Christian Beliefs
RE Coursework Part A2 Some Christians feel that they have been called to dedicate their entire lives to God and that they should follow the Gospel by adapting to a religious life by becoming a member of a religious community. The two types of orders are contemplative and apostolic and they both involve prayer and work, but are done in different ways. Members of a contemplative order are enclosed and stay within their community they have joined. Members of an apostolic order work closely with the public through care, education and advice. Members of both religious orders are consecrated by God by three vows, known as the evangelical counsels. They are vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. People first began to join religious communities during the first three centuries, when Christians were being persecuted by the Romans. They needed to have some faith that God existed and that he would save them from the Romans, but to become a faithful Christian meant being willing to become a martyr and this required a high level of dedication to the Gospel. When Christianity came into favour and the persecutions stopped, many Christians wanted to restore the same level of dedication, so they went and lived in the desert as hermits. They then joined together in communities and this marked the beginning of the monastic life. The first evangelical counsel is the vow of poverty.
Disciples in christianity.
AO1 A disciple is a person who accepts the teachings of another whom she or he regards as a leader. But there is more to being a good disciple than this. By studying the Marks Gospel a Christian can learn what being a disciple is all about. Authority constantly mentioned throughout Marks gospel is extremely important. Disciples are entrusted with the authority to drive out evil just like Jesus. "Jesus sends his disciples out with authority to drive out evil spirits. They are to take a staff- but should not take bread, money, a bag or an extra coat." Authority, which has the ability to overcome evil, teaches Christians reading Mark that good is able to overcome evil. It shows Christians that by becoming a disciple you will be able to drive out evil and save yourself from sin. "Where they are made welcome, they are to stay in that place until they leave town. Where they are not welcome they are to shake the dust from their feet as a marker to others." By reading this in Mark, a Christian would realise that to become a disciple you would need to practice and preach the word of the lord. This quote proves that a good disciple practices the teachings and spreads them as well. I have shown two examples of what being a good disciple is about. These guidelines are very costly. Who would want to leave their families too teach others how to live their lives. Or who would want o
"The death of Joseph Smith was a turning point in the history of the Mormons." Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer.
"The death of Joseph Smith was a turning point in the history of the Mormons." Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer. The death of Joseph Smith was a key point in the history of the Mormons. It indicated massive change from the ridicule the Mormons had suffered. The Mormons had been ridiculed practically since the formation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1830. Once the Mormons had a big enough following, they looked to build the City of ZION (GOD), in Kirtland, Ohio. Under the instruction of Joseph Smith, the Mormons became a highly prosperous people - they founded a bank, but in 1837, the bank collapsed when there was a financial crisis and the Mormons were driven out of Ohio. Smith then moved the Mormons onto a settlement that was an already established Mormon community in Independence, Missouri. However, the Gentile population of Independence hated the Mormons because of their anti-slavery views. The non-Mormon population, too, were angered that the Mormons tried to proselytise them, and they loathed that the Mormons thought they were "God's chosen people". Again, the Mormons were forced out of the settlement they had made. Brigham Young got his first taste as being a leader when the rest of the members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles were arrested. Young lead the Mormons to Nauvoo, Illinois under the
Christian Pilgrimage - Lourdes and Bethlehem.
Pilgrimage Lourdes is a little village in the south of France, which is known to be a major site for pilgrimage attracting people from all over the world. Saint Bernadette Soubirous was a poor shepherd girl suffering from severe asthma. At the age of 14, Bernadette saw eighteen apparition between February to July of "a lady" which people thought that she was crazy but after finding out that the lady was the Virgin Mary and after her death, Bernadette's body remained "incorrupt" people now believe her and built a shrine and church for her and Virgin Mary. Today, many Christians from around the world come to visit Lourdes as a pilgrimage to repent their sins and pray for their families and others. During each apparitions Mary commanded Bernadette to do something. One thing that Mary told Bernadette to do was to: "Come back to the Grotto for fifteen days" Bernadette kept her promise and came for fifteen days as Mary asked her to do. So today pilgrims follow Bernadette same footprints and keep their promise by coming to Lourdes as a pilgrimage and going to the grotto to pray as Bernadette did. Pilgrims today also light candles in front of the grotto to pay respect to Mary the mother of Jesus Christ. As well, some pilgrims may attend the morning mass that is held at the grotto and may receive the holy communion there. Another command Mary gave Bernadette was to: "Pray to God
Explain the part pilgrimage plays in the religious life of Christians.
Explain the part pilgrimage plays in the religious life of Christians. In your answer include reference to the places of pilgrimage you have mentioned in AO1. Pilgrimage, although not as important as in some religions, plays a very important role in the life of a Christian. After going to a place of pilgrimage such as Lourdes or Lough Derg, a Christian may feel renewed strength in their faith and make lifestyle changes because of it. There are many practices that could provoke changes, and these go on in both Lourdes and Lough Derg. Becoming more in touch with your relationship with God is a central aspect of pilgrimage. In the chaos of every day life, many people lose the sense of an intimate relationship with God and pilgrimage helps to restore this feeling. In Lough Derg, as was said in AO1, is centralized around walking in the footsteps of St. Patrick. This helps people have a link with God because a saint is said to be extremely holy and closer to God than those of us on Earth. However, at Lough Derg there may be some people who are not so dedicated to their faith will react negatively to the sacrifices and feel it is a waste of time. The same applies for Lourdes in the sense that people pray at the Grotto to Mary in hope that she can pass their prayers on to God. This may affect someone's lifestyle because they might, after feeling a connection with God, go to Church
Investigate the trials of Jesus from his arrest to his death.
Course work Natalie Jones 10 W Investigate the trials of Jesus from his arrest to his death. Jesus was still speaking when Judas,one of the twelve disciples,arrived.With him was a crowd, armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests,the teachers of the law,and the elders.The traitor had given the crowd a signal " The man I kiss is the one you want.They arrested him and took him away under guard.Then all the disciples left him and ran away. This event is siugnaificant because usually a kiss is a sign of love and affection and here it is used as a sign of betrayal . Then Jesus was taken to the high priest's house,where all the chief priests,the elders and the teachers of the law were gathering.The chief priests and the whole council tried to find some evidence against Jesus in order to put him to death,but they could not find any. The significance of the trial before the Sanhedren is that Jesus was not given basic human rights at the trial and Jesus was arrested at night which was illlegal under Jewish law and none of the witness statements agreed with eachother. Early in the morning the chief priests met hurrieldy and they put Jesus in chains,led him away,and handed him over to Pilate.Pilate questioned him,"Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered,"So you say". At every passover festival Pilate was in the habit of setting free any one
Define the meaning of discipleship.
Discipleship In this essay, I am to define the meaning of discipleship, for the first disciples and for Christians today. The word disciple means to learn, but there are many differences between disciples today, and disciples 2000 years ago, in the midst of a hostile Roman Empire. The very first disciples of the resurrection were the holy women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. If Christianity is defined as the belief that Jesus died, and was resurrected, and then to me, these women were the first Christians. Three scared women hunted by the Romans. This is a far cry from todayÆs Christians, all different colours, creeds, backgrounds and denominations, all over the world. At the start of JesusÆ vocation, he chose 12 disciples. This is very significant, because 12 is the Jewish number of perfection. These 12 were not, as one may expect, "model citizens", or even senior men of the church, (Pharisees and Sadducees). Among their number, were Matthew, who was Levi, a corrupt tax collector, Simon the Zealot, a murdering terrorist who had killed many Romans, James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were famously quick-tempered and impatient, and last but not least, Judas, the man who betrayed Jesus to the Romans. The choice of his disciples shows that the kingdom of God is open to everybody, not just "modern day saints" or the violently devout. It showed people of
What are Christian Ethics?
What are Christian Ethics? The primary and final authority for Christian ethics is found in the life, teachings, ministry and death of Jesus Christ as the revelation of God. He clarified the ethical demands of a God-centred life by applying obedient love to all human situations, both personal and social, and insisted this included the earthly as well as the eternal, and required our best actions amid the relativities of the present world. Jesus' teachings are found in aphorism, parable, simile, striking hyperbole, in words of commendation or rebuke or in Jesus' own recorded deeds. Jesus taught the two Great Commandments, where the duty of love of neighbour is not an addendum to the obligation to love God without reservation, but is an implication of it. It appears repeatedly both in Jesus' words and in the total tenor of his life. Examples of Jesus' words are or " His chief concern was with right attitudes from which right acts might proceed. Jesus was completely opposed to the substitution of either ceremonial acts or correct outward behaviour for humble obedience to God and loving concern for one's neighbour. His concern was to proclaim the nature of a God-centred, love-filled life lived in obedience to the call of God, and to win men to it. And this he succeeded in doing, in unmistakable terms. Some respected Christian values are God-centred faith and love. Its derivative
The Race for the Christmas Number One.
The Race for the Christmas Number One. By Rebecca Earley December 2003 Abstract I will survey everybody in my Media Studies Class about the upcoming Christmas Number One to find out who is the favourite to win. I will then ask myself these questions: What makes a Christmas Number One? Why People buy the songs that make Christmas Number Ones? And why was this years Christmas Number One, Number One? I will answer these questions in full detail. Research I surveyed twenty people; here are the questions that I asked and the results: Bo Selector came first with 40% of the votes; Ozzy and Kelly came second with 35% of the votes. Most people want Bo Selector to win the Christmas Number One. As you can see over half of the people thought that Ozzy and Kelly are going to win. Only 30% of the people that I asked have actually bought any of these singles. How are we going to get a Christmas Number One if nobody has bought any of these singles? So far I believe that, my research shows that Ozzy and Kelly are favourites to win. What makes a Christmas Number One? Why people buy the songs that make Christmas Number Ones? And why was this years Christmas Number One, Number One? In past Christmas Number Ones how many of them have actually been songs about Christmas? Below half of the Christmas Number Ones have been about Christmas. You get two types of Christmas number
SHOULD SEPTEMBER 11TH BECOME A NATIONAL HOLIDAY
SHOULD SEPTEMBER 11TH BECOME A NATIONAL HOLIDAY? Such an immense tragedy should not be made into a national holiday. I think it is important that we always remember the events that occurred on September 11th 2001; however, we can do that without a day off from work and school. I would be afraid that if it was made into a national holiday stores would start taking advantage of it (having sales), and people would soon forget the meaning behind the day. A national moment of silence, lowering of the flags, and such may be appropriate, but not a national holiday. When Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, we did not make it into a national holiday. I'm not trying to parallel December 7th with 9/11 like the media has, but my point is that it would be very inappropriate for 9/11 to be a national holiday. Yes, many people and heroes were lost on that day, God rest their souls; however, a national holiday, could be exploited. Not to get off topic, but just as the holiday Christmas and Easter have been commercially demoralized, the potential for 9/11 to come upon the same fate is inevitable if made into a national holiday. People have all ready used 9/11 as a commercial device; it's been in the news for all the wrong reasons since it has occurred. I do not think many people would be happy if Macy's or SEARS would have a slogan saying, "Please come out for our 9/11 sale! The prices have