CHALLENGES OF

FAITH
In this this chapter you will
become familiar with the
following concepts:
World view
Atheism
Agnosticism
Secularism
Materialism
Fundamentalism
Reflection
Creation
Experiencing god
World view:
Our world view is how we see the
world around us.

Our world view helps us think about

what is happening around us and
helps us to live our lives.
Our world view comes from
everything we know about religion,
philosophy and science
Other ways of understanding our
world have nothing to do with
religion. Many people today see the
world from a very strong non-
religious point of view.
Atheism:
The denial of the existence
of god.

Some people are atheist

because they have reflected
on the issue and have made
an informed or well thought
out decision.
Others people say they are
atheist because they cannot
fully believe in god. There
isnt enough evidence for
them.
People may live in a non-
religious society.

An atheist could affect a

persons religious beliefs
by arguing that there is no
 real proof for the existence
of god.

Agnosticism:
The belief that the human mind isnt
capable of knowing whether or not
God exists.

Agnostics argue that human mind

cannot know something that is
beyond its understanding.
As God cannot be seen or touched
or heard directly, we cannot prove
he exists.
Agnostics recognise that there is a
lot of doubt when it comes to
religious beliefs. So they cannot say
a definite yes, or a definite no like
atheists.
Agnosticism could challenge a
person religious belief similar to
atheism.
Secularism:
This practice opposes the
influence that religion has
on our society.

Some secularists dont

want public figures to
make reference to god.
E.g. Mary McAlees
President of Ireland often
used words God willing
 or with Gods help in
her public speeches.

For a secularist, the most

important thing is that
religion doesnt have any
influence on the laws of
the country.

Creation:
The story of how the world began.
 Galileo:
He was an Italian astronomer in the 16-
17 century. He discovered that the
planets orbit the sun and not the planets
orbiting the earth.
This angered the church as he were
proving them wrong. Galileo pushed his
findings and was put on trial by church
and found guilty of heresy. To avoid
being put in prison Galileo publicly took
back what he said.
The big bang:
Most scientists believe that the universe
was created 10-20 billion yrs ago from a
cosmic explosion in outer space. This
explosion hurled matter in all directions.
This theory became known as the BIG
BANG theory

Fundamentalism:
A literal interpretation of
scared scripture.

For hundreds of years, people

accepted the religious view of
creation.
Fundamentalists reject
scientific discoveries that do
not match the information in
their sacred texts.
Christians fundamentalists
believe that everything in the
bible is completely true.
As time went on, new advances
and discoveries in science
 seemed to question the
religious view of creation.
Reflection:
When we reflect, we think about
something that is happening in our
lives and try to understanding how
we feel about it.

Reflecting on an idea or topic helps

us to develop our opinion on it.
By reflecting we can be comfortable
with what we believe.
What we believe about god and
religion is very important. It can
shape our lives and help us to make
decisions.
Experiencing:
How God may play a part in our
understanding of the world.
When some people reflect on the world and
their experiences in it, they may find that
God plays a part in it. They may experience
God in a very real way through moments in
life such as death. For these people, their
world view is often based on what they
believe about god.