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June 2021

Q1.1: Which one of the following is not a belief about the afterlife?

Put a tick () in the box next to the correct answer. A Heaven B Creation C Hell D Judgement

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority Answer: B Creation

Q1.2: Give two Christian beliefs about the Resurrection of Jesus.

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority considered for marking. The body of Jesus had disappeared from the tomb he was placed in / Christians believe that Jesus had risen from the dead / it is evidence of the divine nature of Jesus / shows the triumph of good over evil / gives Christians confidence that they will be resurrected after death in some way / removes fear of death / it assures Christians that God will forgive them if they follow the teachings of Christianity / accurate details about the story from any gospel should be accepted eg found by women / stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb / appearance of angel / 3 days after burial / some Christians believe it was a physical resurrection / some a spiritual resurrection, etc.

Q1.3: Explain two ways in which the problem of suffering influences Christians today.

Answer:

influence on individuals, communities and societies To be a ‘detailed explanation’ the ‘influence’ of the way must be included. • Teaches them some suffering is caused by people / so they are careful not to cause others to • As people can cause suffering / Christians work to encourage others not to behave in a way that • If suffering is caused by evil, encourages Christians to work to conquer evil / show commitment to God – the source of all good / encourage others to follow Christianity. • May make them doubt their faith / negative influence because it makes God appear to be unloving / or unjust. • Suffering caused by nature / may make them doubt their belief in God being the perfect creator. • Suffering can be seen as a test of faith / so Christians are keen to strengthen their faith to resist • Suffering helps Christians to understand and appreciate the power of good / because good is impossible without evil as a balance. • Suffering is a trigger for good practical action / such as working in developing countries / to show the love of Jesus to their fellow humans, etc.

Q1.4: Explain two reasons why Christians believe that God is omnipotent.

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 • God is the supreme being / who is all powerful. • God has unlimited authority / there is nothing he cannot achieve. • God’s power is not just physical power and strength / consists of power and authority to do good / • If God was not omnipotent he would not be able to do the things he is believed to have done / eg creation, miracles, resurrection. • Nothing can defeat God’s power / because there is nothing greater than God. • God’s omnipotence is benevolent / so his overwhelming power is used in a loving and caring way. • The Bible and other sources of authority say this is true, etc.

Sources of authority might include:

‘Nothing is impossible with God’ (Luke 1:37) ‘There is only One who is good’ (Matt 19:17) Attributed references to events that show God’s omnipotence (eg creation, the flood, the plagues and Exodus, miracles, resurrection, calming of the storm). God created the world from nothing in seven days – Genesis. ‘I pray that …you may know … his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead …’(Ephesians 1:18- ‘Great is our Lord and mighty in power.’ (Psalm 147:5). ‘I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by self.’ (Isaiah 44:24). Jesus (God the Son) performed many miracles, eg over nature – calming of the storm, over life and death, eg Lazarus, of healing, eg Bartimaeus / God the Son (Jesus) overcame death when he was

Q1.5: ‘The belief that Jesus is the Son of God is the most important Christian belief about

Jesus.’ 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.

Arguments in support

• Believing that Jesus is the Son of God gives validation to his message / gives it authority / provides answers to questions relating to acts such as miracles. • Answers crucial question of why he had to die / turns it from tragedy to triumph. • It was important enough to be foretold in Scripture so belief that Jesus is the Son of God fulfils • Makes the possibility of salvation and the afterlife stronger / important as a goal for believers. • It was considered important enough to be written in scriptures telling the life story of Jesus eg stories of the incarnation so it should be believed. • It is an unquestionable tenet of the Christian faith which cannot be ignored / is the foundation of the faith, etc.

Arguments in support of other views

• It is not important because the teachings are good to follow regardless of whether Jesus is the Son of God. • The belief is unhelpful because it adds the complication of whether God can have a son / and if so, was it Jesus? • If Jesus is God’s son, why did he think that sending his son to die was the right thing to do / could be seen as cruel or callous. • Jesus’ moral teaching is more important than his ‘religious’ teaching or identity / teachings such as ‘love your neighbour’ are enough to base a righteous life on. • The good works Jesus is believed to have done eg miracles are more important than believing he is the Son of God. • All Christian beliefs are of equal importance. • Evidence of the historical Jesus is not conclusive so the belief that Jesus is the Son of God may not be true / if not true it cannot be important / accounts should not be taken literally / the details given in the Gospels are open to question, etc.