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June 2024

Q1.1: Which one of the following is a means of salvation in Christianity?

Put a tick () in the box next to the correct answer. A Ascension B Grace C Sin D Trinity

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority Answer: B Grace

Q1.2: Give two Christian beliefs about heaven.

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority considered for marking. Where God is / when sins are forgiven, a soul can enter heaven / granted to those who have followed Christianity as a reward after they die (eg for following the 10 commandments) / may also be for those who have pleased God in following other faiths / God judges who goes to heaven / may be granted to all through God’s grace because God is all loving / place of goodness, peace and joy / where there is no pain / opportunity to rejoin with family and friends / seen by many to be a spiritual state of being and not physical / eternal / opposite to Hell/ step after purgatory / traditionally pictured as being in the sky / angels are present / God sits on a throne, etc.

Q1.3: Explain two ways in which belief in the Oneness of God influences Christians today.

Question 1 continues on the next page

Answer:

influence on individuals, communities and societies To be a ‘detailed explanation’ the ‘influence’ of the way must be included. • If there is only one God, he is the only God that Christians are influenced to worship and he can have their full faith and consideration. (build a relationship with God trough prayer/ pilgrimage) • Strengthens and confirms the idea of the Trinity as being parts or aspects of the one God so they are confident in including all three parts (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) in their worship. • Monotheism helps them to understand the omnipotence, omniscience, omnibenevolence and omnipresence of God as he is the only God and so it influences them to follow the bible because of the power/love/presence of God. • As there is only one God, they are influenced not to build up material ‘gods’ on earth such as great wealth, dependence on anything of the earth or other idols. • Believing in the oneness of God makes this God supreme, / which may influence Christians to believe that other religions are false religions / can encourage Christians to do mission and evangelism to those who do not believe in the one Christian God • Believing in the oneness of God may influence Christians to have good relationships with those of other faiths / knowing that others also believe in the oneness of God or of an Ultimate Being / encouraging this common belief and the sharing of values which come from it, etc.

Q1.4: Explain two reasons why Christians believe the Crucifixion of Jesus is important.

Refer to sacred writings or another source of Christian belief and teaching in your answer.

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority Relevant and accurate reference to sacred writing or another source of Christian belief and teaching – 1 mark • It was the end of Jesus’ life on earth / and made the resurrection and ascension possible. • It was the culmination of the rejection of Jesus / but allowed him to show that death is not the end. • Jesus’ crucifixion made up for the original sin / of Adam and Eve / and gives the possibility of eternal life / removed the barrier between humanity and God caused by sin. • It taught Christians that sin can no longer destroy their lives / if they accept Jesus’ sacrifice they can be sure that God will forgive them / if they faithfully ask for forgiveness / and repent. • It enabled Jesus to experience pain and suffering / which makes it easier for Christians to accept suffering in their lives / because they know Jesus suffered and can understand and identify with • When crucified, Jesus took all the sins of humanity / and paid the debt for them all / atoning for all humanity / Jesus’ sacrifice brought reconciliation with God for humanity / inspiring humanity to take the initiative in reconciliation with God. • The word of the centurion ‘Surely this man was the Son of God’ confirms Jesus’ divine nature / and gives Christians confidence that Jesus was the Son of God, etc. • It opened heaven again for the souls of humans / having broken the barrier between them and • It is a focal point of the Christian festival of Easter / all Christians commemorate the crucifixion/ they do this through the eucharist/ holy communion.

Sources of authority might include:

Attributed references to the story of the crucifixion of Jesus (Matthew 27:32-56; Mark 14:21-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-37) “Forgive them father they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34) “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30) ‘Greater love has no one than this; that one lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13) ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans ‘He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:2) ‘The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7). Accept all other sources of authority that correctly support the beliefs given. Must give the source of the sacred writing or another source of Christian belief. (In the Bible, Jesus said …)

Q1.5: ‘For Christians, it is right to believe that God is always loving.’

Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should: • refer to Christian teaching • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view • reach a justified conclusion.

[SPaG 3 marks]

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Answer:

In your answer you should: • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view [SPaG 3 marks] understanding of relevant evidence and information. References to religion applied to the issue. relevant evidence and information. Clear reference to religion. evidence and information. Atheist/ non-religious views are not credited.

Arguments in support

• The world and living creatures in the world, including humans were created by God out of love / and God wants the best for the world. • Creation bestows God’s love on the living things He created. • Humans have the responsibility to love one another on the earth in the way God loves his creation / to follow God’s example for the benefit of the earth / so it is right to believe that God is all loving in order to follow this instruction. • Christians are told ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven...Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ (Matt • God’s most loving act was sending his Son to die to atone for the sins of humanity / and open the way to the afterlife with God / ‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16) / this gift to humanity was given out of love. • God’s power is used only to do good / if God is not all loving, his power and authority are diminished and he may not be able to do all Christians believe he can do. • God’s perfect love extends to all who faithfully ask him for forgiveness regardless of what they have done / no-one is excluded from the possibility of God’s love, etc.

Arguments in support of other views

• Some find it difficult to understand how a God that is all loving can allow suffering and evil to exist / the existence of suffering and evil go against the idea of God being all loving. • Natural suffering caused by God’s creation of nature shows that God as not all loving / because the world he created out of love can be destructive. • There are occasions, especially in the Old Testament where God does not appear to be all loving / eg the drowning of the Egyptian army during the Exodus, the destruction of Jericho. • Even though Christians believe that God is the sum of all perfections / being all loving is impossible for humans to fully comprehend / so it is perhaps wrong to think of him as all loving. • Although God may not directly cause injustices to happen, if he was all loving, he would prevent them / he chooses not to do this which is not an act of love, etc.