The free will defence
I can explain the free will defence, with reference to the Christian teachings on the creation of humans.
The free will defence
I can explain the free will defence, with reference to the Christian teachings on the creation of humans.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- The book of Genesis describes God creating humans to have free will, and the first humans misusing their free will.
- Many Christians believe Adam and Eve's disobedience and misuse of their free will introduced evil into the world.
- Some Christians believe that humans have inherited Adam and Eve's tendancy to sin; this is known as original sin.
- Most Christians agree that evil continues in the world today because humans often misuse their free will.
- God allows free will for the greater good and many Christians defend God's nature through the free will defence.
Keywords
Free will - being able to choose between different actions
Genesis - the first book of the Torah and the Bible, containing the story of creation
Original sin - the idea that all humans are born with a tendency to sin because of Adam and Eve's disobedience
Common misconception
If God was all loving, all powerful and all knowing, he would not allow humans to make harmful choices.
Many Christians would argue that God gave humans the gift of free will because a world with free choice and evil is better than a world without free choice; true love and goodness can only come through free choice.
To help you plan your year 8 religious education lesson on: The free will defence, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 religious education lesson on: The free will defence, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 3 religious education lessons from the Suffering: Can Christian theology overcome the problem of evil? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
- Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
Supervision
Adult supervision required
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