Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based around the life of Jesus Christ. Christianity is known as the world's largest religion. In their faith, they believe that the son of God is Jesus who is the saviour of earth. Christians believe that by learning about Jesus Christ, it will better our lives in understanding who Jesus is and what he did for us. Worshiping Christ is a very important part of our faith. It is mandatory for the followers of this faith to go to church every Saturday or Sunday. Also many christians pray and read the Bible every day to maintain a connection with christ.

Successes/Challenges Being a follower of christianity helps up to develop our relationship with God. By believing in Christianity, we as christians will ascend to heaven. if daily practices are met, if we live a life with mercy, and dedication to the faith. However, unfortunately, some people may not have the time to dedicate for praying in a day. This is a challenge christians may face, and need to overcome to better their relationship with God.

Similarities and Differences Christianity is unique in its own way, but is also similar to other religions in many ways. Christianity is monotheistic as well as Judaism and Islam. Like other religions, followers of Christianity believe in one God but in different forms. Christians have faith in their salvation as they know that their salvation is related to what Jesus already did for them. This is different from other religions as they are not sure where they are going to go after they have past.

Symbols of the Christian Faith

Icthus- From the Greek word of fish. Icthus is the first letters of Jesus Christ, in so the symbol of the fish. Christians in the past were scared of identifying oneself as a Christian so they used this symbol.

INRI- INRI from the Latin inscription over the cross. This stands for “Jesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaiorum” which means “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews”.

Chi Rho- From Greek terminology, as the first two letters of the Christ Superimposed on someone.

Linked Circles- Three linked circles stand for the holy unity of God.

Dove of Peace- This is a symbolization of God’s spirit at the baptism of Jesus Christ.

Palm Leaves- This is a symbolic representation of Palm Sunday.

Crown of Thorns- is known as the symbol of Christ suffering on the cross.

Scallop Shell- Pilgrim symbolization for St. James of Compostella.

Tongues of Flame- Flames of fire represent the Holy Spirit.

Lamb of God- Lamb of God is distinguished in two ways. One comes from John the Baptist description of the one and only Jesus. The second is the Passover lamb at the resurrection of Jesus.

Cross Keys- Symbolic representation of St. Peter for the keys to Heaven.

Alpha and Omega- From Greek terminology, which represent the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet. As well represent the beginning and the end meaning god is all.

Milestones/Sacraments of the Catholic Faith

Baptism- is the one of the seven sacrament that all Christian denominations share in common. In the Catholic Church, babies are baptized to welcome them into the Catholic faith and free them from original sin.

Eucharist- is the completion of Christian initiation. The second part of the Baptism sacrament.

Confirmation- is the sacrament that completes the sacrament of Baptism. It is the sacrament of maturity and coming of age.

Reconciliation- is one of the seven sacraments, where the faithful get absolution for their sins against god and are reconciled by the Catholic church.

Anointing of the sick- is a sacrament that is administered to bring spiritual and even physical strength during an illness. It is usually given to those near the time of death. It is most likely one of the last sacraments one will receive.

Marriage- is known as the sacrament where covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life. As well with marriage they are ordered to both have offspring’s if both partners agree.

Holy Orders- This sacrament is simply a hierarchy to divide the 3 levels of the church. At the top are Bishops, then Priests follow and at the bottom are deacon(Us).

Pilgrimage in the Christian Faith

There are many Pilgrimages that occur in the Christian Faith. The two main ones are to the Holy Land and Rome.

Holy Land- The first pilgrimage was to the Holy Land. These were in search of traces of Jesus, prophets and disciples. These pilgrimages to the Holy Land were encouraged by church fathers and mothers. Not only were these pilgrimages to Rome for Jesus but as well for Apostles and or Saints.

Rome- Pilgrimages to Rome, have been a major part since the middle ages. These were to visit the Vatican and other locations in Italian territory. A very known spot is, Pilate’s stairs, and this is where Jesus stood on way to his trial. As well along the pilgrimage to Rome, they always went to 7 specific churches to witness the past.

Daily Practices in the Christian Faith

In the Christian faith, there are not daily practices that are mandatory, but there are such things that are recommended in a day. One example is daily prayer. As well in the daily life of a Christian you are expected to read your bible. Reading the bible will help further your connection with God and as well you will have a better relationship with him. Also Christians are to live a life where they are thankful, forgiving and as well where they reflect upon their sins. Christians are to be kind, loving and caring people towards others. They are to share their experiences and ways with others to improve the quality of life and help others in all situations. All of these practices are not mandatory in a day, but they will help build your relationship with God. Christians are expected to go to church on either Saturday or Sunday to read the bible and have mass.

Community of Faith

Development and Evolution of the Faith

Christianity developed out of Judaism in the 1st century C.E. It was founded on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who follow Jesus are called “Christians”. Christianity has many different branches and forms with accompanying variety in beliefs and practices (Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism). The creation story is a story that states that it took 7 days for God to create the world. Christians believe this is where everything started.

Organization of Community

Church is the main place for Christians to gather together. Many people today understand the church as a building. This isn’t the biblical understanding of the Church. The word Church originated from the Greek word ekklesia which means “an assembly” or “called out ones”. The root meaning of “church” is not that of a building, but of people. In Church people pray, sing, and do many other things together. Church is mandatory for Christians. They need to go to church every Sunday and worship God.

Sacred Stories

The Bible is a book that all Christians believe and follow. The Bible contains of 66 books (from old testament and new testament) and every single one of these books have a meaning to Christians. Parables are simple stories used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels. These parables give Christians powerful messages from God. Scriptures guide us through life.

Religious Experiences

Divine Experiences

In Christianity, Christians believe in one God, however he is seen in three different forms; the father, the son and the Holy Spirit-this is known as the Holy Trinity. Some people believe that God appeared as the father in the Old Testament and appeared as the son in the New Testament of the bible. Furthermore, God is the son, the father and the Holy Spirit. In the bible, Jesus (the son) was said to have performed impossible miracles that saved people’s lives. In addition, there were many instances where God did unexplainable things, such as giving a man the power to split the Red Sea in half or talk to him through a burning bush. These are examples of a divine religious experience as these events happened because of Jesus and God who had great power to make differences in people’s lives.

Human Experiences

Christians believe that by praying every day and going to Church their bond with God will be strengthened. This time they have with God is very important as they get to ask him for guidance in their lives or even thank him for all he has done. Praying to God helps people to understand how valuable life is and how they must spend their life as life is too short to mess up. This is a great example of human experiences that Christians have. As Christians pray, they tell God how they feel and talk about what sins they have made or even just to thank him for giving them life into this world. People also pray with what is called a Rosary, which is a string of prayer beads that signify what and how many prayers have to be said. Praying can be done almost anywhere, and is usually done on Sundays in churches. Passages from the bible are said, songs are sung and simple lessons about life and what God has done are also voiced to them by the priest.

Demonic Experiences

Aside from human and divine experiences, some demonic experiences have occurred too. Something as simple as The Seven Deadly Sins are as demonic as it gets. The Seven Deadly Sins are behaviors or habits that can get completely out of control and can change a human being. These sins are also seen as abusive and are very scary habits to have if not controlled. The Seven Deadly Sins include pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth. The reason why these are so deadly is because they can consume someone and change who they are and what their morals are. By being too envious, greedy and angry and having too much lust, you will lose sight of what is really important and just strive to gain whatever you want no matter what it takes even if it means doing the wrong thing. Having too much pride makes you condescending and cocky and makes you overlook certain situations due to how good you feel about yourself. Gluttony and sloth will ultimately lead to extremely bad habits and laziness. These sins are good examples of demonic experiences as these will negatively change your life if not controlled. This type of behavior depicts someone who is lost in the darkness and can’t find their way out-they are controlled by evil behavior. Another instance where there have been demonic involvements in Christianity was when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden and was forbidden to eat the apple but still ate it. This was due to Satan (the devil) taking the form of a serpent and convincing them to eat the apple even though God said not too.

Doctrine

Beatitudes

Catholics have many doctrines in which they believe they should live by. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ declared the eight Beatitudes on the Sermon on the Mount. A Beatitude is a phrase that declares an individual or a group of people’s measure of happiness, their blessings and words of encouragement.

The eight beatitudes are :

1.Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2.Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.

3.Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

4.Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.

5.Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

6.Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.

7.Blessed are the peacemakers,for they shall be called children of God.

8.Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3-10

Catholics believe that following this way of life will lead to eternal life in heaven.

Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed

As Catholics, we also follow the doctrines outlined in the the Apostle and Nicene creed. These creeds explain and portray the core beliefs of Catholics. They are in fact a testament to our faith.

The Apostles creed is as follows:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Nicene creed is as follows:

We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory, to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed was written by a group of Christians who wanted to give people from different faiths a chance to be baptized, and it gave them this list of "rules" to follow. The earliest record of the Creed's existence came about in a letter written in 390 A.D. by the Council of Milan. The Nicene creed was first created at the First Ecumenical Council, held at Nicea, which is now Turkey, in 325, as a response to the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. It was then revised at the Second Ecumenical Council, held at Constantinople in 381 as a response to the Macedonian heresy, which denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit.

Ten Commandments

Finally the Ten Commandments are a very important guidelines for living according to God’s will. The Ten Commandments were written by God upon two tablets of stone and then given to Moses on Mount Sinai, around the 13th or 14th century BC. They where written as rules by God for his people to follow. They are :

You shall have no other Gods but me. You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy. Respect your father and mother. You must not commit murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not give false evidence against your neighbour. You must not be envious of your neighbour's goods. You shall not be envious of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbour.

The Catholic norms of behaviour are very similar to what is outlined in both the Nicene and the Apostles creed. Being of the Catholic faith means following the Ten Commandments, living by the Beatitudes and going to church on Sunday or Saturday,depending on your Catholic sect. Many Catholic people also read the Bible and pray daily. These prayers may include the Hail Mary and the Our Father. Catholic people are also encouraged to live by the example set forth by Jesus Christ. This means to be kind, helpful, forgiving, and respectful. Finally, in it's most simplest form, to be Catholic means to treat all others the way you wish to be treated. This was perhaps one of the most important message Jesus left for his followers.