Explain how the Bible is used in Congregational and in Private worship.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

R.E. Christianity Coursework: The Bible

Explain how the Bible is used in Congregational and in Private worship:

The bible is used in many different ways in congregational and private worship. The bible is the sacred book to the Christian people. It also is a place where they might look for inspiration.

The bible was first translated into English in the 14th century it is also divide into two different testaments the New and the Old testament. For most Christians the bible is the most important in there entire lives. Because it shows how a good Christian should live and is a guide to how Christians should worship God.

Uses in Private Worship

There are a few ways in which the bible is used in private worship. For example the bible can be studied in small groups and then can be applied into situations that can face us every day for example if you pass a blind along the road and he wishes to cross a lot of people would walk pass him but you can stop and take the time to help him across the road. This is similar to what Jesus would have done in his time taking the time to help out the less fortunate.

Another example of the use of the Bible in private worship is that some Christians take time out of there day to read a passage from the bible then pray and meditate contemplating the passage they just read. They may open the bible to a random page, or they may think of a specific piece and study it. Some Christians just study other Christians’ notes on certain passages.

Uses in Public Worship

There are many obvious uses in public for example when a priest or the person who is taking the mass tells the sermon it usually refers to passage from the Bible and then the leader will explain the meaning of the passage.

Another example of this is the street preachers who walk around places preaching the word of god and quoting passage from the bible.

The most commonly known use of the bible in public worship is in church where the ...

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Uses in Public Worship

Another example of this is the street preachers who walk around places preaching the word of god and quoting passage from the bible.

The most commonly known use of the bible in public worship is in church where the lesson is read directly from a passage. This is where the leader reads a passage according to the time in the Christian calendar for example at Christmas time the leader will normally read a passage telling of the birth of Jesus or the telling of his visitors to Jesus’ side.

The Bible is not only a large book with lots of philosophical passages in but it also plays a large part in how Christians live there lives.

Sources Used

Christianity-Joe Jenkins

Explain how the teaching in the Bible can affect the Christian attitude on abortion:

In the there is no say of abortion directly. Before Christians decide what there view on when where life begins before they can say whether abortion is killing another human being or not.

Some Christians believe that abortion is murder because in the 10 commandments it says:

“Do not kill”

There is one view in the Roman Catholic Church where they believe that life begins as soon as the egg is fertilized by the sperm and that everyone has a right to live if they wish.

There are also other groups who believe that abortion is wrong for example there is Save the Unborn Child and have put forward some very good argument why it should be banned. For example they say it should be banned because some couples who don’t have the ability to have children such as gays or infertile women won’t be able to adopt children because they can’t have there own.

Also the Christian Church is against it because if abortions were to be attainable more easily then more people would use it as a form of contraception which would then encourage people to have a more casual attitude towards sexual relationships.

Christians aren’t totally against abortions though some denominations in the Christian church such as the Anglicans and the Methodists don’t believe that a life has begun until the baby has a chance of surviving outside the mother’s womb. But these Christians believe that the abortion act is still an act of great evil but in certain circumstances it may be used. There are also other groups which believe that abortion is not a bad thing and should be allowed to continue.

An example of one of these circumstances is when a women is raped it would be wrong to put the women through such psychological trauma because it would be a reminder of that time when she was raped.

Another example why this should be allowed to happen is because a woman has got a right to say what happens to her body and should not be forced into doing something that the person does not want to do.

Although the bible does not directly address the situation of abortion that it seem quite clear that it is frowned upon in any denomination of the church.

Sources Used

Christianity and Moral Issues-Anne Jordan

“The bible was written centuries ago. Christians today really cannot use it as a living guide”

Do you agree?

Give reasons for your answer and show that you have considered more than one point of view.

I agree with this statement for a number of different reasons.

My first reason is that the bible was written centuries ago as it say in the question and it doesn’t address many current issues directly such as Abortion and genetic engineering which are currently under heavy scrutiny by Christian groups such as Christian aid which are campaigning for it to be banned.

But on the other hand of this argument is that it laid down the basis for the laws in our society today for example the 10 commandments which are: