Examine how faith in God may be challenged by natural and moral evil

How far does the existence of evil defeat Paley’s Design Argument?

Examine the purpose of the free will defence

AQA NOTES RS: Religious Language The problem of religious language Ludwig Wittgenstein Logical Positivists The issue of whether religious language should be viewed cognitively or non-cognitively. The challenges of the Verification and Falsification Principles to the meaningfulness of religious language. Strengths and Weaknesses of Verification Principle. -Strengths and Weaknesses of the Falsification Principle. Responses to these challenges from verification and falsification. Eschatological Verification + Strengths and Weaknesses. Key ideas of the Celestial City. Religious language as an expression of a Blik with reference to Hare. Religious language as a language game with reference to Wittgenstein. Conclusions as to the issue whether religious language should be viewed cognitively or non-cognitively. Other views of the nature of religious language.

Visions: Corporeal, Imaginative and Intellectual Numinous Experiences: Otto; an apprehension of the Wholly other. Mystical experiences: William James; non sensuous and non-intellectual union with the divine. Challenges of verifying religious experiences. Challenges to religious experience from science. Religious responses to those challenges. Richard Swinburne’s principles of credulity and testimony.

Deontological Telelogical Character-based Natural Moral Law Situation Ethics Virtue Ethics

The Design Argument The Ontological Argument The Cosmological Argument

Evil in two forms and how it relates to suffering and God The logical and evidential problem of evil Solving the existence of evil The Free Will Defence John Hick’s eschatological solution Griffin’s Process Theology

basis of the design argument strengths and weaknesses criticisms

This document includes: The basis of Paley’s Analogical Design Argument Paley’s Analogical Design Argument Criticisms of Design from David Hume The Strengths and Weaknesses of Paley’s Argument The status of Paley’s Argument as proof The relationship between Reason and Faith The value of Paley’s Argument for Religious Faith