christianity

• Confirmation, reconciliation, and last rites are 3 of the 7 sacraments in Catholicism
• Confirmation, reconciliation, and last rites are not considered sacraments by some Christian denominations like Quakers
• The Church of England celebrates baptism and the Eucharist as the only sacraments
• Many Christians see baptism as a way for a person to join the church
• A sacrament is a holy ritual or rite believed by many Christians to be an outward sign of God's love or grace
• Church persecution relates to organizations like Tearfund, which work to support persecuted Christians in countries like North Korea, Pakistan, and Somalia
• Organizations like Open Doors and Barnabas Fund lobby governments and offer practical support to persecuted Christians to help them sustain their faith
• Tearfund focuses on poverty and helping people improve their financial situation by teaching them how to save money and get jobs
• In Christianity, the incarnation refers to Jesus being born and God becoming flesh on earth
• Jesus' crucifixion involved him being killed on the cross, with nails driven through his hands and feet to prove his death
• Jesus' resurrection signifies him coming back to life after being crucified
• Jesus' ascension refers to him going up to heaven to be with God after his resurrection
• Catholics and Quakers believe there are 7 sacraments, while Quakers do not believe in sacraments
• Baptists and Pentecostal Christians consider believer's baptism an important practice, with Baptists viewing it as a sacrament
• Atheist


  Someone who does not believe in God
• Faith


  A commitment to God and religion that goes beyond profession
• Personal Revelation


  God making themselves known through ordinary experiences open to all
• General Revelation


  God making themselves known through extraordinary experiences
• Transcendent


  God's nature as beyond our understanding, existing outside the universe
• Miracle


  A remarkable event that cannot be explained by science alone
• Special Revelation


  God making themselves known through extraordinary experiences
• Evidence


  Something that shows something is true or existent
• Turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana and walking on water are miracles of Jesus
• Miracles go against the laws of nature, so only something supernatural like God could cause them
• There are other explanations for miracles like the person is lying or hallucinating
• God reveals himself through remarkable experiences usually directly to one person or a small group of people e.g. visions or dreams
• Saul persecutes Christians. On the Road to Damascus he experiences a vision of God. This causes Saul to start believing in God, to change his ways and preach about Him
• God reveals himself through everyday objects that are subject to a believer's interpretation e.g. through nature where God's omnibenevolence can be seen in His creation or through scripture where God gives information about Himself
• Hate Crime


  A crime motivated by hatred and discriminating against someone
• Community Service


  A way of punishing offenders by making then do unpaid work in the community
• Corporal Punishment


  Punishment of an offender by causing them physical pain/harm
• Crime


  An action which is against the law and incurs a punishment
• Death Penalty


  Capital Punishment; A prisoner is put to death for the crimes they have committed
• Deterrence


  An aim of punishment preventing future crimes
• Retribution


  An aim of punishment that seeks a form of revenge on criminals
• Reformation


  An aim of punishment that tries to change criminals
• Some may treat the offender with mercy if they had good intentions but committed a bad action, as it is through original sin that humans have a tendency to do bad things
• Many would still say the person acted badly and that the intention behind the action should be considered when deciding what punishment they will receive
• Some feel it is never okay to break the law as they have a duty to obey God's commandments. Actions that involve violence are considered particularly sinful
• Reasons for why someone might commit a crime


  • Poverty
  • Upbringing
  • Mental illness
  • Addiction
  • Greed
  • Hate