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Ultimate Questions and Arguments:-Is there a God?FOR- he created all humans, miracles, he sent jesus down to forgive all our sinsAGAINST- we as humans have never seen him, science/ evolution. -Was there a beginning?FOR- he created the world in seven days, 'in the beginning there was nothing'/ God was always thereAGAINST- the big bang- the conditions creates when the earth was allows humans to live, not God-What happens after death? FOR- Christians go to heaven when their sins are forgiven, our souls rise up to heaven and we stay with GodAGAINST- we are buried and that is the end- no heaven or hell, how could they exist?Paley's Watch:If you found a watch in a field and studied it closely seeing how every part fits together and works together perfectly you would not assume it was there by chance, you would assume it had a creator. William Paley thought the same about the earth and the universe. All the animals are perfectly adapted to their habitat, so are the plants and humans and this is only possible becuase of the way God designed and created everything.God Reveals himself to us:Divine Revelation:- When God reveals himself to us through the bible stories or storiesReligious Experiences:- When God reveals himself to us through visions, dreams, prophecy, prayer/worship or speaking in toungesNuminous:- When in a beautiful place or looking at the stars, i.e. a 'striking/ breath-taking' creation of God himself, people might feel an awareness of something greater than them. Some people feel this is God.Key Attributes of God:Benevolent- All lovingOmnipotent- All powerfulOmniscient- All KnowingOmnipresent- EverywherePerfect- Without flawInfinite- No limitsEternal- No beginning or endTranscendent- Not limited by time or spaceImmanent- Being involved in the worldPersonal- Can be approached and communicated withImpersonal- Unlike us, cannot be understood by our termsJudge- Decides whether our actions are good or badIneffable- Words are unable to describeCreator- Creator of everythingHoly- Sacred, pureTrinity: - The union of three persons - the Father, the Son and the holy Spirit- The reason God can be three people is because he is all powerful.-God is EQUAL TO the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but NONE of the three are equal to each other.Suffering:-The Problem of Suffering raises questions about God's existence because he has the power to stop the suffering in the world because of his being 'All powerful' and 'All loving'. but he chooses not to. Many people understand and endure the suffering because they believe that God is trying to tech us a lesson to appreciate what we have and the good things more.The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats:The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats explains God's judgement of humans based on their acts of kindness and mercy done to their disadvantaged fellow men, identified as Jesus. The people who have acted kindly are sheep and are blessed meaning they can take their inheritance and the kingdom prepared for them. The goats are on God's left and are identified as the humans who have acted in the opposite way, meaning they are cursed.The Four Last Things:- Death- Judgement- Heaven - Hell

Pentecost:The day of pentecost came ten days after Jesus had gone back to heaven. Before he left them he made a promise to 'send the holy spirit to them' to tell them about him and give them power. For ten days the apostles stayed together praying and waiting but now the day had come. Suddenly a strong wind filled the whole house and the followers saw flames of fire falling on each person there. They were all filled with the holy spirit and they began to speak different languages. All the Jewish visitors in Jerusalem were amazed at this and praised God for the great things he had done. other people thought the followers were just drunk. But Peter stood up and spoke to the crowds. He said how the Apostles were not drunk and told them all about Jesus. That day about 3,000 people became followers and were baptised.The 7 gifts of the Spirit:St Thomas said the first 4 gifts direct the intellect ...- Wisdom (experience/ being wise)- Understanding- Knowledge - Right Judgement... and the other 3 gifts direct the will toward God.- Courage- Reverence (deep respect)- Wonder and Awe (admiration/ curiosity)The 9 Fruits of the Spirit:- Goodness- Gentleness- Patience- Love- Joy- Peace- Self-control- Faithfulness- KindnessGood Reasons for being confirmed: - to cement your relationship with God- to have security with your faith, have it embedded in you - to live your life with God/ grow with your faith- to understand the Catholic faith moreThe Sacrament of Confirmation:Often takes place in the middle of a normal Mass. This is usually after the sermon and before the Eucharist.- Presentation of the candidate: The names of everybody to be confirmed are called out and each says 'I am Present' to show everyone.- The Renewal of Baptismal Promises: All the candidates are asked questions about their faith and what they believe. They promise to reject evil, believe in God and stay faithful to him.- The Laying on of Hands: The bishop lays his hands on the heads of each candidate to show them that they have the special job of spreading the word of Jesus- A symbol of the power that will come through the Holy Spirit.- The Anointing with Chrism: The candidate and sponsor goes to the altar and the Bishop draws the sign of the cross on their forehead with the oil of chrism. This is a sign of being chosen by God.The Bishop then says 'Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit', followed by 'Peace be with you' and the candidate replies 'And with your Spirit'.Age of Confirmation:I think it should be maintained at the age of 14/1 years. at this age, teenagers are mature enough to understand and appreciate the meaning of confirmation, but are still young enough that they can grow with their faith and have security to stay with it. It is also a good time when the candidates are independent enough and can get to the classes. If candidates are too young they may not understand the meaning of the sacrament and they are not old enough to make their own decisions. Also, if candidates are too old then they will not be able to grow with their faith from an early age and they will have time to change their mind.Discernment:The process through which somebody finds their vocation by rejection and reflection. Knowing, loving and giving yourself are all part of the process of discernment, because you have to got through a process of trial and error before you decide things for definite.Fr. Rick Curry - Life Transformed by the Holy Spirit:The gifts of the spirit present in Fr. Rick Curry's life are courage and understanding because he has accepted that he has a disability and he has used his courage to get on with his life normally. He has had to adapt to life with an unfortunate affliction and by following his dreams he has been able to help not just himself, but everybody with getting to grips with their disabilities and being proud of it. 

Vocation:- Vocation is a calling from God telling us or helping us to find something useful of beneficial to do in life not just for ourselves but for everybody else. - Our true vocation is to do the thing we are created for in our lives and what God has called us to do to fulfil our mission as humans.Teachings on Marriage:P ProcreationU Union R Raising ChildrenP Pattern for society (encourage relationships)O One flesh - 'and the two shall become one'S Sacred (sacrament)E EndlessMarriage Ceremony:Introduction and Welcome by the Priest- assures them that Jesus blesses their love.Sacrament of Intention- Priest asks couple if; they have come freely and without reservation, they will love each other for the rest of their lives and if they will accept any children God may give them to make sure there intention of marriage is genuine and assure there are no reasons not to get married. Readings- Passages from the bible are read out as part of the normal mass.Homily- The priest speaks about the mystery of Christian marriage, wedded love, the grace of the sacrament and the responsibilities of the respective couple.The Vows- The couple join hands and declare consent before God and his church to make sure the marriage is in the church and God supports it and is witness to it.Blessing and Exchange of Rings- The priest blesses the rings as a sign of love and fidelity. The rings are a symbol of eternity and God's eternal love for the couple and the couple's for each other. Nuptial Blessing- The married couple ask God to enable them to rejoice together in his gift of married love.The signing of the Marriage Register- Legal RequirementTraining for the Priesthood:Ordination:- At the beginning of the service the Deacon wears his stole diagonally.- The placing of the hands symbolises the priest being blessed.- The candidate then prostrates meaning they lie flat and silent on the ground to symbolise obedience.- The bishop and all the other priests lay their hands on the candidates head to bless him and pray for him.- The family members present the stole and chasuble.- The oil of chrism is used to anoint the candidates hands.- The paten with the bread and the wine, and the robes are presented by the family members.- Before the mass continues the candidate is kissed by all the other priests.Vows:All Religious orders must take three vows, they are:-PovertyThe person owns nothing and share everything.-ChastityThe person is not divided between family and their special ministry.-ObedienceThe person does not worry about big decisions but accepts decisions of the superior community.Religious Orders:- Contemplative OrdersOrders that dedicate their lives to God through prayer. they may be silent and enclosed, e.g. The Benedictines.-Apostolic OrdersOrders that dedicate their lives to God though helping and visiting the community, but also use prayer, e.g. Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus.

The Life of Muhammad:Muhammad was born in Makkah in about 570CE, both his parents had died by the time he was 6. He went to live with his uncle who was a trader and eventually became a trader too. When Muhammad was 25, he married a 40-year old widow called Khadijah. He was upset with the conditions in Makkah and hated the way that women and poor people were treated. He was very thoughtful and would often spend his nights in prayer. One night he was praying in a cave when he heard an angel, who told him to recite something. Muhammad could not read, but the angel said that he was Allah's messenger- these became the first words of the Qur'an. After this Muhammad started to preach about the words of Allah, saying that he is the one and only God and they must not worship any other idols. he also said that he was the creator and that he would one day judge them. Some people believed Muhammad, but many said he was lying or mad. In 622 there was an assassination against Muhammad which forced him and his followers out of Makkah into Medina. This is where he set up the first Muslim community. There were many fights between the two places and eventually Makkah was defeated and Muhammad moved back to his home town. The 5 Pillars of Islam:- Shahadah: Witness- Salah: Prayer- Zakat: Charity- Sawm: Must fast every day for the 9th month in the Islamic calendar (Ramadan), the daylight hours- Hajj: Pilgrimage to MeccaHow Muslims treat the Qur'an:- Some copies are wrapped in a cloth and placed on a high shelf to show respect.- Put on a special stand to keep clean.- Muslims perform Wudu before holding it- Kept in a bed- There always has to be someone guarding itThe 99 Names of Allah:- Ah-Rahman (The Gracious)- Al-Muhaymin (The Protector)- Al-Hakam (The Judge)- Al-Hakim (The Wise)Key Aspects of Muslim Prayer and Worship: - Must pray 5 times a day; Dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset, night- Must face Mecca- Must wash every time before prayer, Wudu (washing)- Must have Miwah (intention to pray)- Benefits = shows commitment, focused on God, keeps them active- Negatives = inconvenient times/environments, being made fun ofHaram and Halal:-HalalA Quaranic term which means allowed or lawful. Halal foods and drinks are peritted for consumption by Allah. Halal eating is obligatory on every Muslim.-HaramA Quaranic term which means prohibited or unlawful. Absolutely prohibited by Allah and forbidden for every Muslim.Islamic Religious Dress:FOR- People are forced to see beyond the physical- Can be a sign of women being independent- Shows being committed to their religion- Protects their modestyAGAINST- The fact that people will stare because you are wearing it, defeats the object of wearing it- Subtracts from your personality- People suspect you are hiding something- Not practical in daily life and may prevent you from doing things.

The Importance of the 10 Commandments:They are very forcefully taught. They are very strict and ave no leeway, meaning that if we do not follow them we are committing sins. Our right to go to heaven depends upon whether we chose to obey them and how we choose to fulfil them or if we forget about them completely. The 2 Greatest Commandments:1. Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. 2. Thou shalt love your neighbour as thyself.They are simple and have more leeway. They are a sort of base as to how we live our lives.Church's opinions on Abortion and Euthanasia:Abortion: The deliberate termination of a human pregnancyEuthanasia: The act of painlessly killing a patient suffering from a long-term or incurable disease.The Catholic church openly expresses their strong opinions on the two very grave matters. Euthanasia and Abortion are both illegal in certain Christian and faith countries due to the belief of the Sanctity of Life. The Sanctity of Life clearly states that 'Only God can choose when life ends' and all 'Life is given by God'. It also says that 'Life is sacred' and 'should be protected'. It refers to the belief that human life is sacred and as such it is special. Prejudice and Discrimination: Prejudice: To 'pre-judge' somebody or make judgements without prior knowledge.Discrimination: When we act on those prejudices. e.g. An employer with a prejudice against foreigners, may take action to avoid employing foreigners in their company. The media can at times foster prejudice and discrimination through stereotyping groups , i.e. terrorist attackers in news stories.The Good Samaritan:There was once a man who was going from Jerusalem to Jericho when a group of robbers attacked him, stripped him and beat him leaving him to die. It so happened that a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the man, walked on the other side, choosing not to gel him. Soon after, a Levite came walking down the road and went over to look at the man but also chose not to help him. Before long, a samaritan who was travelling that way went over to the man and when he saw him his heart filled with pity. He poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them, then he put the man on his animal and took him to an inn where he took care of him. The next day he gave two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, 'Take care of him' he said.After telling story about the Samaritan, Jesus asked the teacher of Law which one of the three men acted like a neighbour towards the man, and he answered, 'The one who was kind to him'. Jesus then replied, 'You go then and do the same'.Views about Conscience: There are varied views on conscience, whether they are important in our live or whether we should just ignore them. Conscience is within us, in our inner most core and it directs us to do what is right in certain situations. It also tells us what is wrong and helps us to not give in to temptations. Although, it may prompt different people to do different things, according to what is right for them. Mark Twain said, 'I have noticed my conscience for many years, and I know it is more trouble and bother to me than anything else I started with.' Many people have adapted this idea of being against the concept of conscience and instead it is more of a nuisance than an aid. A more biblical view is that it our conscience effectively helps us with our everyday lives and may even take some stress off our shoulders. By following our conscience we are also following God's orders and Jesus' footsteps, and we should appreciate the gift God has given us. How is Conscience formed?Catholics believe conscience is formed through ...- Discussion and the advice of trusted people. This means that we are able to take their advice and build upon it and remember it for later life.- Relationship with God in prayer. This means that when people pray they ask God for advice and what is the right thing to do. - Studying and knowing the Church's teachings. This means that people build upon what is written and taught in the bible and what is true according to the Holy Spirit.- Listening and reading God's word (the bible). This means we learn how God sees us and how we see each other. Oscar Romero - The Life of a Christian who acted according their conscience:- He brought attention to the very poor parts of El Salvador in the 1970s. - He helped more people gain the courage to speak out and let their conscience have a voice.- After close friend Father Rutillo Grande was killed, Romero decided to speak out.- In 1979 and 1980 he went on the radio to give sermons asking people to join him in his protest about the unfairness against the poor.- He was soon murdered for the controversy he caused among the people. 'Fame and fortune do not bring happiness':I think Pope Benedict means that true happiness is found in God because although money can 'buy' you happiness, God can bring you true and real happiness within yourself and can decide how you live you life.

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