Saint Joseph College

Tunga-tunga, Maasin City, Southern Leyte

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
School Year 2021-2022
Introduction to World Religions and belief Systems

Lesson 4 : Christianity
Christianity is considered the most popular religion in the world with the most number of
adherents among all religions. Starting around the 1st century C.E., it developed out of
Judaism during the reign of the Roman Empire in West Asia. It centers on the life,
teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is considered the Messiah or
Savior of humanity. The most common symbol for Christianity is the cross, for
Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humanity from their sins and to
restore people’s relationship with God the Father. Christians also believe in the Holy
Trinity, which means God has three aspects—Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is
believed that God the Father sent His only Son, Jesus, to earth to redeem humanity
from their sins for them to avoid the eternal flames of hell.
Although there has been a prophesy in Judaism that God the Father will send His
only Son to redeem humanity from their sins and to restore relationship with God, the
Jews do not accept that Jesus was the fulfillment of that promise. Instead, the Jews are
still waiting for the Messiah to be sent by God the Father. Christians, on the other hand,
have accepted that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise. Nonetheless, Christianity is
considered one of the first monotheistic religions in the world and shares many
similarities with Judaism in terms of belief in prophets, angels, judgement day, among
others. Together with Judaism and Islam, Christianity is considered one of the world
religions which traces its origins to the patriarch Abraham.
Christianity is a religion that is very familiar to Filipinos because the Philippines
has become predominantly Catholic since the Spaniards occupied the country from the
16th to the 19th centuries, with the spread of Catholicism as one of their enduring
legacies to the Filipino people. It is considered the world’s largest religion, a religion
based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who is considered the Son of God and the
Messiah or Savior. Followers of Christianity are called Christians. As of 2010, there are
more than 2 billion Christians all over the world, which make up more than 30% of the
world’s population of 6.9 billion.

Symbols
The symbols shown above are the most common symbols associated with Christianity.
The cross serves as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s victory over sins when He died on the
cross for humanity’s redemption and salvation. Christ died on the cross and the cross
serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by God in order for humanity to live. In
Roman Catholic churches, the crucifix is a regular feature, with the image of Christ
nailed on the cross. This aims to emphasize Christ’s sufferings for humanity.
Meanwhile, Protestant churches often feature only the cross without the image of the
body of Christ, to emphasize Christ’s resurrection and not His suffering.
Meanwhile, the fish symbol is as old as Christianity itself, for it was used by
persecuted Christians as a secret sign when meeting other Christians. Because
Christians were threatened by the Romans during the time, they had to make a secret
code to avoid persecution. Thus, when meeting strangers on the way, a Christian would
draw one arc of the fish outline, and if the stranger drew the other half it means they are
both Christians and therefore safe in each other’s company. The word “fish” also has a
secret meaning, for Christians made an acrostic from the Greek word for fish, which is
ichtys: Iseous Christos Theou Yios Soter, meaning Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Christianity developed in Palestine around 100 C.E. It was founded by Jesus,
considered to be the Son of God and Messiah or Savior. Regarded as an offshoot of
Judaism, Christianity has survived and even surpassed Judaism and other religions in
terms of number of adherents. Today Christianity is divided into three major sects—
Roman Catholicism, Greek Orthodox Church, and Protestantism. These major Christian
sects are further subdivided by Christian denominations that differ in certain beliefs and
practices but are united in worshipping Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Historical Context Judea, the mountainous southern part of Palestine, was the
home of Christianity. During that time, Judaism was the dominant religion in Palestine
and it was considered by the Jews as land promised to them by God. However,
historical developments in the region we now call West Asia have shown that
successive powers have dominated Mesopotamia and nearby territories, including
Palestine which is considered to have a desirable location. Thus, it was conquered by
the Assyrian Empire, then by the Babylonian Empire which enslaved the Jews, then the
Achaemenid or Persian Empire under Cyrus, who permitted the Jews to return to their
land. Soon the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great conquered West
Asia including Palestine around 400 B.C. Then the Romans conquered Jerusalem in 63
B.C. When Jesus was born, Palestine was still under Roman rule.
Thus, Christianity was born in an era when Palestine was ruled by a foreign
power, the Romans. Conditions were ripe for the beginning of a new religion. Since the
concept of Messiah (which was promised in Judaism as the one who will liberate them
from the evils of the world) proved to be very attractive for a group of people being
colonized by a foreign power.

Jesus as the Founder of Christianity

It was in this backdrop that Jesus, founder of Christianity, lived and preached
teachings that served as criticisms of Judaism, although he himself was a Jew. His
ministry began when he was in his early thirties. Preaching and healing in the villages,
he started to preach teachings which were considered revolutionary at that time. For
example, He criticized the uprightness and insincerity of religious officials and
emphasized that God values service and love. He also taught about the new covenant
that God will bring to humanity: that of sending His begotten son to save humanity from
their sins and restore the people’s relationship with Him. Jesus preached that he was
sent by God to fulfill this goal by dying on the cross, then resurrecting to life after three
days to prove that God’s plan had succeeded. Hearing these messages, Jesus soon
attracted a group of followers who became his disciples and who called Him their
teacher. Thus, Christianity started with a prophecy in the Old Testament: that God will
send his only begotten Son to save humanity from eternal damnation. Jesus was seen
by his followers to be the Messiah they were waiting for. Meanwhile, Jews did not
accept this to be true; instead, they are still waiting for the promise to be fulfilled.

Religious Leaders
The Catholic Church follows a certain hierarchy based on the Canon Law of the
Catholic Church. At the top of the hierarchy is the pope, considered as Peter’s
successor. The hierarchy also includes the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, and
deacons. Each member of the hierarchy has his own function for the efficiency of the
church.
The Pope serves as the head of the Catholic Church, the inheritor of Peter. He
has his headquarters in the Vatican, an independent state in Rome. He is responsible
for the general supervision of the church. He is the head of the Catholic Church and the
head of the Vatican. He also has the authority to appoint administrative and religious
officials in the Vatican. Next to the Pope are the cardinals, who are also appointed by
the Pope.
The cardinals represent the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church in different
parts of the world. They serve as advisers to the Pope and elect a new pope as the
need arises, thus they have the power to choose the successor of the outgoing pope.
The body comprising the cardinals is called the College of Cardinals. The bishops also
form part of the hierarchy.
 Bishops are teachers of the doctrine, priests of sacred worship, and ministers of
church government. They provide pastoral supervision for a diocese and serve as
representatives of the Church. The Pope himself is a bishop. A bishop is ordained to his
station, just like priests.
Next to the hierarchy are the priests, who are ordained ministers responsible for
the administering of the sacraments, such as the Eucharist, Marriage, Baptism, and
Confirmation. They may belong to particular religious order, such as Jesuits,
Dominicans, Augustinians, among others, or they may be committed to serve a certain
congregation.
At the bottom of the hierarchy are the deacons, who are classified into two types:
the transitional deacon is a seminarian who is studying for the priesthood and the other
one is a permanent deacon, who can get married and serve as a priest’s assistant in
administering some of the sacraments.

Deity/God
Christians believe in one God, therefore Christianity is a monotheistic religion.
God is seen as the creator and maintainer of the universe, and is believed to be
omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (all-present), and
omnibenevolent (all-good). God is also sacred, moral, unchangeable, compassionate,
graceful, and timeless.

Holy Trinity
Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, which means that God is composed of three
persons: God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine of
the Holy Trinity was affirmed at the Council of Nicea in 25 C.E. where it was agreed
upon that the Son has the same substance with the Father, therefore they are both
eternal. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity was Christianity’s way to end the controversy
generated by Arianism, a teaching by Arius which claimed that Jesus Christ was not
actually a God. The concept of the Holy Trinity was never mentioned in the Old
Testament. The New Testament, although it never implicitly mentioned the term, gives
some references to it. In Matthew 28:19, it is stated that: “Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit.”
In 2 Corinthians 13:1: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” For some Christians, the concept of
the Holy Trinity is not easy to understand. Although it is central to most Christian
denominations, some Christian churches rejected it, such as The Church of the Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehova’s Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Unitarians, the
Unification Church, the Christadelphians, and Oneness Pentecostals, among others.

SACRED SCRIPTURES
The Bible is considered the sacred scripture of Christianity. It is a collection of
songs, stories, poetry, letters, history, as well as literature. It is composed of two books,
the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is considered the
original Hebrew Bible, written between 1200 and 165 B.C.E. The New Testament was
written by Christians around 100 C.E.

The Old Testament

The Old Testament, also called the Hebrew Bible, is composed of 39 books
which are arranged in three parts: The first five books (Genesis to Deuteronomy) are
considered “The Law” or Torah which may refer to guidance or instruction. They are
called as such because they serve as guidelines on how people should live their
everyday lives, as well as other legal necessities. Later these books were called the
Pentateauch, which were attributed to Moses. Meanwhile, the second part of the Old
Testament is called “The Prophets” which is divided into two parts, the earlier prophets
and the latter prophets. The book of former prophets is considered historical while the
book of latter prophets contain sayings and stories of the prophets. The third part is
called “The Writings,” which include Psalms (songs, prayers, and worship liturgies),
Proverbs (wise sayings), Job (a drama that explores the nature of suffering), and the
five scrolls (Megiloth) which were grouped together for their associations with a
particular religious festival.
The New Testament
The New Testament is composed of 27 books written around 50 to 100 C.E. and
is composed of two sections: The Gospels which tell the story of Jesus (Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John); and the Letters (or Epistles), written by various Christian leaders to
serve as guide to the early Christian communities. They were written to tell the life and
teachings of Jesus. The Acts of Apostles and Luke tell how Christianity developed from
a small group of Jewish believers to becoming one of the world’s major religions.
Revelation is the last book of the New Testament, traditionally attributed to the apostle
John, which is considered an epistle and an apocalypse.

Ten Commandments
 Also called the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments are a set of laws given by
God to the people of Israel at Mt.Sinai through Moses. In Exodus, God gave Moses the
tablets containing the Ten Commandments, which Moses smashed into pieces because
of extreme anger when he saw the golden calf idol created and worshipped by the
Hebrews. God gave Moses another set to replace the broken one. The Ten
Commandments are said to appear twice in the Bible, in Exodux 20:1-17, and at
Deuteronomy 5:-21. They are meant to guide Christians on how to behave within the
family, society, and most especially with respect to God.

Ten Commandments
1. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house
of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you
shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of
those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep
My commandments.”
3. “You shall not take the name of the Lord Your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold
him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”
4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your
work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no
work; nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant,
nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord
made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh
day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” 5. “Honor your father
and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord Your God is
giving you.”
6. ”You shall not murder.”
7. “You shall not commit adultery.”
8. “You shall not steal.” 9. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.”
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your
neighbor’s.”

Seven Sacraments
The Catholic Church has seven sacraments which are considered signs of inner
kindness given by God for Christians to live a genuine human life. The seven
sacraments include Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Matrimony,
Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick. The first three sacraments are Baptism,
Confirmation, and Holy Communion, which are considered the sacraments of initiation.
Baptism is meant to remove the guilt and effects of Original Sin and welcome the
baptized to the Church. Confirmation, which should be administered right after Baptism,
is meant to complete Baptism and bring the baptized the graces of the Holy Spirit that
were given the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday. Holy Communion entails the reception of
Christ’s body and blood which helps Christians grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Confession is considered the fourth sacrament, which is meant to reconcile Christians
with God by confessing their sins. The Sacrament of Marriage comes next, with the
union of a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation and mutual support. It also
reflects the union of Jesus Christ with His Church. The Sacrament of Holy Orders is
considered the continuation of Christ’s priesthood which He passed on to His apostles.
And the last sacrament is the Anointing of the Sick, also known as Extreme Unction or
Last Rites, which is administered to those who are on the verge of death or are
seriously ill, or about to undergo a serious operation, for physical and moral strength.

Eight Beatitudes
The Beatitudes comprise what is known as the “Sermon on the Mount” recorded in
Matthew 5-7. The Beatitudes refer to the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the
“Sermon on the Mount.” Here are the Eight Beatitudes mentioned in Matthew 5-7:
 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek:
for they shall inherit the earth.
 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be
filled.
 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in
heart: for they shall see God.
 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute
you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Apostles’ Creed

The Apostles’ Creed is believed to have developed in the 100 or 200 C.E. and was
influenced later by the Nicene Creed. A letter written by the Council of Milan in 390 C.E.
is the earliest historical evidence of the existence of the Apostles’ Creed. It is not written
by the apostles themselves but it serves as a summary of their basic teachings.

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
 Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended to heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy Catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting. Amen.

WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES

Christians have certain religious observances in which they commemorate particular

events in the history of Christianity. Some of the most important Christian observances
are Advent, Lent, and Pentecost.

Advent
Advent refers to the season of waiting for the birth of the Messiah, hence its celebration
lasts for four weeks, beginning four Sundays before Christmas and ending on Christmas
eve. It is meant as an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the birth of Jesus who
was sent by God the Father to restore humanity’s relationship with God. During Advent,
it is not only the birth of Christ which is anticipated but the Second Coming of the Savior
as well. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming”
or “visit.” Advent also features certain colors, such as purple/dark blue, which
symbolizes seriousness, repentance, and royalty; and pink, which signifies joy.

Lent
Lent refers to the season observed by Christians in preparation for Easter, a
celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Ash Wednesday signals the start of the season
of Lent, which begins 40 days before Easter. It is a time for Christians to prepare for
Easter by following certain rituals, such as fasting, repentance, moderation, and self-
discipline. This is a time to reflect on the suffering, sacrifice, life, death, burial, and
resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ. It is a time for prayer, penance, sacrifice, and
good works as a way of remembering the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The
word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning “Spring”, and
lenctenid, which means “Springtide” and also the word for “March,” the month when
Easter is usually celebrated.

Pentecost
Pentecost is celebrated as a holiday to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit to
the early Christians. Thus, Pentecost is also celebrated as the birthday of the Church.
The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word pentekostos, which means “fifty,”
pertaining to the Jewish holiday celebrated every fifty days from the end of Passover to
the beginning of the next holiday (also known as Shavuot).The event was recorded in
the New Testament, in The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, which narrates how the first
Christians came together in one place when suddenly they heard a sound coming from
heaven and tongues of fire rested on their heads. They were said to be filled with the
Holy Spirit which enabled them to speak other languages, after which Peter stood up
and delivered his first sermon.

SELECTED ISSUES

Sexuality
The issue of sexuality has always been controversial for the Catholic Church. Due to its
conservative view of human sexuality, it has often found itself in conflict with
progressive and liberal ideas with regard to certain issues connected to sexuality such
as artificial contraception, abortion, and homosexuality. In general, sexuality refers to
sexual orientation, sexual activity, and sexual feelings.
The goal of ecumenism is Christian unity. This is rooted in the prayer of Jesus Christ
"that they all may be one" in his farewell discourse, or "high priestly prayer" (John
17:20-26). Christianity advocates that the goal of sexual union between men and
women is procreation, thus anything that might hinder this is considered immoral.
Having sexual pleasure from such union is not necessary, thus when people use
artificial contraceptives, such as condoms, birth control pills, IUDs (intrauterine
contraceptive devices), and the like, they are committing a sin because they are
engaging in sexual acts without procreation in mind. Instead, Christianity advocates
natural family planning methods such as the rhythm method, wherein couples will
engage in sexual acts only during days when the woman is not fertile and cannot
conceive a baby. In this light, abortion is also considered as immoral by the Catholic
Church since it entails the killing of life. For the Catholic Church, life begins at
fertilization, when the sperm and ovum meet to form a single cell, hence abortion is
already considered as taking away the life of a person.

Another issue with regard to sexuality is that of homosexuality. It refers to

attraction to members of the same sex. Males who are attracted to males are called
gays, while females attracted to females are called lesbians. The Catholic Church states
that homosexual orientation itself is not a sin, it is nevertheless a tendency towards the
"moral evil" of homosexual sexual activity. It also states that when God created humans
He created male and female only, and that their union is meant for procreation. Thus, in
the Christian line of thinking, homosexuality should not be practiced since it is not in
accordance with God’s plan. The Church does not allow same-sex marriage and is
vocal in opposing homosexual relationships. Nevertheless, while the Church condemns
homosexual acts (sexual activity), being homosexual (orientation) is not wrong or sinful
in itself. It also states that homosexual persons must be accepted with respect,
compassion, and sensitivity.

Family and Divorce

The Christian view on marriage is based on Matthew 19:-6, “He who made man
from the beginning, made them male and female. And he said: For this cause shall a
man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one
flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined
together, let no man put asunder.” Thus, divorce is not allowed in the Catholic Church,
since it believes in the sanctity of marriage, which should be a lifetime bond between a
man and a woman, and is considered a legal bond on earth and a spiritual bond in
heaven. If couples wish to separate, they could seek an annulment, also known as
Decree of Nullity, in which it is declared that the marriage was never valid in the first
place. But unlike divorce, annulment entails a long, tedious, and expensive process, in
which a partner has to prove that his/her partner is psychologically incapacitated to
understand the commitment marriage entails, or one of the partners has deliberately hid
some information, such as previous marriage, impotence, or infertility. As of today,
every country in the world has a divorce law except the Philippines. Although some
lawmakers have been pushing for the divorce bill, the strong opposition of the Catholic
Church as well as the devout Catholics in the Congress and the Senate have made it
difficult for the divorce bill to be passed.

Capital Punishment and Euthanasia

Capital punishment or death penalty wherein a person is punished by death for his or
her capital crime goes against the Christian belief that life is given by God and should
not be taken away by any person. It is illegal in most Christian countries such as the
Philippines, but some push for capital punishment as a way of deterring crime. Since
Christianity advocates the belief that life is given by God, euthanasia or mercy killing is
also considered immoral since it entails taking away what has been given by God, and
that human beings should not interfere with the natural process of death. Even if a
person is extremely suffering from his/ her illness, he/she has no right to take away
what God has given him/her. Also, human beings are made in the image of God so
people have a unique capacity to become rational which enables them to see what is
good and to want what is good, that is why they have no right to end this gift from God.
Another reason why the Church is against euthanasia is the belief that people have no
right to interrupt the natural process of dying, and that the period just before death is a
reflective spiritual moment. In Christianity, all human lives are equally valuable and no
one, even the person himself/herself who wants to end his/her life, has the right to
assume that his or her life is no longer valuable.