Influence from a religious upbringing

Many children grow up in households with family members who believe in God.
If this is the case it would be likely that the family would do a lot of things
that would show God to the child.

Believing in God would be normal and it would be unlikely that the child would
believe any different because children tend to follow what their parents
think (most of the time). They would also be taught about God at school and
Church and this might influence their belief.

They may keep this belief all of their life, but as they get older ad
experience more things they may begin to question it.

If people you trust (teachers, parents, priest) tell you something is true it is
unlikely that you would question that!
 Personal religious experiences
Prayer
Prayer is simply a conversation with God. Prayer is asking God to help you or somebody else if
you are in need. Prayer is an important part of any religion because it shows that people are
remembering God.
Many people think that if a prayer is answered then it must mean God exists because only He
listened and made it happen. Who else could do this?

Miracles
God sometimes reveals Himself to people through His actions, such as miracles. Miracles are
events that cannot be explained; there is no scientific explanation or reason why they should
or could happen – only God could have made these things happen.

When some people witness miracles they see this as a reason to believe in God.

There are lots of miracles in the Bible and in the modern world and many Christians and other
religious people see these as proof that God exists.
 Personal religious experiences
Numinous

Feeling or awareness in the presence of God, something greater than

themselves. This could be seeing a beautiful sunset visiting a place of worship
or a random act of kindness.
When people say they feel the presence of God or an awareness of something
greater than they can not explain, this is called a Numinous experience.

Near Death Experience

This describes the experiences of someone who has had their heart stopped
beating. When they have been resuscitated they describe experiences such
as seeing a bright white light, speaking to loved ones who have already
passed and leaving their own body.
 Search for meaning and purpose in
their lives.
As you get older, some people begin to question their lives. They begin to question whether
their life is valuable, has meaning or purpose. This can be quite confusing for someone an
they can struggle to find the answers to the questions that they have about what they
should be doing with their lives.

Religion can be one among many channels to help someone gain a sense of life meaning.
Religion can be a source of meaning in various ways:

• Religious communities give people a sense of belonging (community and support)

• Religious morals and practices give people a sense of order (liturgy, tradition, routine)
• Religious faith and beliefs give people hope and purpose
• Religion gives people a framework to make sense of mystical experiences
• Religious wisdoms give people psychological support during tough times (prayer for guidance
and support in times of trouble.

This can also cause some people to convert from one religion to another.
 Causation Argument
The causation argument is an argument for the existence of God.

St. Thomas Aquinas, the most famous philosopher of the Middle Ages adapted an argument
he found in his reading of Aristotle to form one of the earliest, and the most influential
versions of the causation argument.

The first cause argument can be stated as follows:

• Some things are caused.

• Nothing can cause itself.
• Therefore, everything that is caused is caused by something other than itself.
• A causal chain cannot stretch infinitely backward in time.
• If the causal chain cannot stretch infinitely backward in time, there must be a first
cause.
• Therefore, everything that is caused has a first cause, i.e. God.

The argument is based on the claim that God must exist due to the fact that the universe
needs a cause.
The universe exists, so there must be something that caused the universe. The first cause is
claimed to be God. Thomas Aquinas said that God is the only thing that was not caused by
 The appearance of design
The argument from design is an argument for the existence of God or a creator. According
to the argument, the appearance of design in nature is evidence for the existence of God.

Most of the classic forms of this argument are simply talking about a "designer“. This gives
the following, simple formulation.

• Complexity implies a designer.

• The universe is highly complex.
• Therefore, the universe has a designer.

William Paley came up with the watch analogy, in which he stated "Anyone finding a pocket
watch in a field will recognise that it was designed intelligently; living beings are similarly
complex, and must be the work of an intelligent designer".

By this he means that a watch is a complex design, so it must have had an intelligent
watchmaker to make it. Therefore, as the world/universe is complex it must have had an
intelligent designer i.e God.