Christian Beliefs

    Cards (34)

    • What is the oneness of God and why is it important to Christians?
      Christians bekievd that there is only one God. The oneness of God is important to Christians because:
      . The first of the 10 commandments states, "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus)
      . It is clearly thought throughout the bible
      . It is the teaching of the Church, as seen in the Creeds and other important teaching documents, such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church
      . When asked which was the greatest commandment, Jesus replied, "The most important one is this, 'Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one'." (Mark)
    • What is the trinity? Give examples of where it has been seen/experienced.
      . Christians believe that God is experienced as three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father, Son and Spirit are all equal, all eternal and all God, yet they are distinct persons. This is known as the doctrine of the Holy Trinity
      . The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself."
      . The story of Jesus' baptism demonstrates the three persons of the Trinity. God the Father speaks from heaven, Jesus the Son is baptised, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove
      . The Nicene Creed is a summary of key beliefs which all Christians should share. God the Father is described as the 'Maker of heaven and earth'. Jesus is described as 'The only Son of God', through whom all things were made. It then talks about the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The Holy Spirit described as 'The Lord, the giver of like' who speaks thru prophets.
    • What is the significance of the Trinity in Christian belief and worship?
      . Priests bless their congregations "In the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit"
      . People are baptised and married "In the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit"
      . Most traditional worship services include the reciting of either the Nicene Creed or the Apostles' Creed, both of which describe belief in the Trinity.
    • The creation of the universe and of humanity. Genesis begins with an account of creation. Key points include:
      . "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis)
      . God creates plants, birds, sea creatures, animals and finally human beings in 6 days
      . Human beings are created "in the image of God" (Genesis), showing that they have a special status
      . Human beings are placed in charge of the earth on God's behalf - stewardship
      . God's creation was perfect, "God saw what he had made and it was very good." (Genesis)
      . On the 7th day God rested
      . God's omnipotence is emphasised as he creates with just a word, eg "Let there be light," (Genesis) and it happens
    • The creation of the universe and of humanity. The Trinity and Creation. How do Christian's believe the three persons of the Trinity were involved in creation.
      . God the Father "Created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis)
      , genesis chapter 1 states, "The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters", which Christians believe is a reference to the Holy Spirit
      . John's Gospel begins with the words, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... Through him all things were made." The Word is a reference to Jesus; Christians believe that Jesus was also present and involved in creation
    • The creation of the universe and humanity. What are different Christian interpretations of the creation story.
      . Most Christians believe that God created the world, but they do not take the creation story in Genesis literally. They regard the creation story as a symbolic account written by people with little scientific understanding of the world. They accept the Big Band and evolution as the means by which God created the universe and life.
      . Other Christians believe that the Biblical account of creation fits with the scientific accounts - they are both right. They may point out that a 'day' in Genesis could just mean a very long period of time and that the order in which life is created in Genesis ties in with evolution
      . A minority of Christians believe that the Biblical account of creation is correct and reject scientific theories which contradict the Bible. They believe that the fossil record can be explained by the effects of Noah's flood and that the Earth was created to look billions of years old from the start. These Christians are often called creationists.
    • Why is the creation story important to Christians today?
      . It reminds them that the earth and everything in it belongs to God
      . Human beings are the only creatures created in God's image, so they have a special dignity and value
      . Human beings have been given the responsibility of being stewards, to care for the earth on God's behalf
      . People will be judged by God on the way they treat the world and its inhabitants
    • Key Christian beliefs about Jesus. What is Incarnation?
      . Incarnation is the Christian belief that God became a human being in Jesus. John the Gospel writer says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
      . Jesus was both fully God and fully man. As God, Jesus had the power to perform miracles, forgive sins and live a sinless life. As a man, he experienced hunger and thirst, wept at the death of his friend Lazarus and suffered fear and pain when he was crucified
      . Jesus makes God known to human beings. "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." (John)
      . Christians believe that the incarnation shows God's supreme love for humanity since it is through the death and resurrection of Jesus that people's sins can be forgiven and they can have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John)
    • What happens on the last days of Jesus' life - the last supper?
      . The Last Supper took place in Jerusalem on the night before Jesus' crucifixion
      . Jesus was celebrating the Jewish festival of Passover with his disciples. The Passover meal uses symbolic food and drink to recall the rescue of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt
      . Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples and gave them new meanings. The bread is Jesus' body, "Take, eat, this is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (Luke) The wine is his blood, "This is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you." (Luke)
      . The day is known as Maundy Thursday, from Latin 'mandatum', meaning commandment; Jesus said to his disciples, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John)
      . Jesus predicted that he would be betrayed by one of his disciples and that his disciple Peter would deny knowing him three times
      . Jesus washed his disciples' feet
    • Why is the event of the Last Supper important for Christians?
      . The Last Supper forms the basis of the Eucharist - the drinking of wine and breaking of bread at weekly worship for most Christians - a way of remembering Jesus' sacrifice
      . Jesus taught by example the importance of humility and serving others - Jesus demonstrates this by washing his disciples feet
    • What happens on the last days of Jesus' life - Betrayal and arrest?
      . Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives when Judas arrived with the chief priests and temple guards. Some of the disciples wanted to fight, but Jesus told them to put their swords away
      . Jesus was taken away to the house of the High Priest. Peter followed at a distance, but when questioned, he denied being a follower of Jesus three times, just as Jesus predicted he would.
    • What happened during the Trials of Jesus?
      . First, Jesus was taken before the Jewish council which charged him with blasphemy (speaking disrespectfully about God). They did not have the power to sentence him to death, so they took him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, asking for his execution
      . Pilate could find no evidence against Jesus, so eventually, he offered the people a choice - he would release either Jesus or another prisoner, Barabbas. The people chose Barabbas to be freed, and for Jesus to be condemned to death
    • What happened during Jesus' crucifixion?
      . Jesus was crucified on a Friday (Good Friday). A sign on the cross said he was king of the Jews and he was mocked by bystanders who challenged him to escape death. Jesus spent more than three hours on the cross before he died. Roman soldiers pierced his side with a spear to check that he was really dead.
    • Why is the event of the crucifixion important to Christians?
      . The crucifixion is the ultimate sign of God's love for humanity, since God chose to allow his only Son to die in such an agonising way to bring about forgiveness from sin and atonement. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John)
    • What happened during Jesus' resurrection?
      . As it was nearly the Sabbath, Jesus' body was hastily buried in a tomb with a large stone placed over the entrance. On the Sunday morning, women went to anoint the body with spices, but found the tomb empty. Two angels appeared to them and told them that Jesus had risen. The women then passed this on to the disciples, who did not believe the women and came to see the empty tomb for themselves
      . Jesus appeared to two of his followers travelling to a village named Emmaus, near Jerusalem. These two returned and told the disciples what they had seen
      . Jesus then appeared to the disciples, showing his hands and feet allowing them to touch him
    • Why is Jesus' resurrection an important event for Christians?
      . It proves to them that Jesus really was the Son of God
      . It reassures them that death is not the end
      . The resurrection is the basis of the Christian faith. Saint Paul wrote, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." (1 Corinthians)
    • What happened during the event of Jesus' ascension?
      . The ascension is the return of Christ to heaven which took place 40 days after the resurrection, according to Gospel of Luke. Jesus was taken up from his disciples in a cloud; two angels appear and explain to the disciples that Jesus has been taken to heaven
    • Why is the event of Jesus' ascension important to Christians?
      . They believe this removed Jesus from the limitations of being in human form, enabling him to be present to all followers wherever they are
    • What is Salvation?
      . For Christians, salvation means to be saved from sin and the consequences of sin. Salvation means that Christians can enjoy eternal life in heaven with God
      . Another important term for Christians is atonement (comes from 'at-one-ment') which refers to the idea that the death of Jesus makes it possible for human to be reconciled (brought back into a good relationship) with God
    • Why do people need to be saved?
      . When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin and death came into the world and the perfect relationship between God and human beings was broken. As a further result of this original sin, human nature was damaged beyond repair and all subsequent generations are born sinful
      . Sin is a barrier which separates people from the utter holiness and perfection of God; humans are unable to overcome this barrier by themselves. Christians believe that only God could save human beings from sin, and he did this through the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: "For God so loved the world that he gave us his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John)
    • How does Jesus' death make atonement possible?
      . A ransom - some Christians see the death of Christ as a ransom paid to free captive humanity from the clutches of the Devil. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark)
      . A sacrifice for sin - in Temple times, the Jews sacrificed animals each year at Yom Kippur to ask God for forgiveness. As God incarnate, Jesus' death was worth far more than any other sacrifice and paid the price for human sin. Saint Paul writes, "We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews)
      . A substitute - God's justice requires that human beings should be punished for their sin, but God's love means that he chose to take the punishment upon himself by being born as a human being and suffering on our behalf. This idea is also known as 'penal substitution'
      . Moral change - other Christians believe that the way Jesus brought about atonement was by acting as a moral example to humanity. They believe that through his teachings, the example he set in life and most of all through his death on the cross, Jesus showed God's love for humankind. According to this view, salvation comes from living the Christian life and following the teachings and example of Jesus
    • What is Christian eschatology?
      The word 'eschatology' comes from Greek and means a study of the 'last things'. Christian eschatology refers to Christian beliefs about death, judgement, heaven and hell and the last times
    • Why do Christians believe in life after death?
      . Christians believe in life after death because the Bible states that Jesus was himself raised to life on the first Easter Sunday. Christians believe that Jesus' death and resurrection have made it possible for them to have eternal life
      . Another reason why Christians believe in life after death is that Jesus spoke about it on a number of occasions. For example, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die." (John) and according to Luke's Gospel, Jesus said to the thief crucified alongside him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke)
      . Christians believe in life after death because the Bible talks about it and because all the denominations of the Christian Church teach that death is not the end. For example, the Nicene Creed states, "He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead" and "We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come"
      . Many Christians believe in life after death because it gives their lives meaning and purpose. They feel that for life to end at death does not make sense. A life after death, in which people will be judged, the good rewarded and the evil punished, makes sense of this life and helps to explain why God allows people to suffer on Earth.
    • What do Christians believe about life after death?
      . Although the New Testament is quite certain that life after death is a reality, it does not describe exactly what it will be like, so there are different views amongst Christians
    • What are protestant beliefs about life after death?
      . Many Protestant Christians hold very similar to those of Catholics, although most Protestants do not believe in purgatory because it is not specifically mentioned in the Bible
      . Whilst most Protestant churches teach that there will be a resurrection of the dead and a Day of judgement, some Protestants prefer to think of the afterlife in terms of immortality of the soul rather than resurrection
    • Explain why most Christians believe that people will be judged on their faith and their actions.
      Faith - according to John's Gospel, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John) This suggests that only those who believe in Jesus will be saved
      Good deeds - Jesus told the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats about the Day of Judgement. In it, the people are divided into two groups; the righteous, the sheep, are sent to heaven, whilst the wicked, the goats, are sent to hell. When each groups asks what they have done to deserve their reward or punishment, they are told that whenever they chose to help or ignore someone in need, it was as if they were helping or ignoring Jesus:
      "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
      "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" (Matthew)
    • What are the two stages of the Roman Catholic beliefs about life after death?
      Stage 1 - The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that when an individual dies, there is a 'particular judgement'. The immortal soul is judged and goes either to life in heaven, hell or purgatory.
      Heaven is a place or a state of existence with no hunger, thirst, pain, sickness or death and where humans will be in God's presence. Only those who are totally free from sin can enter heaven.
      Purgatory is a temporary place, or state, in which the soul is purged or purified until it is fit for heaven.
      Hell is a place of punishment. The Bible describes it as a place of fire and torment and separation from God. Some Christians believe in hell as an actual physical place, whilst others thinks of hell as a state in which one is cut off from God forever. Other Christians believe that the wicked will simply cease to exist when they die since they do not believe an all loving God would wish people to suffer for ever.
      Stage 2 - At some point in the future, Christ will return in glory. There will be a general resurrection of the dead and each soul will be reunited with its transformed resurrection body.
      There will be a Last Judgement, followed by the transformation of the universe. There will be a new heaven and a new earth and God will dwell with humans. This is described in the Book of Revelation.
    • What is moral evil and suffering?

      Evil and suffering caused by human beings, eg murder, theft
    • What is natural evil and suffering?
      Evil and suffering caused by nature, eg earthquakes, tsunamis
    • Why is the existence of evil and suffering a problem for Christians?
      The problem of evil questions how a loving and all-powerful God can allow evil and suffering in the world.
    • Why do humans do terrible things to each other if they were created in God's image?

      The question arises from the belief that humans, created in God's image, still commit acts of evil and harm towards one another.
    • How is the problem of evil sometimes explained through the inconsistent triad?
      The inconsistent triad presents a challenge to reconcile the existence of suffering with the belief in an all-powerful and all-loving God.
    • What does the presence of natural disasters like earthquakes and famines question?
      The occurrence of natural disasters raises doubts about the goodness of creation as described in Genesis.
    • How do Christians respond to evil and suffering?
      All Christians are aware that evil and suffering challenge their beliefs and they have developed a variety of explanations for why a good, powerful God allows us to suffer. Theodicy is the term for an attempt to explain the problem of evil.
      . Many Christians say that God created humans with free will, the ability to choose between right and wrong, not to be like robots. So, evil and suffering are caused by people, not by God
      . The Book of Job explores three answers to the problem of evil and suffering, 1. That suffering is a test, 2. That suffering is a punishment for sin, 3. That suffering is part of God's plan, which is beyond human understanding
      . Some Christians respond to suffering by remembering that it is only temporary and that they will go to heaven for ever, a place where there will be "no more death or mourning or crying or pain." (Revelation)
      . John Hick suggested that human beings were created in the image of God, but had to grow and develop into the likeness of God. Evil and suffering are part of our world because they help us to learn, grow and develop and improve our characters as we respond to our own suffering and to the suffering of others. Suffering can make us stronger, more courageous and more compassionate. Eventually, everyone will be transformed into the likeness of God, whether that is in this life or in the afterlife.
      . Christians believe that Jesus suffered and died to save humans and allow them to have eternal life. God knows what it is like to suffer and will be with people in their suffering
      . For many Christians there is no point worrying about where evil and suffering came from, it is more important to try to do something about it! Jesus also told his followers to help those who are suffering (eg Parable of the Sheep and the Goats). Christians may help by praying for those in need, or b
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