Christians beliefs can also be seen within the Ten Commandments are split into two different parts. The first three commandments teach us how to conduct ourselves in our relationship too god ‘give their due to God’. They are
- I am the Lord your God you shall not have strange Gods before me.
- You shall not take the Lords name in vein.
- Remember to keep holy the Sabbath.
The other seven are guiding us how we should behave towards each other, in other words, social justice. These are:
- Honour your father and mother.
- You shall not kill.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall bear false witness against your neighbour.
- You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.
- You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.
The Ten Commandments can be summarised in one great commandments, ‘Love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Love your neighbour as you love yourself’.
The Christian belief is that people who sin need to be forgiven. God forgives major sins, and we should also forgive. When justice is not met, forgiveness is necessary. Jesus died for our sins. As the penitent thief shows, it is never to late to be forgiven, as he asks Jesus on the cross, just before his and Jesus’ death, and he is forgiven. The prodigal son shows the different stages to forgiveness. First the son was being greedy and selfish, took his money, and spent it all on prostitution and partying. A severe famine swept the country, and the son didn’t have anywhere to live, or any food. He got a job on a pig farm. Life was really rough. He didn’t have any food. He longed to even just eat the pig food, but no one gave him a thing. He realised how silly he was being and how sorry he was (contrition/repent). So he went back to his country, willing to work as a slave for his father (making amends). When he got their, his father welcomed him, laid on a feast, forgave him (absolution), allowed him back into the family, and would not hear as him working as a slave (Reconciliation). Reconciliation is important after forgiveness, as it brings you back to God and frees you from sin. You can be reconciled be going to confession this is otherwise known as the sacrament of reconciliation, and one that the Roman Catholic Church practices. You tell the priest your wrong doing, what you want to be forgiven for, and the priest forgives you by saying the words of absolution, then to sinner is brought back into the church and also forgiven by God.
Christianity believes that you shouldn’t be punished for a sin, you should be forgiven.
