The Religion of Christianity

Let us now begin our discussion on the religion of Christianity.

o This religion 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.
o It centers on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, who is considered the Messiah or Savior of
humanity.
o 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.

o 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.
o Click the links to learn more about the
doctrine of the Holy Trinity
o https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/st.-
augustines-analogy-for-understanding- the-
trinity
o https://www.veritas846.ph/the-holy-trinity-kindness-of-god/
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

Symbols

o 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.
o 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.
 o Protestant churches often feature only the cross without
the image of the body of Christ, to emphasize Christ’s
resurrection and not His suffering.

o 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.
o Because Christians were threatened by
the Romans during the time, they had
to make a secret code to avoid
persecution.
o 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.
o 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

o Christianity developed in Palestine around 100 C.E. It was founded by Jesus, considered to be
the Son of God and Messiah or Savior.
o Regarded as an offshoot of Judaism, Christianity has survived and even surpassed Judaism and
other religions in terms of number of adherents.
o Today Christianity is divided into three major sects—Roman Catholicism, Greek Orthodox
Church, and Protestantism.
o 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

o Judea, the mountainous southern

part of Palestine, was the home of
Christianity.
o During that time, Judaism was the
dominant religion in Palestine and it was
considered by the Jews as land promised to
them by God.
o 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.
o 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.
o Soon the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great conquered West Asia
including Palestine around 400 B.C.
o Then the Romans conquered Jerusalem in 63 B.C. When Jesus was born, Palestine was
still under Roman rule.
o Thus, Christianity was born in an era when Palestine was ruled by a foreign power, the
Romans.
o Conditions were ripe for the beginning of a new
religion.
o 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.
o Social conditions cooperated with the relatively free
atmosphere created by Agustus’ Pax Romana or
Roman Peace.
o Also, the birth of a man who was considered as the
fulfilment of the prophesy among the Jews that God
will send His
Son to
liberate the
people from sufferings and sins paved the way
for the development and spread of a new religion
called Christianity.
Jesus as the Founder of Christianity

o 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.
o His ministry began when he was in his early
thirties.
o 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.
o Hearing these messages, Jesus soon
attracted a group of followers who
became his disciples and who called Him
their teacher.
o Thus, Christianity started with a prophecy
in the Old Testament: that God will send
his only begotten Son to save humanity
from eternal damnation.
o Jesus was seen by his followers to be the
Messiah they were waiting for.
o Meanwhile, Jews did not accept this to
be true; instead, they are still waiting for
the promise to be fulfilled.

Religious Leaders

o The Catholic Church follows a certain hierarchy

based on the Canon Law of the Catholic Church.
o At the top of the hierarchy is the pope, considered
as Peter’s successor.
o The hierarchy also includes the cardinals,
archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons.
o Each member of the hierarchy has his own function
for the efficiency of the church.
o Visit the link to read more about the hierarchy of the
Catholic church.
https://catholicauslaing.weebly.com/hierarchy.html

o The Pope serves as the head of

the Catholic Church, the
inheritor of Peter.
o He has his headquarters in the
Vatican, an independent state in
Rome.
o He is responsible for the general
supervision of the church.
o He is the head of the Catholic
Church and the head of the
Vatican.
o He also has the authority to
appoint administrative and
religious officials in the Vatican.
 o Next to the Pope are the cardinals, who are
also appointed by the Pope.
o The cardinals represent the Pope and the
Roman Catholic Church in different parts of the
world.
o 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.
o The body comprising the cardinals is called
the College of Cardinals.
o The bishops also form
part of the hierarchy.
o Bishops are teachers of
the doctrine, priests of
sacred worship, and
ministers of church
government.
o They provide pastoral
supervision for a diocese
and serve as
representatives of the
Church.
o The Pope himself is a
bishop.
o A bishop is ordained to
his station, just like
priests.
o 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.
o They may belong to particular religious order, such as Jesuits,
Dominicans, Augustinians, among others, or they may be committed
to serve a certain congregation.
o https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/protestant-
objections/why-can-t-roman-catholic-priests-marry.html visit the link to
know why the Catholic priest cant marry.
o 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.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoYChBMnDgw
visit the link to know more about the hierarchy of the
Catholic church.
Deity/God

o Christians believe in one God, therefore Christianity is a monotheistic religion.

o 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).
o God is also sacred, moral, unchangeable, compassionate, graceful, and timeless
Holy Trinity

o 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.
o 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.
o 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.
o The concept of the Holy Trinity was never mentioned in the Old
Testament.
o The New Testament, although it never implicitly mentioned the
term, gives some references to it.
o 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.
o 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.”
o For some Christians, the concept of the Holy Trinity is not easy to understand.
o 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

o The Bible is considered the sacred

scripture of Christianity. It is a collection
of songs, stories, poetry, letters, history,
as well as literature.
o It is composed of two books, the Old
Testament and the New Testament.
o 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

o The Old Testament, also called the Hebrew Bible, is composed of 39 books which are
arranged in three parts:
 o The first five books (Genesis to Deuteronomy) are
considered “The Law” or Torah which may refer to guidance or
instruction.
o They are called as such because they serve as guidelines on
how people should live their everyday lives, as well as other legal
necessities.
o Later these books were called the Pentateauch, which were
attributed to Moses.
o 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.
o The book of former prophets is considered historical while
the book of latter prophets contain sayings and stories of the
prophets.
o 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.

Book of the Earlier Prophets Book of The Latter Prophets

Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel,

1-2 Kings Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah,
Malachi

The New Testament

o 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.
o 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.
o Revelation is the last book of the New Testament,
traditionally attributed to the apostle John, which is
considered an epistle and an apocalypse.
BELIEFS/DOCTRINES

o Christianity has certain beliefs and doctrines that serve as moral guidelines for its
followers.
o As much as possible, Christians should follow these teachings strictly if they want to
redeem God’s promise of eternal life.
o These teachings are essential to their belief system as Christians and not following them
would lessen their chances of being called true Christians and reduces their chances of
salvation in the afterlife.
Ten Commandments

o 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.
o 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.
o God gave Moses another set to replace the broken one.
o The Ten Commandments are said to appear twice in the Bible, in Exodux 20:1-17, and at
Deuteronomy 5:-21.
o They are meant to guide Christians on how to behave within the family, society, and most
especially with respect to God.

Seven Sacraments

o The Catholic Church has seven sacraments which are considered signs of inner kindness
given by God for Christians to live a genuine human life.
o The seven sacraments include Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession,
Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick.
o The first three sacraments are Baptism,
Confirmation, and Holy Communion, which are
considered the sacraments of initiation.
o Baptism is meant to remove the guilt and effects of
Original Sin and welcome the baptized to the
Church.

o 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.

o https://saintcolumbachurch.org/sacraments/confirmation/ visit the link to read more about the

sacrament of confirmation.

o Holy Communion entails the

reception of Christ’s body and
blood which helps Christians
grow in the likeness of Jesus
Christ.

o Confession is considered the fourth sacrament,

which is meant to reconcile Christians with God by
confessing their sins.
o https://www.catholicsun.org/2018/08/31/why-the-
church-law-forbids-violating-the-seal-of-confession/ visit
the link to know more about the seal of confession of the
confidentiality of confession to the priest.

o The Sacrament of Marriage

comes next, with the union of a
man and a woman for the
purpose of procreation and
mutual support.
o It also reflects the union of Jesus
Christ with His Church.
o Visit the link to read about the
real minister of the sacrament of marriage.
o https://themarriagegroup.com/real-minister-sacrament-of-marriage/

o The Sacrament of Holy Orders is considered

the continuation of Christ’s priesthood which He
passed on to His apostles.
 o 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

o The Beatitudes comprise what is known as

the “Sermon on the Mount” recorded in
Matthew 5-7.
o The Beatitudes refer to the eight sayings of
Jesus at the beginning of the “Sermon on the
Mount.”
o Here are the Eight Beatitudes mentioned in
Matthew 5-7:
o https://www.catholicfaithstore.com/daily-
bread/meaning-beatitudes/

Apostles’ Creed

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

o The Story of Creation, which narrates how God created the

universe in six days, is found in Genesis 1 of the Old Testament.
o It narrates how God created light and darkness on the first
day; the sky and the ocean on the second day; the earth and
plants on the third day; the sun, moon, and the stars on the
fourth day; sea creatures, land animals, and birds on the fifth
day; and finally the first man and woman on the sixth day, after
which He rested on the seventh day.
o This story has often been attributed as the one which
explains the origin of the universe from a Christian point of
view.
 o Other religions would offer
their own explanations on
the origin of the universe.
Science also has its own
theories on how the
universe began.
o The most accepted among
scientists is the Big Bang
Theory, which states that
the universe began as an
incredibly hot, very dense
point in space about 14
billion years ago.
o It then underwent rapid
expansion in no time and,
as it cooled, led to the creation of stars, galaxies and planets.

WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES

o Christians have certain religious observances in which they commemorate particular

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

o 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.
o 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.
o During Advent, it is not only the birth of Christ which is
anticipated but the Second Coming of the Savior as well.
o The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus,
which means “coming” or “visit.”
o Advent also features certain colors, such as purple/dark
blue, which symbolizes seriousness, repentance, and royalty;
and pink, which signifies joy.
o https://www.camdendiocese.org/advent-a-time-to-prepare/
Lent

o Lent refers to the season observed by

Christians in preparation for Easter, a celebration of
the resurrection of Christ.
o Ash Wednesday signals the start of the
season of Lent, which begins 40 days before Easter.
o It is a time for Christians to prepare for
Easter by following certain rituals, such as fasting,
repentance, moderation, and self-discipline.
o This is a time to reflect on the suffering,
sacrifice, life, death, burial, and resurrection of the
Savior Jesus Christ.
o 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.
o https://tvc.dsj.org/2019/03/05/lent-2019-ash-
wednesday-march-6/

Pentecost

o Pentecost is celebrated as a holiday to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the
early Christians.
o Thus, Pentecost is also
celebrated as the birthday
of the Church.
o 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).
o 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.
o 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.
o Watch the youtube video and read the article to learn more about the Pentecost.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piBWSmgFaUM
o https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2017/06/pentecost-teachings-context-can-still-inspire-
believers-today/
SUBDIVISIONS

o Prior to the reign of Emperor Constantine who

declared himself a Christian in 312 C.E., Christians
were persecuted under Roman emperors.
o Christianity was only legalized in 313 C.E. upon
Constantine’s declaration of the Edict of Milan, which
declared equality among all religions. After defeating
his opponents and becoming the sole leader of the
Roman Empire in 324 C.E.,
o Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official
religion of the empire and sought to end all doctrinal
arguments on Christianity.

o In 325 C.E., he convened the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea in Asia Minor, which was
attended by bishops from the eastern and western regions of the empire.
o Then, in 330 C.E., he transferred the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to
Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul) and renamed it Constantinople.
o As time went by, conflicts arose between the Roman Empire and the Byzantium Empire,
resulting in the inevitable split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek
Orthodox Church.
o The conflict was further heightened when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne, King of
the Franks, the Holy Roman Emperor in 800 without consulting the Byzantine Empire.
o The official split happened in 105 with the “Great Schism” which divided the Western
Latin Roman Christianity from the Eastern Greek Byzantine Christianity.
o Abuses and corruption in the church led another sect to be formed around the 16th
century.
o Martin Luther, a teacher and a catholic monk, posted his
list of ninety five propositions to the door of the church at
Wittenberg in Saxony in 1517, which signalled the beginnings of
another Christian sect called Protestantism.
o The Protestant Reformation is considered the second
greatest split in Christianity.
o Luther’s timing was perfect, for the printing press was just
recently invented thus he was able to reprint numerous copies of
his theses, which led to a wider dissemination of his ideas.
o One of the things he opposed was the selling of
indulgences (indulgence refers to the pardon granted by the Pope
to purgatorial punishment to Christians who pay a certain amount
for the absolution of their sins) of the Catholic Church, which was
meant to save the soul in the afterlife.
o His ideas spread to England, with King Henry VIII severing
his ties from Rome, creating the Church of England and
Lutheranism in 1555.
o As a result, the Catholic Church initiated its own reformation to address the issues
raised by Luther.

SELECTED ISSUES

o We have discussed how the Christian Church was subdivided into different sects.
o In order to address the issue of disunity among Christians, the concept of ecumenism was
adopted by the Roman Catholic Church.
o Thus, ecumenism is one important issue in Christianity.
 o Still, there are some issues which are in conflict with Christian teachings, concerning
sexuality (especially issues of contraception, abortion, and homosexuality); divorce;
capital punishment and euthanasia.

Ecumenism

o Ecumenism refers to the effort of the Catholic Church to sponsor activities and initiatives
to promote mutual understanding and unity among all Christians.
o Ecumenism can also be described as the promotion of worldwide Christian unity (Brodd
2003).
o It is based on Vatican II’s Decree on Ecumenism which states that:
“The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican
Council. Christ the Lord founded one Church and one
Church only. However, many Christian communions
present themselves to men as the true inheritors of
Jesus Christ; all indeed profess to be followers of the
Lord but differ in mind and go their different ways,
as if Christ Himself were divided. Such division
openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the
world, and damages the only cause of preaching the
Gospel to every creature.”

o Ecumenism is based on three principles,

which states that:
 1) Christ established the Church on the
Apostles and their successors, whose head became
Peter and his successor the Bishop of Rome;
 2) since the first century there have been
divisions in Christianity, but many persons now
separated from visible unity with the successors of
the Apostles under Peter are nevertheless Christians
who possess more or less the fullness of grace
available in the Roman Catholic Church; and
 3) Catholics are to do everything possible to
foster the ecumenical movement, which
comprehends all “the initiatives and activities,
planned and undertaken to promote Christian unity, according to the Church’s
various needs and opportunities” (Decree on Ecumenism, I,4).
o Ecumenism was emphasized and intensely propagated by the Catholic Church through a
series of addresses, homilies, and regular audiences with the goal of achieving unity
among all Christians and non-Christians.

Sexuality

o The issue of sexuality has always been controversial for the Catholic Church.
o 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.
o In general, sexuality refers to sexual orientation, sexual activity, and sexual feelings
o Christianity advocates that the goal of sexual union between men and women is
procreation, thus anything that might hinder this is considered immoral.
o 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.
 o 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.
o In this light, abortion is also considered as immoral by the Catholic Church
since it entails the killing of life.
o 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.
o Another issue with regard to sexuality is that of homosexuality. It refers
to attraction to members of the same sex.
o Males who are attracted to males are called gays, while females attracted to females are
called lesbians.
o 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.
o It also states that when God created humans He created male and female only, and that
their union is meant for procreation.
o Thus, in the Christian line of thinking, homosexuality should not be practiced since it is
not in accordance with God’s plan.
o The Church does not allow same-sex marriage and is vocal in opposing homosexual
relationships.
o Nevertheless, while the Church condemns homosexual acts (sexual activity), being
homosexual (orientation) is not wrong or sinful in itself.
o It also states that homosexual persons must be accepted with respect, compassion, and
sensitivity.
Family and Divorce

o The Christian view on marriage is based on Matthew 19:-6, “He who made man from the
beginning, made them male and female.
o 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.
o Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh.
o What therefore God hath joined together, let
no man put asunder.”
o 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.
o 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.
o 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.
o 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

o 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.
o It is illegal in most Christian
countries such as the Philippines, but
some push for capital punishment as a
way of deterring crime.
o 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.

o 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.
o 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.
o 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.