Catholic Christianity
Christians believe in one God, whom they call father. Jesus, another huge belief all Christians are taught at a young age is believed to be the son of God who was sent to save mankind from evil and/or sin. During church, many Christians take the time to pray as it is a way to communicate with God.
Myths and Other Sacred Stories
There are two stories in which Christians view as ‘sacred stories The Parable of The Lost Son which “tells of the younger son in a family, who obtains his inheritance from his father. This son leaves for a distant land, where he squanders all in debauchery, has to take up the work of herding swine, and is even reduced to hungering for the food of swine. He finally comes to his senses and decides to return home, if only to work for his father as a hired labourer. As he nears home, his father takes the positive step of welcoming him, even holding a feast. The older brother, who had remained at home working, resents the mercy shown. But the father says that they should rejoice because the son who was dead now lives.”—Luke 15:11-32. Sacred Texts and other Religious writings The sacred texts in christian society include the Bible which has two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Any writing the popes have written on doctrine is considered by the Catholics as sacred and infallible. In addition the books of the Old Testament are also considered scriptural as these tell of the revelation of God throughout history, before the coming of Christ. But also they point to the coming of Christ through prophesy. Formal creeds that Christians respect is the Nicean Creed which is recited at every mass. The 10 Commandments is from the Old Testament summarizing the basic obligations a individual has to act towards God. Christians believe that they were delivered by Moses on Mount Sinai engraved on two tables of stone. Rituals Most Christians attend worship services every Sunday. Naturally all Christians would have been baptized which is also the first ritual a person would take in their christian life and is also given a very important document stating that the person is a catholic. Christians should be taking communion often which is where they receive the bread. Christmas is a very important ritual that ever Christian celebrates yearly. Christmas is seen as a day full of receiving presents, spending the day with family and eating a large meal. Sometimes people forget the meaning of Christmas, which is the day where we believe that Jesus was born. Easter is another very important Christian event. Christians believe that it is the start of new life, which is why it is symbolised with eggs. Social Structure |
|
Ethical Principles and Oral/Written Behaviour
Christian ethics would be the principles derived from the Christian faith by which we act. While God’s Word may not cover every situation we face throughout our lives, its principles give us the standards by which we must conduct ourselves in those situations where there are no explicit instructions.
For example, the Bible does not say anything explicitly about the use of illegal drugs, yet based on the principles we learn through Scripture, we can know that it is wrong. For one thing, the Bible tells us that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that we should honor God with it. Knowing what drugs do to our bodies—the harm they cause to various organs—we know that by using them we would be destroying the temple of the Holy Spirit. That is certainly not honoring to God.
Christian ethics would be the principles derived from the Christian faith by which we act. While God’s Word may not cover every situation we face throughout our lives, its principles give us the standards by which we must conduct ourselves in those situations where there are no explicit instructions.
For example, the Bible does not say anything explicitly about the use of illegal drugs, yet based on the principles we learn through Scripture, we can know that it is wrong. For one thing, the Bible tells us that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that we should honor God with it. Knowing what drugs do to our bodies—the harm they cause to various organs—we know that by using them we would be destroying the temple of the Holy Spirit. That is certainly not honoring to God.