CATHOLIC CHRISTIANITY
Beliefs:
Christians believe that there is only one God and also believe in the Trinity, which is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Christians also believe that there is life after death. By believing in God and following his teachings, one can inherit internal life. The majority of Christians believe in some kind of heaven and hell. Catholic Christians also believe in purgatory, which is like a waiting room for sinners to amend their sins. The ten Commandments and 8 Beatitudes also reflect Christian’s beliefs.
Myths & Other Stories:
They include stories of Saints, who had a strong connection with God and had an immense faith with God, sharing Jesus’ stories and educating others about God through their actions and words. Examples of these are Saint Francis of Assisi and Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Old Testament is constructed of myths. This includes the Creation Story and the story of Adam & Eve. Although they are only stories, they hold a hidden meanings and significance in each one. For example, the story of Adam and Eve, in which God had created man and where original sin had been created, should not be interpreted literally. Each character symbolises something different. In the story of Adam and Eve, the snake for example symbolises evil or Satan.
Sacred Texts:
The Bible, which is the most important sacred texts of Christianity. It contains accounts and stories of God’s actions in the world and has the Word of God inside it. The Bible is divided into 2 sections : The Old Testament and The New Testament. The New Testaments are about Jesus’ life and teachings and of his death and resurrection. It teaches that you can be forgiven your sins as salvation is a gift from God.
Religious Rituals:
The most Christian rituals are sacraments. They are sacred rites that are significant and special as one would be experiencing God’s grace. There are 7 sacraments, which are baptism, confession, eucharist, confirmation, marriage, holy orders, anointing of the sick. Each sacrament are significant in their own ways. For example, the sacrament of confirmation is one of the Sacraments of Initiation. The meaning of Confirmation, is that you are a full member of the Church. Another example would be baptism. Baptism is a sign of moral purification, an indication that the child is ready for the coming of God, which is why it’s usually performed when the child is very young. It’s also the Church’s way of celebrating and reenacting the embrace of God. Other practices and rituals include a Sunday worship service. During worship services, there will usually be singing, prayer and a sermon.
Symbols:
There are several symbols in Christianity. The cross and the crucifix being one of the most common ones. The crucifix is a representation of Jesus dying on the cross. It symbolises Jesus’ sacrifice for us. The Bread and Wine is also a very prominent symbol in Christianity, as it represents the body and blood of Christ. It’s used during Eucharist as it also represents Jesus’ words at the Last Supper
Ethical Principles:
One of the many ethical principles of Christianity is that the Church is against contraception and abortions. One of the strong beliefs in the Catholic Church is the Sanctity of Life, which is the belief that all life is sacred and should treasured and treated correctly and well. The Church believes that the embryo is alive from conception, making contraception an immoral act. Also by having an abortion, you are essentially killing a life. This breaks not only the law of Sanctity of Life, but also breaking one of the commandments, which is “Thou shalt not murder.”
Ethical principles and oral and written codes of behaviour are based on God’s words. We have to conduct ourselves in the way we act and display ourselves by how God would want us to. An example of an ethical principle of Christianity is that the use of illegal drugs is wrong. The Bible says “...your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you...glorify God in your body.”. It’s saying that our bodies is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that we should honour it as God gave it to us. So by using illegal drugs, which causes harm to our bodies, we are essentially destroying the temple of the Holy Spirit and dishonouring God.
Social Structure:
The Church’s social structure is in a hierarchical form. The Pope, who lives in the Vatican, is the head of the Church. Then come the Cardinals, who are handpicked by the Pope himself. Cardinals are priests who help advise the Pope, and if the Pope were to pass away, the Cardinals would elect a new Pope. Next are the archbishops and bishops. The main job of an archbishop is to oversee and manage an archdiocese, which is very large collection of parishes. A bishops role is somewhat the same, except they only manage a collection of local parishes, not a very large amount.
Bishops also have the right to perform sacraments, such as confirmation and holy orders. And after a certain number of years, each bishop have to report back to the Pope about their particular diocese. Bishops also appoint priests to represent him to a local parish. Priests usually live next to the Church in building which is owned by the Church. The job of a priest is The responsibility of a deacon is to take care of anything else related to the Church. Sometimes this can be administrative or organisational tasks, maintaining the upkeep of buildings or being the Church treasurer.
Religious Experiences:
Catholic's experience is based on our Church's construct of faith that Jesus lived, died and resurrected from the dead for us and to restore us to the Father. Christ is the Son of God by Whom the Heavenly Father is well pleased, listen to Him. Christ is the fulfillment of all the prophets, visions, voices, symbols, miracles of the Old Testament. We experience Christ in the His Word and especially in the Mass - the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as well as participation of His absolution of sins in the sacrament of penance. We are incorporated into the life of Christ through baptism and recall our baptismal promises every time we enter the church and bless ourselves with the Sign of the Cross with Holy Water.
