In this unit you

will learn about what Christians believe about God and how they come to believe this, and why some people do not believe in God at all.

Unit 3: Believing in God

OBJECTIVE:

To understand key terminology relating

to belief and non-belief in God.

OUTCOMES…Grade C – will be able to explain what it means to be an atheist, theist and agnostic.

Grade B – will be able to recognise and explain reasons why people may or may not believe in God.

Grade A – will be able to recommend whether to follow Pascal’s wager or not.

Your GOALS for the end of

this lesson are…

These 3 words are KEY WORDS and will be used throughout this unit. It is important that you know them!

So what do they mean?

Theist-Atheist-Agnostic

NO PEEKING at your

glossary!

Agnostic

A – Not being sure whether God exists

B – Believing that God does not exist

C – The belief that God is all good

The answer is .... A

Atheist

A – Not being sure whether God exists

B – Believing that God does not exist

C – Being sure that God does exist

The right answer is .... B

So a THEIST must believe…

That God exists.

OUTCOMES…

Grade C – will be able to explain what it means to be an atheist, theist and agnostic.

Did you achieve the GOAL?…

Sub Heading: Why do people believe OR not believe in God?

Theist AtheistAgnosti c

Copy this table into your books...

Why believe that?

Why believe that?

You have 4 minutes to come up with the following...

1 reason a person might be a THEIST

1 reason a person might be an ATHEIST

1 reason a person might be an AGNOSTIC

Put your ideas into your table.

Now swap ideas with the people around you. Try to get 3 ideas in each column.

FEEDBACK:

Theist AtheistAgnosti c•Upbringing•They are ill/dying•Near death experience•Miracle•Media influence•Guilty•Retribution•Guidance•Hope•To give life meaning

•Upbringing•Death of a loved one•Evil in the world•No proof•Media influence•Bad life•Peer pressure•Not cool•Science•Rebellion

•No proof either way

•Good arguments for and against

•For every good thing that happens something bad happens too.

• They don’t care either way

Why believe that?

Theist AtheistAgnosti c

•Upbringing•They are ill/dying•Near death experience•Miracle•Media influence•Guilty•Retribution•Guidance•Hope•To give life meaning

•Upbringing•Death of a loved one•Evil in the world•No proof•Media influence•Bad life•Peer pressure•Not cool•Science•Rebellion

•No proof either way

•Good arguments for and against

•For every good thing that happens something bad happens too.

• They don’t care either way

Pick one example from each column and explain its meaning. Example: The upbringing of a child will influence what they believe in as it will be part of their everyday life. Children often accept what their parents believe up to a certain age.

OUTCOMES…

Grade B – will be able to recognise and explain reasons why people may or may not believe in God.

Did you achieve the GOAL?…

Pascal’s WagerI was a French mathematician who lived between 1623 and

1662. I argued that there is more to be gained from wagering on

the existence of God than atheism, and that a rational

person should live as though God exists, even though the truth of the matter cannot actually be

known.

Complete the sheet

Some theists have a problem with my theory though. If

you were to believe in God

because of Pascal’s Wager, would it be

true belief?

Think – Pair –

Share - Write

Pascal’s WagerSo would you

accept my wager or

not? Give a detailed

reason for your answer.

OUTCOMES…

Grade A – will be able to recommend whether to follow Pascal’s wager or not.

Did you achieve the GOAL?…

Look at what the following people are saying carefully...

PLENARY…

God has to exist. We have Jesus, his son

as proof of this!

There is no proof either way. If he does exist why

doesn’t he show himself, but I can’t say for sure that he

doesn't.

God has always existed and always

will exist. God created the

universe and everything in it.

God can’t exist. If he did he would put a stop to all the evil

and suffering in the world.

.

We cannot know. If we

did, God would not be

God

God is a force made up by someone to

control people.