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What did William Alston argue?

The belief in God from mystical experiences is justified and rational as long as there are no reasons to believe that the apparent Mystical perceptions are unreliable.

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What are Alston's two arguments of justification of MEs?

1)Similar to the perception of physical objects in sense experiences (e.g. touching something) 2) Foundational belief- Not derived from any other belief (e.g. I am in pain)

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What was swinburne's 3 arguments?

Principle of Credulity. Principle of Testimony. Cumulative Argument.

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What is Swinburne's Principle of Credulity?

What someone claims to be true is probably the case- It is reasonable to believe that the world is how we experience it to be,

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What is Swinburne's Principle of testimony?

People's testimony of religious experience provides good reasons to believe that God exists.

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What are the 4 special reasons that Swinburne said that you may doubt someone's validity of an event?

1) Unreliable (drugged) 2) If similar perceptions are shown to be false (e.g.drug induced by LSD) 3)If there is strong evidence that what was present did not exist (e.g. a mirage) 4) If the event can be accounted for in other ways (temporal lobes)

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What is the inductive argument?

The conclusion does not necessarily follow from the premises- People claiming they experience God is good reason to believe that God exists.(If an entity is experienced then it must exist- people claim to experience god- God exists.)

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What is Swinburne's Cumulative argument?

A collection of arguments that together increase the persuasiveness of the case.

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Explain the Cumulative argument.

On the basis of the POT, it is probable that some RE are real and accurate. The claim that God exists can only be defeated if it is more probable that he doesn't. The CA shows that its more probable God exists. It is therefore up to the sceptic to

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Give 3 challenges from philosophy that question Religious experiences.

1. RE are not the same as sense experiences. 2. A direct experience from God is not possible. 3. A RE can not be verified. 4. There is a lack of uniformity of RE.

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Give Three physiological explanations.

1. Drugs. 2. Stimulation of Temporal Lobes. 3. Brain imaging shows certain regions of brain are active during RE. 4.Isolation and sensory deprivation.

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Give 3 psychological explanations.

1. Personality traits- feeling rather than thinking. 2. Carl Jung- source of RE is the psyche.

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What is the Toronto Blessing?

A phenomenon said to have occured in Toronto- the congregation fell to the ground, shook wept and laughed uncontrollably- interpreted to be outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

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Arguments for RE showing that God exists?

Rational to believe (Alston)/ The onus of proof is on the sceptic/The challenges from philosophy and science are flawed/Some experiences are shared.

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Arguments against RE showing that God exists?

There is no God/ Subjective/ Natural explanations can never be ruled out/ Challenges are successful.

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Reasons why it is necessary to have a RE to understand an RE.

Ineffability- beyond description/ Subjective and private/Personal.

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Reasons why it is not necessary to have a RE in order to understand an RE.

Being able to categorise and understand/ Objective features e.g speaking in tongues/insight into the brain from science.

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What is the Persinger Helmet?

study creativity and the effects of subtle stimulation of the temporal lobes.[1] Reports by participants of a "sensed presence" while wearing the God helmet

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