Religion & Society

With reference to a religious tradition that you have studied, discuss the
relevance of beliefs about ultimate reality in dealing with the big questions of
life. In the Catholic tradition, people share common beliefs about ultimate reality,
these beliefs can help us to understand and answers the existential questions or
the big questions of life. These questions are: who am I? Why am I here? Is there
a power greater than us in the universe? What is good and what is evil? Is there
life after death? The beliefs of where we came from and why God created us help
us to answer who we and where we came from. The beliefs of Heaven, the
afterlife, the resurrection of Christ and The Lord help us to answer if there is life
after death and if there is a power greater than us in the universe. The beliefs of
the Ten Commandments and being rewarded in Heaven help us to answer what
is good, and what is evil.
The Catholic Church believes that we all came from the image of God. A belief
that helps Catholics understand the question who am I? is that every human is
created in the image of God. This tells Catholics that we came from God which is
further supported in Genesis 1:27 So God created humankind in his image.
This tells Catholics that we are all the image of God which means that we were
made to resemble God making a possible answer to the question being that we
are the image of God. Another common belief that answers why we are here is
that God created us in love and for his pleasure so that we have freedom to
make our own choices. When we ask why we are here we are answered with the
belief that God created us for pleasure, giving us the ability to make choices and
to choose the right, or the wrong path. In Colossians 1:16 it states that all things
have been created through him and for him. Suggesting that God indeed
created us for his pleasure and through love. This leaves the answer to the
question why am I here? being that we are here to satisfy God and to live our
lives freely and make our own choices.
To answer what is good and what is evil we look at the Ten Commandments and
the beliefs of heaven. Catholics believe in the Ten Commandments as rules to
follow to help us live our lives peacefully. Catholics also believe that if we are
good then we are sent to heaven, and if we are bad we are sent to hell. These
Ten Commandments help us to determine what is good and what is evil. Rules
such as Thou shalt not steal and Thou shalt not kill are examples of the Ten
Commandments that determine what is good and what is evil. As it says in 1
Corinthians 2:9 What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man
imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. This tells us that if we
are good by loving God and following these commandments God will be
rewarded us. The answer to what is good and what is evil is determined by the
Ten Commandments and the beliefs about heaven.
Beliefs of heaven, God, The Lord and the resurrection of Christ help Catholics to
answer if there is a power greater than us in the universe and if there is life after
death. Catholics believe that when Jesus was crucified, he was resurrected and
now sits by God in heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the
dead. This belief helps Catholics to answer if there is life after death. Christ was
resurrected and now is in heaven which is where Catholics believe you go after
death. Catholics also believe that God created us So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created

them Genesis 1:27. This tell Catholics that there is indeed a power greater than
us in the universe and that power is God. These beliefs about the resurrection
and God help Catholics to answer if there is life after death and if there is a
power greater than us in the universe.
The common beliefs that Catholics share about ultimate reality are extremely
relevant as they help Catholics to answer the big questions of life. Beliefs of Why
God created and that we were created from his image help Catholics to answer
who we are and why we are here. Beliefs of being rewarded in heaven and the
Ten Commandments help Catholics to determine and answer what is good and
what is evil. Beliefs of the resurrection of Christ and God help Catholics to answer
if there is life after death and if there is a power greater than us in the universe.