Catholic Christianity
Beliefs
The main belief that Catholic Christians believe is that there is only one God. With this belief comes the belief of the Holy Trinity. that god is made of 3 persons: God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit. They believe in Baptism, embracing the fact that Baptism removes the original sin in all of us, that was caused by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden when they disobeyed god. They believe that you are united with a body and soul, and that mankind stands between the 2 worlds of matter and spirit.
Myths and Stories
The first and one of the most important Stories from the Bible would have to be in Genesis, the creation of the world. This explains how the world was made, why we rest on Sundays (because god also rested on Sunday, when he created the world). Catholics do not necessarily believe that what is written in the Scriptures, (mainly Genesis) is historical truth, but rather that it holds many religious truths. This means that they do not believe in the stories as they're written down, but rather in the meaning that was intended behind them.
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Sacred Texts
The most important of the Catholic sacred texts is the Bible. It is the word of God and has many spiritual stories and lessons. The bible itself is divided into 2 parts. The old testament and the new testament. They both focus on different things. The old testament focuses on the life before Christ, starting with the creation of the world. The new testament focuses on the life of Jesus: his birth, life, death and resurrection. Within the old and new testaments are many spiritual stories that hold a lot of meaning behind them. Many people study these stories to find the hidden meaning behind them, and with finding their own meaning, they become more spiritually closer to god.
Rituals
The Catholic Church has many rituals and practices, including Mass, Baptism, Confession, receiving (taking part in) Communion, praying the Rosary, Last Rites, etc. The most important ritual for the Catholics is The Mass as it symbolizes the Lord's Supper, also known as the 'Liturgy of the Eucharist'. Since the beginning, the church saw Mass as a mystical reality in which the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross is renewed. The Mass is a memorial as well as a sacrifice for the Catholics, it is the Church's way of fulfilling Christ's command, at the, 'The last Supper' to "Do this in remembrance of Me." It is also known as a sacred banquet, with the Catholics participating through both their presence and through the reception of Holy Communion (the body and blood of Christ)
Symbols
There are 15 main symbols for Christianity. These are: The Pelican,The Cross, The Crucifix, The Sacred Heart, Alpha and Omega, IHS, The Fleur-De-Lis, Fish,The Evangelists, The Crossed Keys, The Lamb, The Dominican Dog, The Dove and the CHI-RHO. The main Symbols are:
The Pelican
This is a symbol for the Eucharist. Its used because Pelican birds feed its young by piercing itself and using its blood to feed its young. This is similar to when Christ sacrificed himself on the cross for our sins.
The Cross
This is the most common of the Symbols. It symbolizes the cross on which Christ died for our sins. Its also one of the main symbols seen on Religious jewelry (necklaces) that are worn by many Catholics.
The Lamb
The lamb is the symbol of Christ. The whiteness of the lamb represents Christ's purity, while also being associated with innocence. It's often found in the Old Testament to be used as a sacrifice (Holy Spirit in Egypt, putting the blood of a lamb on your door). It sometimes is also referenced in Christ's victory over death in his Resurrection.
The Dove
This symbolizes the Holy Spirit. This came about when Christ was baptized by St. John the Baptist, during which a dove flew over him. (Matthew 3:16; and Mark 1:10). It is Sometimes found in art, in which a dove is appears with seven tongues of fire symbolizing the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. A dove with an olive branch in its mouth symbolizes peace. This came about during the great flood after which Noah released a dove from the ark which then returned with an olive branch in its beck. The olive branch was a sign to Noah that the waters had ended.
Ethical Principal / Moral Codes
The major Ethical principals of Catholic Christianity can be found in the 10 Commandments. They are a summary of the moral law. These commandments were first given in their written form to the people of Israel when they were in Sinai, after they escaped from Egypt. They were written by the finger of God on two tablets of stone. These Commandments are:
1. You shall have no other gods before Me
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.
1. You shall have no other gods before Me
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.
Social Structures
The social structure of catholic Christianity (Clergy) is organized into a strict hierarchy, these begin with:
The Pope: Head of the church, he lives at the Vatican.
Cardinal: Appointed by the pope, there are 178 cardinals worldwide, As a group, the cardinals advises the pope and, on his death, elects a new pope.
Archbishop: An archbishop is a bishop of a main or metropolitan area, also called an archdiocese.
Bishop: A bishop, like a priest, is assigned to his station (church) He is a teacher of church, a priest of sacred worship, and a minister of the church government.
Priest: An appointed minister who can perform most of the sacraments, including the Eucharist, baptism, and marriage.
Deacon: A deacon is someone studying for the priesthood. A deacon can be married and assists a priest by performing some of the sacraments.
The Pope: Head of the church, he lives at the Vatican.
Cardinal: Appointed by the pope, there are 178 cardinals worldwide, As a group, the cardinals advises the pope and, on his death, elects a new pope.
Archbishop: An archbishop is a bishop of a main or metropolitan area, also called an archdiocese.
Bishop: A bishop, like a priest, is assigned to his station (church) He is a teacher of church, a priest of sacred worship, and a minister of the church government.
Priest: An appointed minister who can perform most of the sacraments, including the Eucharist, baptism, and marriage.
Deacon: A deacon is someone studying for the priesthood. A deacon can be married and assists a priest by performing some of the sacraments.
Religious Experience and Spirituality
Religious experience can be a visual, auditory, or a sense of the presence of something unexplainable. Some examples of this would be the so-called Marion reported by Catholics. This is when people claim to see and hear things that are obviously not normal or from our world. Some People have claimed to see manifestations of spirits that appear and disappear, hear voices, see objects move, etc. Other people claim they've experience a religious experiences when they say they have suddenly and inexplicably "known" that something is going to happen, and it does. An example of a famous person who've experienced a religious experience would be Moses. Moses witnessed a burning bush while searching for his lamb who was lost. This burning bush then spoke to him as God, explaining what he must do (save his people from Egypt). This is definitely a religious experience.