Christianity beliefs

• Original sin


  • Evil and suffering are caused by the Fall of Adam and Eve
  • Their disobedience brought sin into the world
  • All people are born sinful and inherit this from Adam and Eve
• Trinity


  The three parts of God: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit
• The Trinity is the central belief of Christianity that underpins every other Christian belief
• The Trinity shows that Jesus is the Incarnation of God and that God is present in the world today through the Holy Spirit
• The Trinity teaches that God is one, despite being known through three distinct persons
• Genesis 1:1: 'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth'
• The Trinity


  • God the Father as powerful Creator
  • Jesus Christ as the incarnate Son
  • The Holy Spirit as the Giver of Life and source of inspiration
• The complete Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - were all present and involved in creation
• The seven days of creation

  • Day 1: Light created
  • Day 2: Sky created
  • Day 3: Dry land, sea, plants and trees created
  • Day 4: Sun, moon and stars created
  • Day 5: Creatures of the sea and sky created
  • Day 6: Land animals and humans created
  • Day 7: God rested
• Fundamentalist/Literalist view of creation


  • Believe the Genesis account is literally true and reject scientific discoveries like the Big Bang
  • Believe God created the world in 6 literal 24-hour days
• Liberal/Modernist view of creation

  • Believe Genesis is a metaphorical myth with a moral message, not a literal historical account
  • Believe science and religion can explain creation together
• Resurrection


  The foundational Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death
• Christians believe there will be a final judgment by God, where people will be separated into the righteous "sheep" and the unrighteous "goats"
• Heaven


  The eternal afterlife that Christians believe the righteous will be rewarded with, either as a physical place or a spiritual state of being united with God
• The idea that there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain in heaven


  Links to the problem of evil and suffering, and the idea that this world isn't meant to be perfect because the next world will be
• To live in heaven


  Is to be with Christ
• The Bible teaches that hell is where unrepentant sinners go after death if they have not accepted forgiveness and salvation through Jesus
• It is hard to end up in hell because you have to have sinned, be unrepentant about it, and actively refuse to accept forgiveness and salvation
• Hell is a place of pain and suffering, and importantly, a place without God
• Beliefs about the nature of hell

  • It is a physical place where there is a fiery lake of burning sulfur
  • It is a spiritual state of being separated from God for eternity
• No one is predestined to hell, as God is all-loving and it is a willful turning away from God that leads there
• Some Christians believe heaven and hell are physical places, while others believe they are spiritual states
• Belief in heaven


  Influences Christians to follow Jesus, worship God, do good and avoid sin, and have hope and reassurance about death
• Belief in hell


  Influences Christians to follow scripture, be fearful of punishment, remain faithful to God, and potentially believe in universal salvation
• At Jesus' baptism, a voice from heaven said "This is my Son"
• Jesus is 100% Divine (due to the Trinity)


  And 100% human
• Why Christians believe Jesus is the Son of GodThe Nicene Creed and Apostles' Creed teach that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God

  • The resurrection and ascension prove his divinity
  • The virgin birth fulfills prophecy and shows his divinity
  • God spoke and called him his son at his baptism
  • The gospels, refer to Jesus as the Son of God
  • The miracles he performed demonstrate his divine powers and authority
• Influence of believing Jesus is the Son of God on Christians


  • They take his teachings seriously as coming from divine authority
  • They put Jesus and his teachings at the center of their lives
  • They celebrate key events like Christmas, Easter, and the Ascension
  • They attend church regularly to worship Jesus
  • They may evangelize to convert others to Christianity
  • They believe salvation is through Jesus Christ alone
  • They dedicate their lives to following Jesus' teachings
• Key events - Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension

  1. Crucifixion on Good Friday - Jesus sentenced to death by crucifixion for blasphemy, but Christians believe his death was sacrificial to atone for sins

  2. Resurrection on Easter Sunday - Jesus was brought back to life, overcoming sin and death, opening the door to eternal life

  3. Ascension 40 days after resurrection - Jesus ascended to heaven to return to God
• Importance of the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension

  • They provide evidence that Jesus was the Son of God
  • They demonstrate the Christian belief in life after death
  • They explain how Jesus saved and redeemed humanity by sacrificing himself
  • They allow Christians to be saved from sin and have eternal life
  • They give Christians hope and comfort
• The impact of believing in the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension

  It influences Christians to take the Eucharist seriously, to pray and be thankful, to have hope for life after death, to take up their cross and follow Jesus, and to celebrate Easter and Christmas
• Humans cannot save themselves, they depend on Jesus whether through following his teachings or having faith in his resurrection
• Sin


  Behavior which is against God's laws and wishes, against Christian principles of morality
• Baptism


  Removes and cleanses original sin
• Crucifixion of Jesus


  Act of atonement that saves Christians from sin
• Jesus as the Lamb of God


  Takes away the sins of the world, the ultimate sacrifice
• Jesus is sinless because of his virgin birth and Immaculate Conception, so he can pay the price for others' sins
• Atonement


  Making amends for a wrongdoing, Jesus's sacrificial death makes amends for human sin
• Salvation


  The saving of the soul and being able to enter Heaven
• Parable of the sheep and the goats: 'You must do good works to be saved, not just avoid sin'