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Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies

Life, death and the existence of God — Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies revision

Free revision notes, key terms, common exam traps and 5 practice questions with answers. About 7 minutes to read.

Arguments for the existence of God

  • The design argument suggests the order, complexity and purpose seen in the universe (e.g. the fine-tuning of natural laws) points to an intelligent designer.
  • The cosmological (First Cause) argument states that everything that exists has a cause, and since the universe cannot cause itself, there must be an uncaused first cause, often identified as God.
  • Miracles are seen by believers as extraordinary events that break natural laws and reveal divine power, strengthening believers' faith.
  • Religious experiences, such as a sense of God's presence, visions or answered prayer, are seen by some as personal evidence of God's existence, though they are subjective and hard to verify.

Arguments against the existence of God

  • The problem of evil and suffering questions how an all-powerful, all-loving God could allow suffering to exist in the world.
  • Scientific explanations such as the Big Bang theory offer a naturalistic account of the universe's origin without requiring a creator.
  • The theory of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity and complexity of life without needing a designer, challenging the design argument.
  • Atheism is the belief that there is no God; agnosticism holds that God's existence cannot be known either way; humanism is a non-religious worldview emphasising reason, evidence and human values rather than religious belief.

Key terms

Design argument
The idea that the order and complexity of the universe suggest an intelligent designer.
Cosmological argument
The argument that the universe must have a first, uncaused cause, often identified as God.
Miracle
An extraordinary event that appears to break natural laws, attributed to divine action.
Religious experience
A personal encounter or awareness of the divine, such as a vision or sense of God's presence.
Atheism
The belief that God does not exist.
Agnosticism
The view that it is impossible to know whether God exists.

Common exam traps

  • Confusing the design argument (order/purpose implies a designer) with the cosmological argument (everything needs a cause).
  • Assuming atheism and agnosticism are the same — atheism denies God's existence, agnosticism says it cannot be known.
  • Forgetting that religious believers can still accept scientific theories like the Big Bang or evolution as the 'how', while believing God is the 'why'.

Practice questions with answers

  1. 1. The design argument claims that the order in the universe suggests what?

    • • An intelligent designer
    • • Random chance only
    • • No creator
    • • Evolution alone

    Answer: An intelligent designer

    The design argument infers a designer from apparent order and purpose.

  2. 2. Explain the basic idea of the cosmological argument.

    Answer: Everything that exists has a cause, and since the universe cannot have caused itself, there must be a first, uncaused cause, often identified as God.

    This is a classic philosophical argument for God's existence.

  3. 3. What is a miracle usually understood to be?

    • • An event that breaks natural laws through divine power
    • • A scientific theory
    • • A type of prayer
    • • A form of meditation

    Answer: An event that breaks natural laws through divine power

    Miracles are seen as extraordinary interventions by God.

  4. 4. What is a religious experience?

    • • A personal encounter or awareness of the divine
    • • A scientific experiment
    • • A type of ritual sacrifice
    • • A historical document

    Answer: A personal encounter or awareness of the divine

    This includes visions, feelings of God's presence and answered prayer.

  5. 5. Give one criticism of religious experience as evidence for God.

    Answer: It is subjective and cannot be verified by others, so it may be explained psychologically rather than as genuine contact with God.

    Sceptics question the reliability of personal religious experience.

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