Identify a common misconception about the Catholic church and defend it. Make sure to use at least one quote from the bible and one from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Read every single entry. Comment on two.
The Catholic Church is all for life and having children, so why/how is the church against in vitro fertilization? First of all, in vitro fertilization "is a complex series of procedures used to treat fertility or genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child. During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from your ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab." Basically, doctors take the reproductive material from each parent, put it in a dish, and let it grow. Once the egg is fertilized, they implant it back into the mother. If the mother does not have a functioning reproductive system, the egg is implanted into a surrogate, who is a women who is not the mother who will carry the baby for nine months and then give birth to it. Is that how you would want to be created? Grown in a lab like a science experiment and then implanted into some strange women who would then give birth to you. It is understandable why somebody who is not familiar with the faith would believe that in vitro fertilization would be a good idea. After all, does it not allows infertile couples to give love to a child? Not exactly, see the church teaches that marriage be procreative and unitive, as this is the way God intended it to be. If you take away one of these qualities, then you go against the method that God created for children to be conceived. In vitro fertilization also raises more ethical issues in the process. During the process, there is no way to control or predict how many eggs will be fertilized, it could be zero, it could be four. The more eggs used, the better chance at least one will become fertilized, but also increases the risk of multiple eggs becoming fertilized. If more than one egg is fertilized, what will the couple do? Well what do people do when things happen unexpectedly. Be adults and learn to care for the children they wanted and love them forever? Or course not! They are going to have an abortion... What else is new? When an egg is fertilized, it becomes an unique, distinct, and beautiful part of God's plan. God created that fertilized egg for a reason, that human. In some cases, the multiple fertilized eggs won't be aborted, but instead some of them well be given up for medical experimentation. I remember my parents always telling the story of when they had me and saying "Dang it Justin, wish I would have given you up for medical experimentation so you could live in a test tube instead of caring for you as my child. That would have been much more fun." Oh wait that never happened. Also, some of the embryos may even be thrown away or frozen. Not to mention the various medical risks and disease that occupancy such a procedure. The procedure, which is not covered by most insurances, costs over $10,000, and does not guarantee results; there is only a 30% success rate for first time women of this process. Clearly, God is telling us this is wrong. The CCC 2378 states "A child is not something owed to one, but is a gift." Children are not property. Children are miracles. You are a miracle. In vitro fertilization takes away that miracle, that gift. The church understands the difficulty and frustration of infertile couples, but there are better, more moral options. The church encourages adoption and giving of themselves to services. Let God be God, he knows what he is doing. It will not always be easy, but we must trust in God. Matthew 19:26 teaches us "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”"
Justin, I really enjoy that your picked the topic of in vitro fertilization. We don't really hear much about this topic in Church. Reading your article, I found out so much about this topic and it really changes the way I looked at it before. I really enjoyed your personal experiences in the blog and even how you included some rhetorical questions. I liked the facts you included in blog because they make me realize what is really in store when people actually use in vitro fertilization. Good blog!
Justin, The topic you chose is one that is a very controversial topic in today's society. I think that the rhetorical questions you developed helped to explain many misconceptions and false ideas that go along with IVF. You utilized your quotes well and they weren't just fillers. They made sense where they were put in and helped strengthen your argument. Great Blog!
In the Catholic Church, are there any misconceptions? Yes! There are so many misconceptions in the Catholic Church and fasting is one of them. Fasting is a common misconception in the Catholic Church. "The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others" CCC 1434. Fasting is a common misconception in our Church today because people think we fast just because it's a certain Catholic celebration or a certain Catholic holiday. People think we have to just because we are Catholics too. This is not what fasting is and this is definitely not what it was made for. Fasting is a major action taken in our Church today and should be practiced by all. It is so important in our faith and beliefs. Fasting makes us stronger in our faith and beliefs. It is more than just an abstinence from meat or a delay in eating before meals. In the Catholic Church, there are two days out of the Church year we fast, although this truly is not asking much of us it is the meaning that gets to most Catholics. People ages 18 and 59 fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, but that does not mean younger kids can not do it too. We eat one full meatless meal and two smaller meals on these two days. On Ash Wednesday and all Fridays in Lent, Catholics 14 and up abstain from meat too. In the Catholic Church, this is considered a form of fasting as well. Little do people know, we need to fast every Saturday or Sunday. We are to abstain from eating one hour before going to Church. Being able to fast before Church is such a blessing because later on, we get to receive the true body and blood of Christ. Fasting is an ancient Church ritual and is taught in the Scriptures of the Bible. Fasting allows us to take up our own cross like Jesus did for us. It allows us to deny ourselves for the sake of Gods love that is given to us each and everyday. Being able to deny ourselves allows us to become closer to God and his love. It deepens our connection with him. Jesus tells us in order for us to come after Him we must be able to deny ourselves; Luke 9:23. This small suffering we give ourself fasting and abstaining is a remembrance of Gods suffering for us on the Cross. There is no reason we should not do it! We can not fast and abstain just because we have to as Catholics. Fasting and abstaining is an action taken for more than just a simple Catholic celebration, it is an action given to Jesus so we can thank him for giving us new life. As Catholics, we have to give our own suffering for the sake of Christ's suffering that allows us to be here and who we are today.
Allie, this post is great and I love how you incorporate Jesus's death at the cross resembles why we fast. I would love to hear more emotion from you in this writing!! This is great, I love it!
Allie, I never considered the opposition to fasting, but you did a good job defending your point. You connected the sacrifice Jesus gave for us very well to the sacrifice of fasting. I never gave much thought on the subject, but from this I see now how important it is.
In the past few years, homosexuality has been an extremely controversial topic. Upon heated protests, debates and discussions the Supreme Court passed Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. This court case legalized gay marriage in all fifty states, but it did not stop the controversy that had arisen on the topic.The Catholic Church is heavily criticized by people of all orientations when it comes to their stance on the issue. Are people enraged for a reason, or are they just ill informed? Are people just looking for someone to blame, or do they actually have a legitimate argument when it comes to the teaching of the Catholic Church? The Catholic Church believes that, regardless of sexual orientation, everyone is a child of God. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "homosexual persons must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided." The Catholic Church does not condone the disrespect of anyone, but like any other group there is a minority of people who do not abide by its teachings. They send a message that can tarnish the reputation of Catholics. Those few people that have beliefs contrary to the message that Catholics are sending cannot drown out the kindness and hospitality of the rest of the Church. People who have different beliefs on the matter need to focus on what the Catholic people have to say as a whole rather than what a minority of people within the Church say. The Catholic Church allows homosexuality in the Church, but as with all of the other relationships it requires chastity. The Church teaches that a marriage needs to be free, total, faithful and fruitful. A homosexual relationship cannot be fruitful. This is one of the reasons that Catholics think of same-sex marriage as a disorder. Homosexuality is disrespectful toward the human body and does not follow natural law. Many of the benefits of a relationship between a man and a woman are not found between two men or two women. That has nothing to do with the Church's teachings, it is a scientifically proven fact. "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him" (Gen. 2:18). As a result, "a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh." (Gen. 2:24) God intended for a marriage to be between one man and one woman. Catholics believe that we should not modify God's image for a healthy relationship. God created women as the perfect companion for men. Men and women correspond perfectly, and that is not a coincidence. Even if Catholic people do think differently of homosexuality they cannot do anything to change it. The Church views homosexuality as a mental frailty that can be changed. Many people think that homosexual tendencies are with a human at birth, but there are no studies that prove this. That means that a human's orientation is not with them at birth. Many factors throughout childhood and on into adulthood can change a persons orientation. Catholics understand that people go through different phases in their lives, and they accept that. They realize that discrimination will not solve any problems. The Church hopes that people who are homosexual can come to except God's call to heterosexual marriage through prayer. The majority of couples in the Catholic Church set the example of people married in the eyes of God. The Catholic Church believes that, regardless of sexual orientation, everyone is a child of God. Whenever tension arises over a controversial topic, people are always looking for someone to blame. One thing that sets the Catholic Church apart from most other groups is the fact that they are understanding of others. They are happy to listen to what people have to say on the matter of homosexuality and they will give their thoughts on the topic as well. The Church accepts people regardless of their ethnicity, gender or orientation because, in the end, we are all brothers and sisters in the eyes of Christ.
Zach, Homosexuality has been such a controversial topic just like you said. Just like I told Justin, I love the rhetorical questions included in the blog. It makes me think more on the subject. People who are homosexual are definitely judged and discriminated in this world. It is considered unjust. We as Catholics realize everyone is different in their own way and we should not judge. We as Catholics have the opportunity to pray for what is best for them so God can reach out to them. Just as you stated, we truly all are children of God and brothers and sisters to each other. We can truly reach out to understand others, no matter what their case is.
Zachary, In today's society, people think that same sex marriage is okay. From a personal stand point I do not. I think that marriage should be now as it always was, between a man and a woman. Just as you explained individuals of the same sex can't be fruitful and work towards procreation. A loving Union should be between a man and a women. It seems as though everything in today's society reflects acts of homosexuality. Television shows, the news, and all other forms of Entertaiment almost seem like they feel obligated to include these acts of same sex relations. This is why people think it is okay. They receive support and ecouragment. Should we really encourage an action that goes against God's plan. I do not believe so. Good Blog this week!
Zach, We had similar topics so I took a little extra time to compare our blogs. I thought you used a lot of supporting statements to prove your argument. It is definitely okay to accept someone who is homosexual because that is what we are called to do. We are not called to act upon homosexuality. Just as you said, prayer is the answer. If anyone is confused, they should talk to God and ask for his guidance.
Since Charles Darwin first established his theory of evolution in 1831, people have challenged what the Catholic Church says about it. A common question that arises is can a Catholic person believe in evolution? The answer of course is yes. It is a scientifically proven fact that species evolve over time. Now wether humans evolved from apes is a completely different spectrum of idea. What the church wants people to realize is that at some point in time God created everything. He developed man in His image and likeness. Wether we are evolved from apes or not, God created humans with a soul. By doing this he allowed us to believe in Him and ultimately join Him in heaven at the end of time. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "The question about the origins of the world and of man has been the object of many scientific studies which have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator, prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers" (CCC 283). What this is saying is, that because of science we are able to agree with, as well as, full heartedly acknowledge the idea of evolution because God created it. To further this topic, we have to travel all the way back into the first chapters of Genesis. In Genesis we hear about the story of creation. We learn that on each day God created a different thing and on the seventh day he rested. You may think this sounds impossible to creat everything we have on the earth in just six days, but we do not know exactly how long one day was in the eyes of God. Over this span of creation God intended for things to evolve and grow.
Genesis 5: 1-3 states, "This is the record of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them in the likeness of God; he created them male and female. When they were created, he blessed them and named them humankind." This story about Adam, meaning first man, and Eve, meaning first women, allows us to visualize Gods plan. Though this story is not true, it was told like this to give people an ability to wrap their heads around the story of creation. Genesis tell us how the first man and women lived. In a sense they evolved over time. Adapting to life, and surviving in the place God created for them. So the question that non-Catholics often ask can be answered as follows: Catholics do believe in evolution. We agree entirely with the scientific evidence that animals evolve, but what we know to be true is that God allowed man to have a immortal soul that placed him above the rest of the life form on earth.
Dan, I agree! I completely agree with what you wrote here! God created everything, and how people can question our belief on that is confusing to me! I love what you had to say about this!!
Dan, I really liked what you did to clarify and defend this argument. I also believe that God worked through science to create us and no matter what, the soul is the key factor to our existence. I believe that when God said he created man on day 6, the day was actually millions of years on Earth. You did a great job establishing your argument and defending with proof from the Bible and Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Dan, I really like your argument, I have often questioned some of these things myself, such as the 6 days and that translating into our time, and your blog brought some things to my attention. You made a good choice focusing on the creation story itself from Genesis and proving how things came out of that.
In the Catholic faith, many things are fabricated about the Church and its' teachings. This is due to the fact that people do not understand our religion and beliefs. One of the biggest misconceptions would be that we worship saints in place of God, and also worship the Pope as a superior being. People think that just because Catholics have saints that we adore them and praise them. This could not be farther from the truth. To start, saints are not divine. Jesus alone is the divine being that we look up to and idolize. He is the only person that is worthy of our worship. All of the saints were at one time regular people who lived just like us. These people were not perfect, they did not always make the right decisions, and did not always follow the correct path. But, what the saints did do is what we admire. They are humans who made a large impact on the world by spreading and evangelizing their faith. These people believed in God and showed others the love that Jesus has to give. In no way are these humans equal to Jesus, nor are they worthy of our worship. Catholics look to the saints for example, as they are role models sent to us by God. We venerate the saints, not idolize. We want to imitate their actions and live a life of obedience as they did. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it."The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone." By praying to a saint, a person asks for their intercession and help. The CCC states,"To adore God is to acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the "nothingness of the creature" who would not exist but for God. To adore God is to praise and exalt him and to humble oneself, as Mary did in the Magnificat, confessing with gratitude that he has done great things and holy is his name. The worship of the one God sets man free from turning in on himself, from the slavery of sin and the idolatry of the world." This passage from the CCC explains how Mary is a saint who worshipped God whole-heartedly. This is why we look to Mary for good example on how to live up to our full potential as God's disciples. We turn to these saints, especially Mary, for guidance on issues greater than our knowledge and wisdom. Essentially, God is the boss and the saints are just his employees.
Another misconception is that we find the Pope infallible. The confusion with this principle occurs when there is no "definition" of how far the infallibility stretches. We as Catholics believe that the Pope is infallible in his teachings and morals. However, we do not believe that he does not sin or make mistakes. The Pope acts as the image of Christ on Earth. With this being said, he is still a human being. Humans fall down, but the important thing is that we seek God to help us back up. This is the image that the Pope emulates. In his Gospel, Matthew writes of Jesus handing down his authority to those on Earth. He says, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” By doing this, Jesus insinuates that He knows there will be sins made by the men on Earth. Jesus knows that there will be positive things that will occur too. Overall, the Pope makes mistakes just as we all do. He is in no way infallible in a personal manner, but is infallible in his teachings on the faith. All that we can do for people who do not understand our religion is pray.
Kara, I think that if the people who claim us Cathoics worship saints over God himself read your blog, they would realize how dumb and stupid this claim is. We adore and look up to the saints to further our love and passion for Jesus, not weaken it. I thought you did a really good job defending this common misconception. Your sentence about God being the boss is a very simple, but effective and well used example!!
Euthanasia is the direct and intentional killing of and old person or even a handicapped person who is not exactly ready to die yet. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2276 states, "Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible." People have a misconception that sense one human being, that our Lord created just like me and you, was too ill to live that they had the ability to use artificial means to kill that person. This is completely untrue, why? This is because every human has the right to life, every human deserves the opportunity to receive the worlds love, and every human deserves to live the life God gave them. No one has the right to take that away from anyone or themselves. How lucky we are to be given this life of love, happiness, and joy. We are not worthy enough to diminish our loves due to a bump in the road. God wants to take us when he is ready for us to serve him in paradise. The bible also states, "The prohibition against killing legally innocent people is later formalized in the sixth commandment, ‘You shall not murder’" (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17). This is our faith. We believe that killing is wrong and we must accept that is an equal offense. We, as humans, do not have the choice or the right to take away the life of someone else's because that is murder. People may believe that they are helping the human by taking away there suffering, but that still does not give anyone the right to kill. Humans do not own our body; we were given it. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit that we can use to glorify God, and no one in this world can kill God because he is the everlasting truth. We are the direct images and love of God, he created us from himself and we think we have the right to take that away from him? We think have the capability to ends one life because we say so? God is the only one who knows when we will meet him in Heaven again. We, as Catholics, need to stand up for the people who are not open to the idea that euthanasia is murder. That we are not the deciders of how and when we die. God has a special chair for us, in Heaven, to sit and enjoy our eternal happiness, butte must wait for that chair to be finished. We must wait for God to call us home.
Reilly, I can sense some similar ideas and feelings on this blog with the blog you wrote last week. Obviously, you care very much about the killing of innocent people, as you should. I loved the sentence about our bodies being temples of the Holy Spirit used to glorify God. God is responsible for putting us on earth, so he should be the one taking us off of earth. Great Job!
Reilly, You are a compassionate person, and it really shows when you write your blogs. Your examples supported your argument very well. Even though the person may be suffering, we do not have the right to decide when they should die. They have their own right to live as long as God decides to keep them until called home to heaven.
Reilly, Your blog this week makes some very good points. I specifically liked the ending when you talk about God's chair. It is true, that our bodies are temples made by God, for God. We have no right to decide when we are to be taken off of this planet, and especially no right to say when others are taken off the planet. I wish you would've talked about this topic a little more as it has a lot of potential! Overall, it was an informative blog!
The existence of Hell is a major misconception, and controversial topic in the Catholic Church. As all good Catholics know, Hell is a real place that we have been made aware of and taught about by Jesus Christ himself. Many people nowadays, however, are getting the idea that there is no hell. They make the claim that there can't be a hell because God is all loving and forgiving, and therefore would never let anyone go to hell. This may sound like a believable claim for someone who is non-Catholic, or does not regularly practice their faith. According to section 1033 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."" The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states in section 1035 that, "The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."" Through these examples you are shown that it is not God who sends people to hell, but rather its in your control. God has blessed everyone with the gift of free will. We have the free will to live how we want, marry who we want, etc., and we also have the free will to determine where we live after we die. It is on our control to determine whether we will live in a life of eternal love and happiness with God in Heaven, or live in eternal suffering and pain in Hell. In the Bible, chapter twenty-one, verse eight of the Book of Revelation says, "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." This Bible verse confirms the existence of hell, and provides examples of what type of people who are well on their way to suffering in hell. Even with the Bible, and may other things confirming the existence of hell, some people still remain unconvinced and believe there is no hell. Maybe this is because people are scared, and afraid they will go to hell. These types of people live bad lives and think that there will be no consequences to their actions. As a whole, we must start to reflect on and think about the lives we are living. It is not up to God on whether we go to hell, or not. God has provided us with the blessings we need to live eternally with him, now it is just up to us to follow them.
Frank, I recently read something about what you'd put in here; the concept that it is not God that condemns people to hell, but rather it is themselves. I thought you did a nice job incorporating this into your writing because you supported it with the fact that we all have a free will. The existence of hell is confirmed with the various quotes that you used and I think that anyone doubting its presence would be persuaded otherwise by this piece. Great job.
Hey frank. I liked your opinion on the matter and I agree. It is truly up to each person to determine wether they go to hell of not. They make their own decisions that depict there journey to heaven or to hell,
Frank, I think that hell is a very complex topic, and you covered it very well. Most people do not think about the consequences of their actions and just assume that they will just automatically go to heaven. Many just choose not to think about the possibilities of going there. When people die, everyone always says how they are in heaven now, but never truly think of the life that the specific person lived. I like how you ended the blog with discussing free will. Good job!
Hell is so really, and such a fact should scare us and motivate us to be better people. If we do not live good enough lives, we are sent to hell for eternity, and that's a pretty long time. It truely is our choice where we end up after our lives on Earth and you made a point to emphasize that. God wants us to chose him, but he will not force us too. Hell is the source of all the evi, in the world, and that's a subject you could have focused on more in your blog.
Frank, I never really thought of this as a misconception. It honestly does not make sense to me that people do not believe in hell. Do those same people believe in heaven? I love love love how you talked about free will because that is honestly what it is all about.
One of the biggest misconceptions in today's Church and society is pornography. If you have not been exposed already or are simply unaware of the issue, it is defined as "printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings" (Oxford Dictionaries). The word comes from the Greek words, "porne,"meaning a harlot, prostitute, or whore, and "graphos," meaning a writing or depiction. If the two meanings are combined, we see that pornography means a depiction of the actions of whores. The industry is one of the biggest today, grossing a whopping 10-14 billion dollars annually. Some say that the "mainstream" is more significant than many professional sports, and perhaps Hollywood. Many people viewing this explicit content may ask; why is it so bad? Jesus taught; "but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). The industry itself; the volunteers, the employed, the filmmakers, etc. have all been taught that the body is an object, so that is what they are showing every victim that looks lustfully upon the screen. They treat the body as a chunk of flesh, which in turn cripples the ability to love. Through pornography, humans rob each other of dignity. They strive for something to satisfy their sexual cravings and this industry provides nothing more than an addictive fantasy that will never, and can never be fulfilled. "(Pornography)offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other" (CCC 2354). The act is a completely direct violation of the 7th commandment; You shall not commit adultery. What many people fail to realize is that sexual intercourse is supposed to be a symbol of love between two married people. The industry's employees are very likely not your spouses. The only people couples should be loving are one another and yet again, pornography distorts what this love truly is. The action of viewing this nasty, graphic content also ruins the mind. Ted Bundy, a serial killer that was destined to be killed by the electric chair the day after this interview, states; "In the beginning it fuels this kind of thought process. Then at a certain time, it's instrumental in what I would say crystallizing it … At that point … I was on the verge of acting out these kinds of thoughts … and it happened in stages … my experience with pornography that deals on a violent level with sexuality is that once you become addicted … I would keep looking for more explicit, more graphic kinds of materials … until you reach the point where the pornography only goes so far. You reach that jumping-off point where you begin to wonder if maybe actually doing it will give you that which is beyond just reading about it or looking at it. …" He goes on to say, "I've lived in prison for a long time … and I've met a lot of men who were motivated to commit violence just like me. And without exception every one of them was deeply involved in pornography -- deeply influenced by an addiction. There is no question about it. The FBI's own study shows that the most common interest among serial killers is pornography." The industry cripples the minds of men and women all around the globe. When we look at pornography we are not only destroying ourselves, but we are also piercing God's heart.
Charlie, You did a great job defending the Catholic Church's stance on pornography. The quotes you pulled from the bible and Catechism of the Catholic Church fit perfectly into the argument. I also really enjoyed the quote about the serial killer, it really emphasized just how evil and harmful pornography is.
Lately our country has become "accepting" of sexualities that have always been around, but only now are we learning that these people are humans just as we are. Some people are angry or confused with the Catholic Church because if we are supposed to accept everyone for who they are, why is it not okay for someone to be homosexual or transgender? The church teaching is Genesis 2:24- "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh". This teaching is not discriminatory towards people who are homosexual. In fact, we are supposed to respect them. God accepts, forgives, and loves each one of us. Homosexuality is just not what Jesus taught. This has been an ongoing misconception for years, especially now that same sex marriage laws are being passed in particular. Some people believe that the church should update its rules with the changing times. The church cannot just change what God sent Christ to teach us. Marriage is the unity of a man and woman through the sacrament of Matrimony. As humans we do not hold the position to change what God has always taught. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved". Even if it is legal in most states to marry someone of the same sex, it is against the catholic teaching. God does forgive though. If marrying someone of the same sex was not enough, this marriage can lead to other sins of the Catholic Church. If two women wanted to have a child, they could use in vitro fertilization. If two men wanted to have a child, they would have to use a surrogate mother. According to the National Conference of State, "The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, thereby requiring all states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples". This means a homosexual person can get married by choice now. I guess it all comes down to whether the Supreme Court is more important than when you have to face God at the final judgement.
Morgan, I disagree with the Supreme Court. There should not be same sex marriages because first, gross, but also you cannot fulfill gods purpose of man and wife to create a child. No same sex marriages.
Doug, I also disagree with what the Supreme Court has passed, as does the Catholic Church. My blog was defending this. Note that the Supreme Court does not make their laws just in accordance to the Catholic teachings. They pass laws for the entire country. Also, calling homosexuals "gross" is technically drawing away from your faith. They are human beings just like us, and we are called to respect and dignify them. Thank you for your opinion though.
Morgan, This discussion points a lot out of the problems that are happening over this topic in our country and all over the globe. I like how you ho on to defend your faith even more. I agree with your comment to Doug. The Catholic Church is not meant to be hostile or hate anyone, even if they do not follow Gods laws, because they are children of God and he would never do that. We must try and help these people instead of hurting them.
Morgan, I am very glad you chose to talk about this topic, because there are so many different sides to the subject. You last sentence is perfect, it leaves the reader with questioning their own morals. Corinthians states, "Love is patient, love is kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." I am brought back to what I said in last week's blog, only God can judge. So despite the fact that Doug thinks same sex marriages are "gross", Doug should not judge someone else's life, only God can. And we do not know what God will say now, we will only know that when we go to heaven.
In Doug's defense, people who are of the same sex cannot engage in sexual intercourse as God intended, so these couples have made up new ways of using one another's bodies and devices that cause them to climax. This can be viewed by many as "grotesque". I believe it is rude to call people gross, but I believe Doug was referring to sexual intercourse between two men or two women which can be considered "gross". Orgasms were created by God. They are not to be highjacked by same sex couples, induviduals or unmarried couples or contracepting couples. That makes any climax unacceptable other than between a committed couple who is open to life.
That being said, being attracted to someone of the same sex is a difficult cross to bare. All people sin, most people have sexual sin of some sort, so love and patience is necessary.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/passage/?q=Psalm+139:13-16 Abortion is an awful thing that is beginning to become more common in our society. Now that it has become legalized in numerous states, young women are aborting their babies even more. This is wrong. Part of the quote says "you knit me together in my mothers womb", this means the conceived baby is part of her, it's growing with her, and is growing on its own. Most of these fetuses are being killed even after they have a pulse. This means they are living, they are human being, and one of gods redeemed people. So when a mother gets an abortion she is literally killing a human. This is murder. Abortion should be illegal because of this. There is a very simple way to stop getting pregnant, stop having sex. This is for the guy and the girl, but when there is a mistake the guy should have just as much say as the women. Yes the mother has to carry the child, but if the guy is willing to take the baby then a woman should not have the right to kill it. I don't honestly know how a person could live with the fact of killing an innocent human being. This is such a terrible thing. You will live with it the rest of your life, you killed a child just because you didn't want it. Think about the married couple that are unable to have children. I'm sure they would be more than happy to adopt the baby. "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life."(CCC) As a Christian we do not believe in an concepts of contraception. As soon as the baby is conceived it is a living son or daughter of God. This is extremely important and even leads the March for life each year. In my eyes I do not understand how it is right for a mother to kill a child, if she can kill the child she deserves to die herself. This is strong but it's how I see it. No infant deserves to die, that's all there is to it.
Doug, I think that we all know that abortion is wrong and I agree that the guy should have say into whether or not the baby is born. I think it was smart to bring up that if you do not want a kid you should not have sex. I think it would have been good to add that it is not the babies fault that you had sex and they should not be punished for it.
You repeated yourself a lot throughout your blog. It seems like you didn't fully understand the topic. Abortion is legal in all fifty states. Abortion is still wrong even if there still is no heartbeat. When a baby is conceived, it is a human embryo, the first stage of life. Would a butterfly kill a caterpillar in a cocoon? The quotes did not flow with the blog really. You did a nice job talking about adoption and how the real problem is sex though, still these topics could have been expanded on more.
Douglas, You had some pretty good advice in your blog this week. If you do not want to have a child you should not be having sex. It is as simple as that. You also mentioned that abortion is the killing of babies. I cannot understand why that does not click in people's heads. Your quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church fits in well with the rest of your blog.
One topic that tends to be quite controversial between Catholics and skeptics is that of purgatory. There are quite a few misconceptions about purgatory and the existence of purgatory. When most people, think of purgatory, they think of a waiting room where you sit and wait until someone comes and calls your name to let you enter the kingdom of God. This could not be more wrong, because purgatory is not a place. Purgatory is a state of existence or a state of being. After you die, purgatory is the time when all of your sins that were not confessed or given penance for are forgiven. It is often referred to as the Final Purification because all of the earthly sins are cleansed from the soul to allow entrance into heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church agrees and says "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."(CCC 1030) The existence of purgatory is often questioned because the bible never directly mentions purgatory. The subject is brought up time and time again, but like most things in scripture is not directly pinpointed. The bible is not word for word, things need to be analyzed and pondered to discover the true meaning. This particular passage from the bible says, “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."(Matthew 12:32) Like many other things in the bible this can be interpreted in different ways, but the ending phrase is referencing purgatory. This age is now on earth and the age to come is after death and a passage from Revelations says, “…but nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who does abominable things or tells lies.”(Revelations 21:27) There is a purgatory because no one is allowed in heaven with sins, but no sins are forgiven in hell, therefore "the age to come" is between the two. Not in the sense of location, but the fact that between life and entrance into heaven, this occurs along the way. These two passages prove the existence of purgatory very clearly through their message. Purgatory is questioned and ridiculed often because not enough information is known on the topic. However, the same can be said about most things, the information we do have about purgatory proves its existence and clearly explains much about it. The teaching of the church supports the existence of purgatory and the argument behind it is sound. More people need to be informed of the specifics of church teaching to stop these misconceptions before they get out of control.
Rachel, I agree that this is a major misconception. Throughout life almost everyone has told me that it is like a waiting room. It makes it seem like it is okay to sin before you die because you have another chance to make it right and to still get into heaven. I also think that the Bible would not come out and say exactly what it is because not many things in our faith are complete;y set in stone, there are a lot of mysteries.
Capital Punishment Source: http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/DeathPenaltyFactsMay2012.pdf http://ejusa.org/learn/innocence/
One of the most heated debates in our country is capital punishment and if it should be legal. The Catholic Church teaches us that it is very wrong. Our conscience also tells us the same thing. There is no for sure way to know if a person truly committed a crime, there have been many cases where people were put to death for crimes that were later proved that they did not commit. Above all, God and the Catholic Church teach us that it is wrong to kill another human being unless they are a threat to other people or it was in self defense. Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person. (CCC 2267) This essentially means that it is never right to kill a person unless they have the potential to kill more people. The death penalty should be the last resort, usually the convicted person can just stay in a jail and that will keep everyone safe. I think that the death penalty should not ever be used. I can understand killing someone in self defense or in war but I do not believe it is right to kill someone if there is any other option. There are prisons so safe that no one could escape. Even though Hitler has caused the killing of millions of people if we caught him I do not think that it would have been right to give him the death penalty. In Genesis 9:6 it says, "Who so she'd death mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed:for in the image of God made men." I take this as no matter what we are expected from God to never kill anyone unless it means you dying. The death penalty is looking someone in the eye and killing them. I also think that Catholic's should not be the ones to administer the drugs to someone to kill them. I think that that goes against the goodness of God. It would be like a Catholic giving abortions, it goes against our faith. Two thirds of countries have banned the death penalty. The death penalty is racially biased and is proven to claim innocent lives. Since 1973, 156 people were put to death that were later proven innocent. One of these people was Ray Krone. He was sentenced and put to death in Arizona for rape and murder of a young girl that just graduated. He was convicted of this crime even though his DNA was not found on the victim. Someone who worked out the case sent in the DNA found on the girl after he was put to death to find that it was not him. They were able to get the man who did it but Ray Krone was already put to death. Another example is Cameron Todd Willingham who was put to death for lighting his house on fire and killing his 3 children. He survived the fire and the fourth believed that he was the arsonist and sentenced him to death. Later they found that the fire was accidental and caused by a faulty wire. Both of these men's lives were eradicated for crimes that they did not commit. This is one of the reasons that the Catholic Church is against capital punishment. But above all, they are against it because it is never right to kill someone because we are supposed to love one another. It is not right to put people to death because even with DNA testing it is never 100% accurate. The death penalty goes against everything that we were taught by Jesus. No one deserves to die like that, everyone should have a chance for repentance and life.
Makenzie, I think you did a fantastic job explaining why capital punishment goes against our faith. People should not keep others, prison is the better solution, e en though some escapes have occurred, I also liked how you mentioned that lives of innocent people have been taken by the death penalty. You can never know for sure, and prison gives them more time to reflect on their actions that got them there anyways.
Gambling, a favorite pastime of many that has been around even before Jesus' time. There is controversy over this activity on whether it is sinful or not. There is not really a clear answer to this question, however there is a line that is crossed before it becomes sinful. The line drawn by Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2413, says "Games of chance or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement. Unfair wagers and cheating at games constitute grave matter, unless the damage inflicted is so slight that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it significant," (CCC 2413). The Church's stand on the issue is that gambling becomes sinful when the gambler is unable to provide himself or herself with the basic necessities of life. The problem with this teaching is not everyone crosses this line at the same point. For example, one person might lose $50,000 and not be able to provide for himself or herself, while one person might lose $500,000 and it would not even put a dent in their bank account. People who have become addicted to gambling can not tell when to stop and they don't even realize it until their possessions are being repossessed and they can buy simple things like food. The bible has no direct answer on gambling as well, however, it does have several statements regarding to gambling and money. One of these statements that really jumps out to me is, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows," (1 Timothy 6:10). People who are addicted to gambling become addicted after winning money a few times, the then find themselves trying to win again and again, but they are only hurting themselves and the ones that they provide for. If people stuck to small stakes games, like small poker games with friends, rather than going to casinos or betting on big events, less and less would fall into addiction. If money being gambled is not necessary for sustenance, and you still have money for almsgiving, that gambling in that situation would be okay. If you only have $500 to get but are betting $1000, then gambling is not okay. In the end, people need to stop and take a minute to think if the best use of their money is on some game that could potentially financially hurt them or even bankrupt them
Johnny, That Bible verse referring to gambling definitely makes it seem like a bad thing, but I think that it would have been good if you would have expanded on the meaning of it. Gambling is an addiction. Once a person wins once, they want to win again. Many people do not take their family's needs into consideration when they are gambling.
We are all familiar with the first part of the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.” God created the world around us, and this is what we were taught since a young age. One common misconception of the Catholic Church is the topic of evolution. Defined, evolution is the process of organisms, alive, changing and growing with their surroundings. I recall learning, in depth, about Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution and his findings on the Galapagos Islands. Pope Francis recently touched on the subject of evolution saying, “The evolution in nature is not opposed to the notion of Creation, because evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states, “God wills the interdependence of creatures. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow: the spectacle of their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other.” So Pope Francis, majorly, put this misconception to rest, saying that through creation, evolution formed. In my eighth grade science class, we touched on the subject of the Big Bang, the scientific theory in which the world was created through billions of years. Now the idea of the Big Bang contradicts with the teaching of the Catholic Church of creation. My question is, couldn’t God create the Big Bang, and that was the form of creation? I believe that God created the universe, but I cannot begin to fathom how God the building blocks that formed our world.
The Catholic Church is all for life and having children, so why/how is the church against in vitro fertilization? First of all, in vitro fertilization "is a complex series of procedures used to treat fertility or genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child. During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from your ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab." Basically, doctors take the reproductive material from each parent, put it in a dish, and let it grow. Once the egg is fertilized, they implant it back into the mother. If the mother does not have a functioning reproductive system, the egg is implanted into a surrogate, who is a women who is not the mother who will carry the baby for nine months and then give birth to it. Is that how you would want to be created? Grown in a lab like a science experiment and then implanted into some strange women who would then give birth to you.
ReplyDeleteIt is understandable why somebody who is not familiar with the faith would believe that in vitro fertilization would be a good idea. After all, does it not allows infertile couples to give love to a child? Not exactly, see the church teaches that marriage be procreative and unitive, as this is the way God intended it to be. If you take away one of these qualities, then you go against the method that God created for children to be conceived. In vitro fertilization also raises more ethical issues in the process. During the process, there is no way to control or predict how many eggs will be fertilized, it could be zero, it could be four. The more eggs used, the better chance at least one will become fertilized, but also increases the risk of multiple eggs becoming fertilized. If more than one egg is fertilized, what will the couple do? Well what do people do when things happen unexpectedly. Be adults and learn to care for the children they wanted and love them forever? Or course not! They are going to have an abortion... What else is new? When an egg is fertilized, it becomes an unique, distinct, and beautiful part of God's plan. God created that fertilized egg for a reason, that human. In some cases, the multiple fertilized eggs won't be aborted, but instead some of them well be given up for medical experimentation. I remember my parents always telling the story of when they had me and saying "Dang it Justin, wish I would have given you up for medical experimentation so you could live in a test tube instead of caring for you as my child. That would have been much more fun." Oh wait that never happened. Also, some of the embryos may even be thrown away or frozen. Not to mention the various medical risks and disease that occupancy such a procedure. The procedure, which is not covered by most insurances, costs over $10,000, and does not guarantee results; there is only a 30% success rate for first time women of this process. Clearly, God is telling us this is wrong. The CCC 2378 states "A child is not something owed to one, but is a gift." Children are not property. Children are miracles. You are a miracle. In vitro fertilization takes away that miracle, that gift.
The church understands the difficulty and frustration of infertile couples, but there are better, more moral options. The church encourages adoption and giving of themselves to services. Let God be God, he knows what he is doing. It will not always be easy, but we must trust in God. Matthew 19:26 teaches us "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”"
Justin, I really enjoy that your picked the topic of in vitro fertilization. We don't really hear much about this topic in Church. Reading your article, I found out so much about this topic and it really changes the way I looked at it before. I really enjoyed your personal experiences in the blog and even how you included some rhetorical questions. I liked the facts you included in blog because they make me realize what is really in store when people actually use in vitro fertilization. Good blog!
DeleteJustin,
DeleteThe topic you chose is one that is a very controversial topic in today's society. I think that the rhetorical questions you developed helped to explain many misconceptions and false ideas that go along with IVF. You utilized your quotes well and they weren't just fillers. They made sense where they were put in and helped strengthen your argument. Great Blog!
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ReplyDeleteIn the Catholic Church, are there any misconceptions? Yes! There are so many misconceptions in the Catholic Church and fasting is one of them. Fasting is a common misconception in the Catholic Church. "The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others" CCC 1434. Fasting is a common misconception in our Church today because people think we fast just because it's a certain Catholic celebration or a certain Catholic holiday. People think we have to just because we are Catholics too. This is not what fasting is and this is definitely not what it was made for. Fasting is a major action taken in our Church today and should be practiced by all. It is so important in our faith and beliefs. Fasting makes us stronger in our faith and beliefs. It is more than just an abstinence from meat or a delay in eating before meals. In the Catholic Church, there are two days out of the Church year we fast, although this truly is not asking much of us it is the meaning that gets to most Catholics. People ages 18 and 59 fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, but that does not mean younger kids can not do it too. We eat one full meatless meal and two smaller meals on these two days. On Ash Wednesday and all Fridays in Lent, Catholics 14 and up abstain from meat too. In the Catholic Church, this is considered a form of fasting as well. Little do people know, we need to fast every Saturday or Sunday. We are to abstain from eating one hour before going to Church. Being able to fast before Church is such a blessing because later on, we get to receive the true body and blood of Christ. Fasting is an ancient Church ritual and is taught in the Scriptures of the Bible. Fasting allows us to take up our own cross like Jesus did for us. It allows us to deny ourselves for the sake of Gods love that is given to us each and everyday. Being able to deny ourselves allows us to become closer to God and his love. It deepens our connection with him. Jesus tells us in order for us to come after Him we must be able to deny ourselves; Luke 9:23. This small suffering we give ourself fasting and abstaining is a remembrance of Gods suffering for us on the Cross. There is no reason we should not do it! We can not fast and abstain just because we have to as Catholics. Fasting and abstaining is an action taken for more than just a simple Catholic celebration, it is an action given to Jesus so we can thank him for giving us new life. As Catholics, we have to give our own suffering for the sake of Christ's suffering that allows us to be here and who we are today.
ReplyDeleteAllie, this post is great and I love how you incorporate Jesus's death at the cross resembles why we fast. I would love to hear more emotion from you in this writing!! This is great, I love it!
DeleteAllie,
DeleteI never considered the opposition to fasting, but you did a good job defending your point. You connected the sacrifice Jesus gave for us very well to the sacrifice of fasting. I never gave much thought on the subject, but from this I see now how important it is.
In the past few years, homosexuality has been an extremely controversial topic. Upon heated protests, debates and discussions the Supreme Court passed Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. This court case legalized gay marriage in all fifty states, but it did not stop the controversy that had arisen on the topic.The Catholic Church is heavily criticized by people of all orientations when it comes to their stance on the issue. Are people enraged for a reason, or are they just ill informed? Are people just looking for someone to blame, or do they actually have a legitimate argument when it comes to the teaching of the Catholic Church? The Catholic Church believes that, regardless of sexual orientation, everyone is a child of God.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "homosexual persons must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided." The Catholic Church does not condone the disrespect of anyone, but like any other group there is a minority of people who do not abide by its teachings. They send a message that can tarnish the reputation of Catholics. Those few people that have beliefs contrary to the message that Catholics are sending cannot drown out the kindness and hospitality of the rest of the Church. People who have different beliefs on the matter need to focus on what the Catholic people have to say as a whole rather than what a minority of people within the Church say.
The Catholic Church allows homosexuality in the Church, but as with all of the other relationships it requires chastity. The Church teaches that a marriage needs to be free, total, faithful and fruitful. A homosexual relationship cannot be fruitful. This is one of the reasons that Catholics think of same-sex marriage as a disorder. Homosexuality is disrespectful toward the human body and does not follow natural law. Many of the benefits of a relationship between a man and a woman are not found between two men or two women. That has nothing to do with the Church's teachings, it is a scientifically proven fact. "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him" (Gen. 2:18). As a result, "a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh." (Gen. 2:24) God intended for a marriage to be between one man and one woman. Catholics believe that we should not modify God's image for a healthy relationship. God created women as the perfect companion for men. Men and women correspond perfectly, and that is not a coincidence. Even if Catholic people do think differently of homosexuality they cannot do anything to change it.
The Church views homosexuality as a mental frailty that can be changed. Many people think that homosexual tendencies are with a human at birth, but there are no studies that prove this. That means that a human's orientation is not with them at birth. Many factors throughout childhood and on into adulthood can change a persons orientation. Catholics understand that people go through different phases in their lives, and they accept that. They realize that discrimination will not solve any problems. The Church hopes that people who are homosexual can come to except God's call to heterosexual marriage through prayer. The majority of couples in the Catholic Church set the example of people married in the eyes of God.
The Catholic Church believes that, regardless of sexual orientation, everyone is a child of God. Whenever tension arises over a controversial topic, people are always looking for someone to blame. One thing that sets the Catholic Church apart from most other groups is the fact that they are understanding of others. They are happy to listen to what people have to say on the matter of homosexuality and they will give their thoughts on the topic as well. The Church accepts people regardless of their ethnicity, gender or orientation because, in the end, we are all brothers and sisters in the eyes of Christ.
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DeleteZach,
DeleteHomosexuality has been such a controversial topic just like you said. Just like I told Justin, I love the rhetorical questions included in the blog. It makes me think more on the subject. People who are homosexual are definitely judged and discriminated in this world. It is considered unjust. We as Catholics realize everyone is different in their own way and we should not judge. We as Catholics have the opportunity to pray for what is best for them so God can reach out to them. Just as you stated, we truly all are children of God and brothers and sisters to each other. We can truly reach out to understand others, no matter what their case is.
Zachary,
DeleteIn today's society, people think that same sex marriage is okay. From a personal stand point I do not. I think that marriage should be now as it always was, between a man and a woman. Just as you explained individuals of the same sex can't be fruitful and work towards procreation. A loving Union should be between a man and a women. It seems as though everything in today's society reflects acts of homosexuality. Television shows, the news, and all other forms of Entertaiment almost seem like they feel obligated to include these acts of same sex relations. This is why people think it is okay. They receive support and ecouragment. Should we really encourage an action that goes against God's plan. I do not believe so. Good Blog this week!
Zach,
DeleteWe had similar topics so I took a little extra time to compare our blogs. I thought you used a lot of supporting statements to prove your argument. It is definitely okay to accept someone who is homosexual because that is what we are called to do. We are not called to act upon homosexuality. Just as you said, prayer is the answer. If anyone is confused, they should talk to God and ask for his guidance.
Since Charles Darwin first established his theory of evolution in 1831, people have challenged what the Catholic Church says about it. A common question that arises is can a Catholic person believe in evolution? The answer of course is yes. It is a scientifically proven fact that species evolve over time. Now wether humans evolved from apes is a completely different spectrum of idea. What the church wants people to realize is that at some point in time God created everything. He developed man in His image and likeness. Wether we are evolved from apes or not, God created humans with a soul. By doing this he allowed us to believe in Him and ultimately join Him in heaven at the end of time. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "The question about the origins of the world and of man has been the object of many scientific studies which have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator, prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers" (CCC 283). What this is saying is, that because of science we are able to agree with, as well as, full heartedly acknowledge the idea of evolution because God created it.
ReplyDeleteTo further this topic, we have to travel all the way back into the first chapters of Genesis. In Genesis we hear about the story of creation. We learn that on each day God created a different thing and on the seventh day he rested. You may think this sounds impossible to creat everything we have on the earth in just six days, but we do not know exactly how long one day was in the eyes of God. Over this span of creation God intended for things to evolve and grow.
Genesis 5: 1-3 states, "This is the record of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them in the likeness of God; he created them male and female. When they were created, he blessed them and named them humankind." This story about Adam, meaning first man, and Eve, meaning first women, allows us to visualize Gods plan. Though this story is not true, it was told like this to give people an ability to wrap their heads around the story of creation. Genesis tell us how the first man and women lived. In a sense they evolved over time. Adapting to life, and surviving in the place God created for them. So the question that non-Catholics often ask can be answered as follows: Catholics do believe in evolution. We agree entirely with the scientific evidence that animals evolve, but what we know to be true is that God allowed man to have a immortal soul that placed him above the rest of the life form on earth.
Dan, I agree! I completely agree with what you wrote here! God created everything, and how people can question our belief on that is confusing to me! I love what you had to say about this!!
DeleteDan,
DeleteI really liked what you did to clarify and defend this argument. I also believe that God worked through science to create us and no matter what, the soul is the key factor to our existence. I believe that when God said he created man on day 6, the day was actually millions of years on Earth. You did a great job establishing your argument and defending with proof from the Bible and Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Dan,
DeleteI really like your argument, I have often questioned some of these things myself, such as the 6 days and that translating into our time, and your blog brought some things to my attention. You made a good choice focusing on the creation story itself from Genesis and proving how things came out of that.
In the Catholic faith, many things are fabricated about the Church and its' teachings. This is due to the fact that people do not understand our religion and beliefs. One of the biggest misconceptions would be that we worship saints in place of God, and also worship the Pope as a superior being.
ReplyDeletePeople think that just because Catholics have saints that we adore them and praise them. This could not be farther from the truth. To start, saints are not divine. Jesus alone is the divine being that we look up to and idolize. He is the only person that is worthy of our worship. All of the saints were at one time regular people who lived just like us. These people were not perfect, they did not always make the right decisions, and did not always follow the correct path. But, what the saints did do is what we admire. They are humans who made a large impact on the world by spreading and evangelizing their faith. These people believed in God and showed others the love that Jesus has to give. In no way are these humans equal to Jesus, nor are they worthy of our worship. Catholics look to the saints for example, as they are role models sent to us by God. We venerate the saints, not idolize. We want to imitate their actions and live a life of obedience as they did. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it."The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone." By praying to a saint, a person asks for their intercession and help. The CCC states,"To adore God is to acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the "nothingness of the creature" who would not exist but for God. To adore God is to praise and exalt him and to humble oneself, as Mary did in the Magnificat, confessing with gratitude that he has done great things and holy is his name. The worship of the one God sets man free from turning in on himself, from the slavery of sin and the idolatry of the world." This passage from the CCC explains how Mary is a saint who worshipped God whole-heartedly. This is why we look to Mary for good example on how to live up to our full potential as God's disciples. We turn to these saints, especially Mary, for guidance on issues greater than our knowledge and wisdom. Essentially, God is the boss and the saints are just his employees.
Another misconception is that we find the Pope infallible. The confusion with this principle occurs when there is no "definition" of how far the infallibility stretches. We as Catholics believe that the Pope is infallible in his teachings and morals. However, we do not believe that he does not sin or make mistakes. The Pope acts as the image of Christ on Earth. With this being said, he is still a human being. Humans fall down, but the important thing is that we seek God to help us back up. This is the image that the Pope emulates. In his Gospel, Matthew writes of Jesus handing down his authority to those on Earth. He says, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” By doing this, Jesus insinuates that He knows there will be sins made by the men on Earth. Jesus knows that there will be positive things that will occur too. Overall, the Pope makes mistakes just as we all do. He is in no way infallible in a personal manner, but is infallible in his teachings on the faith. All that we can do for people who do not understand our religion is pray.
Kara,
DeleteI think that if the people who claim us Cathoics worship saints over God himself read your blog, they would realize how dumb and stupid this claim is. We adore and look up to the saints to further our love and passion for Jesus, not weaken it. I thought you did a really good job defending this common misconception. Your sentence about God being the boss is a very simple, but effective and well used example!!
Euthanasia is the direct and intentional killing of and old person or even a handicapped person who is not exactly ready to die yet. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2276 states, "Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible." People have a misconception that sense one human being, that our Lord created just like me and you, was too ill to live that they had the ability to use artificial means to kill that person. This is completely untrue, why? This is because every human has the right to life, every human deserves the opportunity to receive the worlds love, and every human deserves to live the life God gave them. No one has the right to take that away from anyone or themselves. How lucky we are to be given this life of love, happiness, and joy. We are not worthy enough to diminish our loves due to a bump in the road. God wants to take us when he is ready for us to serve him in paradise. The bible also states,
ReplyDelete"The prohibition against killing legally innocent people is later formalized in the sixth commandment, ‘You shall not murder’" (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17). This is our faith. We believe that killing is wrong and we must accept that is an equal offense. We, as humans, do not have the choice or the right to take away the life of someone else's because that is murder. People may believe that they are helping the human by taking away there suffering, but that still does not give anyone the right to kill. Humans do not own our body; we were given it. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit that we can use to glorify God, and no one in this world can kill God because he is the everlasting truth. We are the direct images and love of God, he created us from himself and we think we have the right to take that away from him? We think have the capability to ends one life because we say so? God is the only one who knows when we will meet him in Heaven again. We, as Catholics, need to stand up for the people who are not open to the idea that euthanasia is murder. That we are not the deciders of how and when we die. God has a special chair for us, in Heaven, to sit and enjoy our eternal happiness, butte must wait for that chair to be finished. We must wait for God to call us home.
Reilly,
DeleteI can sense some similar ideas and feelings on this blog with the blog you wrote last week. Obviously, you care very much about the killing of innocent people, as you should. I loved the sentence about our bodies being temples of the Holy Spirit used to glorify God. God is responsible for putting us on earth, so he should be the one taking us off of earth. Great Job!
Reilly,
DeleteYou are a compassionate person, and it really shows when you write your blogs. Your examples supported your argument very well. Even though the person may be suffering, we do not have the right to decide when they should die. They have their own right to live as long as God decides to keep them until called home to heaven.
Reilly,
DeleteYour blog this week makes some very good points. I specifically liked the ending when you talk about God's chair. It is true, that our bodies are temples made by God, for God. We have no right to decide when we are to be taken off of this planet, and especially no right to say when others are taken off the planet. I wish you would've talked about this topic a little more as it has a lot of potential! Overall, it was an informative blog!
The existence of Hell is a major misconception, and controversial topic in the Catholic Church. As all good Catholics know, Hell is a real place that we have been made aware of and taught about by Jesus Christ himself. Many people nowadays, however, are getting the idea that there is no hell. They make the claim that there can't be a hell because God is all loving and forgiving, and therefore would never let anyone go to hell. This may sound like a believable claim for someone who is non-Catholic, or does not regularly practice their faith. According to section 1033 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."" The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states in section 1035 that, "The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."" Through these examples you are shown that it is not God who sends people to hell, but rather its in your control. God has blessed everyone with the gift of free will. We have the free will to live how we want, marry who we want, etc., and we also have the free will to determine where we live after we die. It is on our control to determine whether we will live in a life of eternal love and happiness with God in Heaven, or live in eternal suffering and pain in Hell. In the Bible, chapter twenty-one, verse eight of the Book of Revelation says, "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." This Bible verse confirms the existence of hell, and provides examples of what type of people who are well on their way to suffering in hell. Even with the Bible, and may other things confirming the existence of hell, some people still remain unconvinced and believe there is no hell. Maybe this is because people are scared, and afraid they will go to hell. These types of people live bad lives and think that there will be no consequences to their actions. As a whole, we must start to reflect on and think about the lives we are living. It is not up to God on whether we go to hell, or not. God has provided us with the blessings we need to live eternally with him, now it is just up to us to follow them.
ReplyDeleteFrank,
DeleteI recently read something about what you'd put in here; the concept that it is not God that condemns people to hell, but rather it is themselves. I thought you did a nice job incorporating this into your writing because you supported it with the fact that we all have a free will. The existence of hell is confirmed with the various quotes that you used and I think that anyone doubting its presence would be persuaded otherwise by this piece. Great job.
Hey frank. I liked your opinion on the matter and I agree. It is truly up to each person to determine wether they go to hell of not. They make their own decisions that depict there journey to heaven or to hell,
DeleteFrank,
DeleteI think that hell is a very complex topic, and you covered it very well. Most people do not think about the consequences of their actions and just assume that they will just automatically go to heaven. Many just choose not to think about the possibilities of going there. When people die, everyone always says how they are in heaven now, but never truly think of the life that the specific person lived. I like how you ended the blog with discussing free will. Good job!
Hell is so really, and such a fact should scare us and motivate us to be better people. If we do not live good enough lives, we are sent to hell for eternity, and that's a pretty long time. It truely is our choice where we end up after our lives on Earth and you made a point to emphasize that. God wants us to chose him, but he will not force us too. Hell is the source of all the evi, in the world, and that's a subject you could have focused on more in your blog.
DeleteFrank,
DeleteI never really thought of this as a misconception. It honestly does not make sense to me that people do not believe in hell. Do those same people believe in heaven? I love love love how you talked about free will because that is honestly what it is all about.
One of the biggest misconceptions in today's Church and society is pornography. If you have not been exposed already or are simply unaware of the issue, it is defined as "printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings" (Oxford Dictionaries). The word comes from the Greek words, "porne,"meaning a harlot, prostitute, or whore, and "graphos," meaning a writing or depiction. If the two meanings are combined, we see that pornography means a depiction of the actions of whores. The industry is one of the biggest today, grossing a whopping 10-14 billion dollars annually. Some say that the "mainstream" is more significant than many professional sports, and perhaps Hollywood. Many people viewing this explicit content may ask; why is it so bad?
ReplyDeleteJesus taught; "but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). The industry itself; the volunteers, the employed, the filmmakers, etc. have all been taught that the body is an object, so that is what they are showing every victim that looks lustfully upon the screen. They treat the body as a chunk of flesh, which in turn cripples the ability to love. Through pornography, humans rob each other of dignity. They strive for something to satisfy their sexual cravings and this industry provides nothing more than an addictive fantasy that will never, and can never be fulfilled.
"(Pornography)offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other" (CCC 2354). The act is a completely direct violation of the 7th commandment; You shall not commit adultery. What many people fail to realize is that sexual intercourse is supposed to be a symbol of love between two married people. The industry's employees are very likely not your spouses. The only people couples should be loving are one another and yet again, pornography distorts what this love truly is.
The action of viewing this nasty, graphic content also ruins the mind. Ted Bundy, a serial killer that was destined to be killed by the electric chair the day after this interview, states; "In the beginning it fuels this kind of thought process. Then at a certain time, it's instrumental in what I would say crystallizing it … At that point … I was on the verge of acting out these kinds of thoughts … and it happened in stages … my experience with pornography that deals on a violent level with sexuality is that once you become addicted … I would keep looking for more explicit, more graphic kinds of materials … until you reach the point where the pornography only goes so far. You reach that jumping-off point where you begin to wonder if maybe actually doing it will give you that which is beyond just reading about it or looking at it. …"
He goes on to say, "I've lived in prison for a long time … and I've met a lot of men who were motivated to commit violence just like me. And without exception every one of them was deeply involved in pornography -- deeply influenced by an addiction. There is no question about it. The FBI's own study shows that the most common interest among serial killers is pornography." The industry cripples the minds of men and women all around the globe. When we look at pornography we are not only destroying ourselves, but we are also piercing God's heart.
Charlie,
DeleteYou did a great job defending the Catholic Church's stance on pornography. The quotes you pulled from the bible and Catechism of the Catholic Church fit perfectly into the argument. I also really enjoyed the quote about the serial killer, it really emphasized just how evil and harmful pornography is.
Lately our country has become "accepting" of sexualities that have always been around, but only now are we learning that these people are humans just as we are. Some people are angry or confused with the Catholic Church because if we are supposed to accept everyone for who they are, why is it not okay for someone to be homosexual or transgender? The church teaching is Genesis 2:24- "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh". This teaching is not discriminatory towards people who are homosexual. In fact, we are supposed to respect them. God accepts, forgives, and loves each one of us. Homosexuality is just not what Jesus taught. This has been an ongoing misconception for years, especially now that same sex marriage laws are being passed in particular. Some people believe that the church should update its rules with the changing times. The church cannot just change what God sent Christ to teach us. Marriage is the unity of a man and woman through the sacrament of Matrimony. As humans we do not hold the position to change what God has always taught.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved". Even if it is legal in most states to marry someone of the same sex, it is against the catholic teaching. God does forgive though. If marrying someone of the same sex was not enough, this marriage can lead to other sins of the Catholic Church. If two women wanted to have a child, they could use in vitro fertilization. If two men wanted to have a child, they would have to use a surrogate mother. According to the National Conference of State, "The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, thereby requiring all states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples". This means a homosexual person can get married by choice now. I guess it all comes down to whether the Supreme Court is more important than when you have to face God at the final judgement.
Morgan, I disagree with the Supreme Court. There should not be same sex marriages because first, gross, but also you cannot fulfill gods purpose of man and wife to create a child. No same sex marriages.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDoug,
DeleteI also disagree with what the Supreme Court has passed, as does the Catholic Church. My blog was defending this. Note that the Supreme Court does not make their laws just in accordance to the Catholic teachings. They pass laws for the entire country. Also, calling homosexuals "gross" is technically drawing away from your faith. They are human beings just like us, and we are called to respect and dignify them. Thank you for your opinion though.
Morgan,
DeleteThis discussion points a lot out of the problems that are happening over this topic in our country and all over the globe. I like how you ho on to defend your faith even more. I agree with your comment to Doug. The Catholic Church is not meant to be hostile or hate anyone, even if they do not follow Gods laws, because they are children of God and he would never do that. We must try and help these people instead of hurting them.
Morgan,
DeleteI am very glad you chose to talk about this topic, because there are so many different sides to the subject. You last sentence is perfect, it leaves the reader with questioning their own morals. Corinthians states, "Love is patient, love is kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." I am brought back to what I said in last week's blog, only God can judge. So despite the fact that Doug thinks same sex marriages are "gross", Doug should not judge someone else's life, only God can. And we do not know what God will say now, we will only know that when we go to heaven.
In Doug's defense, people who are of the same sex cannot engage in sexual intercourse as God intended, so these couples have made up new ways of using one another's bodies and devices that cause them to climax. This can be viewed by many as "grotesque". I believe it is rude to call people gross, but I believe Doug was referring to sexual intercourse between two men or two women which can be considered "gross". Orgasms were created by God. They are not to be highjacked by same sex couples, induviduals or unmarried couples or contracepting couples. That makes any climax unacceptable other than between a committed couple who is open to life.
DeleteThat being said, being attracted to someone of the same sex is a difficult cross to bare. All people sin, most people have sexual sin of some sort, so love and patience is necessary.
Deletehttp://www.biblestudytools.com/passage/?q=Psalm+139:13-16
ReplyDeleteAbortion is an awful thing that is beginning to become more common in our society. Now that it has become legalized in numerous states, young women are aborting their babies even more. This is wrong. Part of the quote says "you knit me together in my mothers womb", this means the conceived baby is part of her, it's growing with her, and is growing on its own. Most of these fetuses are being killed even after they have a pulse. This means they are living, they are human being, and one of gods redeemed people. So when a mother gets an abortion she is literally killing a human. This is murder. Abortion should be illegal because of this. There is a very simple way to stop getting pregnant, stop having sex. This is for the guy and the girl, but when there is a mistake the guy should have just as much say as the women. Yes the mother has to carry the child, but if the guy is willing to take the baby then a woman should not have the right to kill it.
I don't honestly know how a person could live with the fact of killing an innocent human being. This is such a terrible thing. You will live with it the rest of your life, you killed a child just because you didn't want it. Think about the married couple that are unable to have children. I'm sure they would be more than happy to adopt the baby.
"Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life."(CCC) As a Christian we do not believe in an concepts of contraception. As soon as the baby is conceived it is a living son or daughter of God. This is extremely important and even leads the March for life each year.
In my eyes I do not understand how it is right for a mother to kill a child, if she can kill the child she deserves to die herself. This is strong but it's how I see it. No infant deserves to die, that's all there is to it.
Doug,
DeleteI think that we all know that abortion is wrong and I agree that the guy should have say into whether or not the baby is born. I think it was smart to bring up that if you do not want a kid you should not have sex. I think it would have been good to add that it is not the babies fault that you had sex and they should not be punished for it.
You repeated yourself a lot throughout your blog. It seems like you didn't fully understand the topic. Abortion is legal in all fifty states. Abortion is still wrong even if there still is no heartbeat. When a baby is conceived, it is a human embryo, the first stage of life. Would a butterfly kill a caterpillar in a cocoon? The quotes did not flow with the blog really. You did a nice job talking about adoption and how the real problem is sex though, still these topics could have been expanded on more.
DeleteDouglas,
DeleteYou had some pretty good advice in your blog this week. If you do not want to have a child you should not be having sex. It is as simple as that. You also mentioned that abortion is the killing of babies. I cannot understand why that does not click in people's heads. Your quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church fits in well with the rest of your blog.
One topic that tends to be quite controversial between Catholics and skeptics is that of purgatory. There are quite a few misconceptions about purgatory and the existence of purgatory. When most people, think of purgatory, they think of a waiting room where you sit and wait until someone comes and calls your name to let you enter the kingdom of God. This could not be more wrong, because purgatory is not a place. Purgatory is a state of existence or a state of being. After you die, purgatory is the time when all of your sins that were not confessed or given penance for are forgiven. It is often referred to as the Final Purification because all of the earthly sins are cleansed from the soul to allow entrance into heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church agrees and says "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."(CCC 1030)
ReplyDeleteThe existence of purgatory is often questioned because the bible never directly mentions purgatory. The subject is brought up time and time again, but like most things in scripture is not directly pinpointed. The bible is not word for word, things need to be analyzed and pondered to discover the true meaning. This particular passage from the bible says, “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."(Matthew 12:32) Like many other things in the bible this can be interpreted in different ways, but the ending phrase is referencing purgatory. This age is now on earth and the age to come is after death and a passage from Revelations says, “…but nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who does abominable things or tells lies.”(Revelations 21:27) There is a purgatory because no one is allowed in heaven with sins, but no sins are forgiven in hell, therefore "the age to come" is between the two. Not in the sense of location, but the fact that between life and entrance into heaven, this occurs along the way. These two passages prove the existence of purgatory very clearly through their message.
Purgatory is questioned and ridiculed often because not enough information is known on the topic. However, the same can be said about most things, the information we do have about purgatory proves its existence and clearly explains much about it. The teaching of the church supports the existence of purgatory and the argument behind it is sound. More people need to be informed of the specifics of church teaching to stop these misconceptions before they get out of control.
Rachel,
DeleteI agree that this is a major misconception. Throughout life almost everyone has told me that it is like a waiting room. It makes it seem like it is okay to sin before you die because you have another chance to make it right and to still get into heaven. I also think that the Bible would not come out and say exactly what it is because not many things in our faith are complete;y set in stone, there are a lot of mysteries.
Capital Punishment
ReplyDeleteSource: http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/DeathPenaltyFactsMay2012.pdf
http://ejusa.org/learn/innocence/
One of the most heated debates in our country is capital punishment and if it should be legal. The Catholic Church teaches us that it is very wrong. Our conscience also tells us the same thing. There is no for sure way to know if a person truly committed a crime, there have been many cases where people were put to death for crimes that were later proved that they did not commit. Above all, God and the Catholic Church teach us that it is wrong to kill another human being unless they are a threat to other people or it was in self defense.
Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person. (CCC 2267)
This essentially means that it is never right to kill a person unless they have the potential to kill more people. The death penalty should be the last resort, usually the convicted person can just stay in a jail and that will keep everyone safe. I think that the death penalty should not ever be used. I can understand killing someone in self defense or in war but I do not believe it is right to kill someone if there is any other option. There are prisons so safe that no one could escape. Even though Hitler has caused the killing of millions of people if we caught him I do not think that it would have been right to give him the death penalty. In Genesis 9:6 it says, "Who so she'd death mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed:for in the image of God made men." I take this as no matter what we are expected from God to never kill anyone unless it means you dying. The death penalty is looking someone in the eye and killing them. I also think that Catholic's should not be the ones to administer the drugs to someone to kill them. I think that that goes against the goodness of God. It would be like a Catholic giving abortions, it goes against our faith.
Two thirds of countries have banned the death penalty. The death penalty is racially biased and is proven to claim innocent lives. Since 1973, 156 people were put to death that were later proven innocent. One of these people was Ray Krone. He was sentenced and put to death in Arizona for rape and murder of a young girl that just graduated. He was convicted of this crime even though his DNA was not found on the victim. Someone who worked out the case sent in the DNA found on the girl after he was put to death to find that it was not him. They were able to get the man who did it but Ray Krone was already put to death. Another example is Cameron Todd Willingham who was put to death for lighting his house on fire and killing his 3 children. He survived the fire and the fourth believed that he was the arsonist and sentenced him to death. Later they found that the fire was accidental and caused by a faulty wire. Both of these men's lives were eradicated for crimes that they did not commit. This is one of the reasons that the Catholic Church is against capital punishment. But above all, they are against it because it is never right to kill someone because we are supposed to love one another. It is not right to put people to death because even with DNA testing it is never 100% accurate. The death penalty goes against everything that we were taught by Jesus. No one deserves to die like that, everyone should have a chance for repentance and life.
Makenzie,
DeleteI think you did a fantastic job explaining why capital punishment goes against our faith. People should not keep others, prison is the better solution, e en though some escapes have occurred, I also liked how you mentioned that lives of innocent people have been taken by the death penalty. You can never know for sure, and prison gives them more time to reflect on their actions that got them there anyways.
Gambling, a favorite pastime of many that has been around even before Jesus' time. There is controversy over this activity on whether it is sinful or not. There is not really a clear answer to this question, however there is a line that is crossed before it becomes sinful. The line drawn by Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2413, says "Games of chance or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement. Unfair wagers and cheating at games constitute grave matter, unless the damage inflicted is so slight that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it significant," (CCC 2413). The Church's stand on the issue is that gambling becomes sinful when the gambler is unable to provide himself or herself with the basic necessities of life. The problem with this teaching is not everyone crosses this line at the same point. For example, one person might lose $50,000 and not be able to provide for himself or herself, while one person might lose $500,000 and it would not even put a dent in their bank account. People who have become addicted to gambling can not tell when to stop and they don't even realize it until their possessions are being repossessed and they can buy simple things like food.
ReplyDeleteThe bible has no direct answer on gambling as well, however, it does have several statements regarding to gambling and money. One of these statements that really jumps out to me is, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows," (1 Timothy 6:10). People who are addicted to gambling become addicted after winning money a few times, the then find themselves trying to win again and again, but they are only hurting themselves and the ones that they provide for. If people stuck to small stakes games, like small poker games with friends, rather than going to casinos or betting on big events, less and less would fall into addiction. If money being gambled is not necessary for sustenance, and you still have money for almsgiving, that gambling in that situation would be okay. If you only have $500 to get but are betting $1000, then gambling is not okay. In the end, people need to stop and take a minute to think if the best use of their money is on some game that could potentially financially hurt them or even bankrupt them
Johnny,
ReplyDeleteThat Bible verse referring to gambling definitely makes it seem like a bad thing, but I think that it would have been good if you would have expanded on the meaning of it. Gambling is an addiction. Once a person wins once, they want to win again. Many people do not take their family's needs into consideration when they are gambling.
We are all familiar with the first part of the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.” God created the world around us, and this is what we were taught since a young age. One common misconception of the Catholic Church is the topic of evolution. Defined, evolution is the process of organisms, alive, changing and growing with their surroundings. I recall learning, in depth, about Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution and his findings on the Galapagos Islands. Pope Francis recently touched on the subject of evolution saying, “The evolution in nature is not opposed to the notion of Creation, because evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states, “God wills the interdependence of creatures. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow: the spectacle of their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other.” So Pope Francis, majorly, put this misconception to rest, saying that through creation, evolution formed.
ReplyDeleteIn my eighth grade science class, we touched on the subject of the Big Bang, the scientific theory in which the world was created through billions of years. Now the idea of the Big Bang contradicts with the teaching of the Catholic Church of creation. My question is, couldn’t God create the Big Bang, and that was the form of creation? I believe that God created the universe, but I cannot begin to fathom how God the building blocks that formed our world.