CHRISTIANITY

CHRISTIANITY

• Major religion stemming from the life, teachings, and death of

Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ, or the Anointed One of God) in
the 1st century CE. It has become the largest of the world’s
religions and, geographically, the most widely diffused of all
faiths.

• The common symbol for christianity is the cross, for christians

believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humanity from
their sins and restore people’s relationship with God the
Father.
CHRISTIANITY

• Christianity is one of the first monotheistic religions in the

world and shares many similarities with Judaism.

• Christianity is considered as one of the world religions

which traces its origins to the patriarch Abraham.
SEVEN SACRAMENTS
The Catholic has seven Sacraments which are considered signs of inner
kindness given by God for Christians to live a genuine human life.
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS INCLUDES:
 BAPTISM
 CONFIRMATION
 HOLY COMMUNION
 CONFESSION
 MATRIMONY
 HOLY ORDERS
 and THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK
THE 1ST three sacraments: (THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION)

1.Baptism –is meant to remove the guilt and effects of Original Sin
and welcome the baptized to the church.
2.Confirmation –which should be administered right after baptism,
it is meant to complete baptism and bring baptized the graces of
the holy spirit that were given the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday.
3.Holy communion- entails the reception of Christ’s body and blood
which helps Christians to grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ.
1. Confession – serves as the 4th sacrament, which is meant to
reconcile Christians with God by confessing their sins.

2. Matrimony- The Sacrament of Marriage comes next, with the

union of Jesus Christ with His church.

3. Holy orders- is considered as continuation of Christ priesthood

which He passed on His Apostles.

4. The Anointing of the Sick- also known as Extreme Unction or

Last Rites, which is administered to those who are on the verge
of death or are seriously ill, or about to undergo a serious
operation, for physical and moral strength.
EIGHT BEATITUDES
 The Beatitudes comprise what is known as the
“Sermon on the Mount” recorded in Matthew 5-7.
The Beatitudes refer to the eight sayings of Jesus at
the beginning of the “Sermon on the Mount”.

 Here are the Eight Beatitudes mentioned in

Matthew 5-7.
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain :and when
he was set, his disciples came into Him:

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth,
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

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

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say
all the manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Matthew 5:1-12, New Testament King James Version

Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed is believed to have developed in the 100 or 200 C.E. and
was influenced later by the Nicene Creed. A letter written by the Council of
Milan in 390 C.E. is the earliest historical evidence of the existence of the
Apostles' Creed. It is not written by the apostles themselves but it serves as a
summary of their basic teachings.
 Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended to the dead.
 On the third day he rose again;
He ascended to heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And 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.
Story of Creation and Big Bang Theory
 The Story of Creation, which narrates how God created the
universe in six days, is found in Genesis 1 of the Old Testament.

It narrates how God created light and darkness on the first day;
the sky and the ocean on the second day
the earth and plants on the third day;
the sun, moon, and the stars on the fourth day;
sea creatures, land animals, and birds on the fifth day;
and finally the first man and woman on the sixth day,
after which He rested on the seventh day.
This story has often been attributed as the one which explains
the origin of the universe from a Christian point of view.
Other religions would offer their own explanations on the
origin of the universe. Science also has its own theories on
how the universe began. The most accepted among scientists
is the Big Bang Theory, which states that the universe began
as an incredibly hot, very dense point in space about 14
billion years ago. It then underwent rapid expansion in no
time and, as it cooled, led to the creation of stars, galaxies
and planets.
 WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES

 Christians have certain religious observances in

which they commemorate particular events in the
history of Christianity. Some of the most
important Christian observances are Advent,
Lent, and Pentecost.
 Advent
 Advent refers to the season of waiting for the birth of the Messiah,
hence its celebration lasts for four weeks, beginning four Sundays before
Christmas and ending on Christmas eve. It is meant as an opportunity to
reflect on the significance of the birth of Jesus who was sent by God the
Father to restore humanity's relationship with God.
 During Advent, it is not only the birth of Christ which is anticipated but the
Second Coming of the Savior as well.
 The word "Advent" comes from the Latin word adventus, which means
"coming" or "visit."
 Advent also features certain colors, such as purple/dark blue, which
symbolizes seriousness, repentance, and royalty; and pink, which
signifies joy.
 Lent
 Lent refers to the season observed by Christians in preparation for Easter,
a celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
 Ash Wednesday signals the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40
days before Easter.
 It is a time for Christians to prepare for Easter by following certain rituals,
such as fasting, repentance, moderation, and self-discipline.
 This is a time to reflect on the suffering, sacrifice, life, death, burial, and
resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ.
 It is a time for prayer, penance, sacrifice, and good works as a way of
remembering the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
 The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning
"Spring", and lenctenid, which means "Springtide" and also the word for
"March," the month when Easter is usually celebrated.
 TRIVIA

In the Philippines, some Catholics observe Lent with a ritual

called "penitensiya," which means self-flagellation, meant to
depict the suffering of Christ. In this event, Catholics who
practice penitensiya march on the streets and whip their
backs until blood comes out of their wounds, which is believed
to cleanse their sins and cure their sickness.
 Pentecost
 Pentecost is celebrated as a holiday to commemorate the coming of the Holy
Spirit to the early Christians. Thus, Pentecost is also celebrated as the
birthday of the Church.
 The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word pentekostos, which means
"fifty," pertaining to the Jewish holiday celebrated every fifty days from the
end of Passover to the beginning of the next holiday (also known as
Shavuot).
 The event was recorded in the New Testament, in The Acts of the Apostles,
Chapter 2, which narrates how the first Christians came together in one
place when suddenly they heard a sound coming from heaven and tongues
of fire rested on their heads.
 They were said to be filled with the Holy Spirit which enabled them to speak
other languages, after which Peter stood up and delivered his first sermon.
 SUBDIVISIONS
 Prior to the reign of Emperor Constantine who declared himself a
Christian in 312 C.E., Christians were persecuted under Roman
emperors.
 Christianity was only legalized in 313 C.E. upon Constantine's
declaration of the Edict of Milan, which declared equality among
all religions.
 After defeating his opponents and becoming the sole leader of the
Roman Empire in 324 C.E., Emperor Constantine made Christianity
the official religion of the empire and sought to end all doctrinal
arguments on Christianity. In 325 C.E., he
 In 325 C.E., he convened the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea in Asia Minor,
which was attended by bishops from the eastern and western regions of the
empire. Then, in 330 C.E., he transferred the capital of the Roman Empire
from Rome to Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul) and renamed it
Constantinople.

 As time went by, conflicts arose between the Roman Empire and the
Byzantium Empire, resulting in the inevitable split between the Roman
Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. The conflict was further
heightened when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne, King of the Franks, the
Holy Roman Emperor in 800 without consulting the Byzantine Empire.

 The official split happened in 105 with the "Great Schism" which divided the
Western Latin Roman Christianity from the Eastern Greek Byzantine
Christianity.
 Abuses and corruption in the church led another sect to be
formed around the 16th century. Martin Luther, a teacher and a
monk, posted his list of ninety- five propositions to the door of
the church at Wittenberg in Saxony in 1517, which signaled the
beginnings of another Christian sect called Protestantism.

 The Protestant Reformation is considered the second greatest

split in Christianity. Luther's timing was perfect, for the printing
press was just recently invented thus he was able to reprint
numerous copies of his theses, which led to a wider
dissemination of his ideas.
 One of the things he opposed was the selling of indulgences
(indulgence refers to the pardon granted by the Pope to
purgatorial punishment to Christians who pay a certain amount
for the absolution of their sins) of the Catholic Church, which
was meant to save the soul in the afterlife.

 His ideas spread to England, with King Henry VIII severing his
ties from Rome, creating the Church of England and
Lutheranism in 1555. As a result, the Catholic Church initiated its
own reformation to address the issues raised by Luther.
 SELECTED ISSUES
 We have discussed how the Christian Church was subdivided
into different sects. In order to address the issue of disunity
among Christians, the concept of ecumenism was adopted by
the Roman Catholic Church.

 Thus, ecumenism is one important issue in Christianity. Still,

there are some issues which are in conflict with Christian
teachings, concerning sexuality (especially issues of
contraception, abortion, and homosexuality); divorce; capital
punishment and euthanasia.
 Ecumenism
 Ecumenism refers to the effort of the Catholic Church to
sponsor activities and initiatives to promote mutual
understanding and unity among all Chris- tians.
Ecumenism can also be described as the promotion of
worldwide Chris tian unity (Brodd 2003).
 Ecumenism is based on three principles, which states
that:
1) Christ established the Church on the Apostles and their successors, whose
head became Peter and his successor the Bishop of Rome;

2) since the first century there have been divisions in Christianity, but many
persons now separated from visible unity with the successors of the
Apostles under Peter are nevertheless Christians who possess more or less
the fullness of grace available in the Roman Catholic Church; and

3) Catholics are to do everything possible to foster the ecumenical

movement, which comprehends all "the initiatives and activities, planned
and undertaken to promote Christian unity, according to the Church's
various needs and opportunities" (Decree on Ecumenism, 1,4)
Ecumenism was emphasized and intensely propagated
by the Catholic Church through a series of addresses,
homilies, and regular audiences with the goal of
achieving unity among all Christians and non-Christians
 Sexuality

 The issue of sexuality has always been controversial for

the Catholic Church. Due to its conservative view of
human sexuality, it has often found itself in conflict with
progressive and liberal ideas with regard to certain issues
connected to sexuality such as artificial contraception,
abortion, and homosexuality. In general, sexuality refers
to sexual orientation, sexual activity, and sexual feelings.
Christianity advocates that the goal of sexual union between
men and women is procreation, thus anything that might hinder
this is considered immoral. Having sexual pleasure from such
union is not necessary, thus when people use artificial
contraceptives, such as condoms, birth control pills, IUDs
(intrauterine contraceptive devices), and the like, they are
committing a sin because they are engaging in sexual acts
without procreation in mind.
Instead, Christianity advocates natural family planning methods
such as the rhythm method, wherein couples will engage in
sexual acts only during days when the woman is not fertile and
cannot conceive a baby. In this light, abortion is also considered
as immoral by the Catholic Church since it entails the killing of
life.

For the Catholic Church, life begins at fertilization, when the

sperm and ovum meet to form a single cell, hence abortion is
already considered as taking away the life of a person.
 Another issue with regard to sexuality is that of homosexuality. It
refers to attraction to members of the same sex. Males who are
attracted to males are called gays, while females attracted to
females are called lesbians. The Catholic Church states that
homosexual orientation itself is not a sin, it is nevertheless a
tendency towards the "moral evil" of homosexual sexual activity. a
 It also states that when God created humans He created male and
female only, and that their union is meant for procreation. Thus, in
the Christian line of thinking, homosexuality should not be
practiced since it is not in accordance with God's plan. The Church
does not allow same-sex marriage and is vocal in opposing
homosexual relationships.

 Nevertheless, while the Church condemns homosexual acts (sexual

activity), being homosexual (orientation) is not wrong or sinful in
itself. It also states that homosexual persons must be accepted with
respect, compassion, and sensitivity.
 Family and Divorce

 The Christian view on marriage is based on Matthew 19:-6, "He who made
man from the beginning, made them male and female. And he said: For this
cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and
they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh.
What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." Thus,
divorce is not allowed in the Catholic Church, since it believes in the sanctity
of marriage, which should be a lifetime bond between a man and a woman,
and is considered a legal bond on earth and a spiritual bond in heaven.
 If couples wish to separate, they could seek an annulment, also known as
Decree of Nullity, in which it is declared that the marriage was never valid in
the first place. But unlike divorce, annulment entails a long, tedious, and
expensive process, in which a partner has to prove that his/her partner is
psychologically incapacitated to understand the commitment marriage
entails, or one of the partners has deliberately hid some information, such as
previous marriage, impotence, or infertility.

 As of today, every country in the world has a divorce law except the Philip-
pines. Although some lawmakers have been pushing for the divorce bill, the
strong opposition of the Catholic Church as well as the devout Catholics in
the Congress and the Senate have made it difficult for the divorce bill to be
passed.
 Capital Punishment and Euthanasia

 Capital punishment or death penalty wherein a person is

punished by death for his or her capital crime goes against the
Christian belief that life is given by God and should not be taken
away by any person. It is illegal in most Christian countries such as
the Philippines, but some push for capital punishment as a way of
deterring crime.
 Since Christianity advocates the belief that life is given by God,
euthanasia or mercy killing is also considered immoral since it
entails taking away what has been given by God, and that human
beings should not interfere with the natural process of death.

 Even if a person is extremely suffering from his/ her illness, he/she

has no right to take away what God has given him/her. Also,
human beings are made in the image of God so people have a
unique capacity to become rational which enables them to see
what is good and to want what is good, that is why they have no
right to end this gift from God.
 Another reason why the Church is against euthanasia is the belief
that people have no right to interrupt the natural process of
dying, and that the period just before death is a reflective
spiritual moment. In Christianity, all human lives are equally
valuable and no one, even the person himself/herself who wants
to end his/her life, has the right to assume that his or her life is
no longer valuable.
 Summary
 Christianity is one of the first monotheistic religions in the world. It considers God as the
creator and maintainer of the universe-omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and
omnibenevolent.
 The Bible is considered the sacred scripture of Christianity and is the basis of the
religion's teachings.

 According to Christianity, since human beings are created in the likeness of God, they are
intrinsically good; but they are also given free will so they are considered prone to sin and

 The goal of every individual is to have eternal life of the soul after death.
in need of grace.

 For those who have become good Christians, the reward is eternal life in heaven; for
those who lived a life full of sins, the punishment is eternal damnation in hell.