Discuss
40 marks
OCR A-level religious studies
The qualities of God vary between religions and cultures, however the God of classical theism is one
who is believed to be omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent. When studied, this theology can
be criticised due to the contradictions between ideas and confusing concepts it portrays.
God’s omnipotence is made clear from the start of the Bible, in the creation stories found in Genesis
- ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’, and throughout. This power is shown
through miracles and acts incomprehensible to humans, and it is often suggested that his power is
not limited to what he has done – ‘He does what he pleases’. However, when analysed the idea of
unlimited power raises numerous problems; can God do everything? For example, can he create a 5