goes into strict training. They
do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to
get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not
run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a
boxer beating the air. 27No, I strike a blow to my body
and make it my slave so that after I have preached to
others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Humanists hold with the position that we must strive

to create a better world where peace and justice will
become the standards. They take an optimistic view
that such can be created if we apply the efforts of
technology, medicine and human will. Perhaps this is
the vision of Camus or John Lennon in “Imagine.”

Question 3:
(b) Miracles play an essential part in religious belief.
Discuss (25)
Agree:
- since miracles are by definition “God acts” it
would be logical to argue that they play a vital part
in religious belief, Augustine recognises this when
he defines miracles as “things which are done by
divine agency.” Even Hume cites them as a
‘violation by a Deity
- Richard Swinburne understood that miracles are
abounding in the Christian scriptures as evidence of
God’s immanence however they were not merely
dramatic or supernatural acts, rather events of deep
 significance in the life of a believing community
demonstrating God’s will and character.
- In this respect it is not always necessary for
miracles to be viewed in the anti-realist sense since
the timing and context is just as significant for
realist miracles to be recognised as God acts e.g.
plagues on Egypt in Exodus.
- The Apostle Paul cites the resurrection of Jesus as a
central tenant of the faith and vital to the claim that
Jesus is the Son of God: “If Jesus was not raised
then we are dead in our sins and deluding
ourselves.” Indeed, this is so important that he
dedicates much of his letter to the Romans
exploring this very doctrine.
- Many believers would argue that the possibility of
miracles may be the motivation behind prayers for
healing or help in difficult times though it should
be argued that the sincere worshipper is not seeking
to bend God’s will to theirs, rather to find God’s
will in that situation - i.e it is as much about
seeking to obey and understand as hoping for
intervention; echoed in Jesus’ words in the Garden
of Gethsemane: “May this cup of suffering be
taken from me, yet not my will but yours be done.”
- The expectation of miracles is premised on the
evidence of scripture - if God acted for his people
millennia ago, then God can act today - since God
does not change and this character and capacity to
 act in his world therefore does not change either.
As the Scripture teaches: “God is the same
yesterday, today and forever.”
- Equally if God really is worthy of worship then
God holds the qualities of omni-benevolence,
omnipotence, omniscience - and so, miracles are
perfectly within His skill set, seeking a miracle is
not unreasonable.
Disagree:
- It would however be mistaken to assume that
believers only follow God because of a belief in
miracle alone. True faith rests on the experience of
relationship with God, a growing trust in God’s
love and grace to humanity and therefore an
appreciation that God will act if it is in his will.
Prayer seeking such action is a declaration and
action of faith not only in God’s capacity but in
God’s nature.
- Some theologians are less focused however on the
historicity of miracles as they are recorded in
scripture - Bultmann is willing to accept the
resurrection of Jesus as a record of some spiritual
event rather than a literal and physical resurrection.
- To a lesser degree, it is evident in the 4th Gospel
(John) that the writer, whilst recording miracles of
Jesus, very careful to refer to them as
semeion/semeia (signs) - direction the reader
beyond the event itself to what the event means in
 terms of who Jesus is. E.G. It is much more
important that Jesus is the Light of the world than
he healed the man born blind or that Jesus is the
Resurrection and the life than that he raised
Lazarus.
- Jesus was also mindful that a misplaced fixation on
miracle could be distracting in directing people to a
full understanding of his message. That is why he
rejected the use of miracles in the second
temptation: “If you are God’s son, throw yourself
down from here.” Jesus replied, “Do not put God
to the test.”
- A close reading of the Gospels also suggests that
Jesus anticipated that his followers would perform
miracles when bestowed with the Holy Spirit: “He
who believes in me will also do the wonders that I
do; and greater works than these will he do.”
However, in the Book of Acts we see through the
story of Simon the Magician (Acts 8 v9 ff) that this
capacity is purely a gift from God and not an
ability which can be bought or personally secured
independent of God’s will.
- Hume is mistaken when he lays out his criticism
and dismissal of miracles in the “Enquiry” - they
are not violations of natural law, rather an
interruption by the very creator of those laws
(Lennox, Strobel).
- Hume is also mistaken in his suggestion that
religion is built and established on miracle and
therefore cancel each other out - his ignorance of
the nature of faith is evidences for he has failed to
realise that Christianity, Islam nor Judaism have
never claimed that someone should believe purely
on the basis of miracles. Jesus himself rejected any
appeal to signs and wonders as evidence of his
status. He also rebuked those who came only to
gape at his powers of healing, just as the Apostle
Paul accused miracle-seekers of immaturity and
lack of faith: “Unless you see signs and wonders
you will not believe!” (Jesus) Many will say to me,
“Lord, Lord, did we not …do many works in your
name? And then I will declare to them, “I never
knew you; depart from me, you evil doers.” (Jesus
– Matthew 7v22-23)
- George Bernard Shaw said: “Jesus’ teaching has
nothing to do with miracles. If his mission had
been simply to demonstrate a new method of
restoring lost eyesight, the miracle of curing the
blind would have been entirely relevant. But to
say: “you should love your enemies, and to
convince you of this, I will now proceed to cure
this gentleman of a cataract”, would have been to a
man of Jesus’ intelligence, the proposition of an
idiot.”
- The occurrence of a miracle can at most strengthen
the beliefs of those who already have specific
beliefs in and about God. Indeed, Christians
continue to revere stories of the miracles because
they speak of the power of Christ, and because
what they mean is far more important than what
actually happened.