The Major Religions Of The World Essay

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The Major Religions Of The World Essay, Research Paper CHRISTIANITY Christianity was “formed” around 15 to 30 BCE. Although some people say that it has existed since Adam and Eve because they were followers of God. Probably the most important figures in the Christian religion are Jesus Christ, the Savior. Most Christians believe in a trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are three separate beings but they form a single unified deity. After the execution of Jesus, the disciples spread across the world and taught Christianity. Christianity spread to Europe and then to the Americas. Christians believe that Jesus was atoning sacrifice and removed the burden of sin from the world. They also believe that God is the one true god and that Jesus will return to

the earth and bring all of his believers to heaven. Christians pray to God for guidance and read the Bible because it is the “handbook” for life. The largest denominations in Christianity are Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Protestant. At one point in time the church was not separated but in 1054 CE the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church split because of a dispute over the use of religious icons. Through missionary activity the Christian religion is currently active all over the world. Roman Catholicism a form of Christianity defined by six major characteristics, the first of which is that the Roman Catholic Church is the Body of Christ on earth and in order to be a follower of Christ you must become a member of this body. Secondly, the Catholic Church

believes that Tradition and Scripture are equal sources of revelatory authority. Therefore, whenever a Christian must make a decision concerning morals, he or she must consult Tradition and Scripture. The Roman Catholics established the third characteristic, the Infallibility of the Pope, in 1870. The basic concept of this characteristic is that when the Pope speaks ex cathedra or as a bishop of Rome on behalf of the entire church regarding matters of faith and morals, his teachings are without error. Since the Pope is in fact human, he is fallible beyond a doubt. The office of the Pope is what is considered to be infallible. The fourth characteristic is that of Mariology. Mariology consists of two major Dogmas. The first Dogma, The Immaculate Conception of 1854, states that

there was not original sin involved in Mary s conception. This concept is rejected by most other Christian faiths as it claims for Mary what is reserved for Christ alone, the absence of original sin. The second Dogma is the Bodily Assumption of Mary of 1950 that Mary was bodily assumed into heaven upon her death to be reunited with her son. Roman Catholics practice six sacraments, which include Baptism, Communion, Penance, Holy orders, Marriage, Extreme Unction, and Confirmation. The last major Characteristic of the Catholic Church is the acceptance of the Apocrypha in 1546 at the Council of Trent. Catholics consider the fourteen books the compile the Apocrypha canon. Most Catholics are born into their faith or they converted in order to marry a person of this religion, as some

Catholics do not believe in interfaith marriages; neither of which is true in my case. That is probably most of the reason I have chosen not to be of the Catholic faith. I believe that they are the most structured of the religions and that is very appealing to me. Most Catholics were born into their faith and I believe that you are more likely to have a strong grasp on what is expected of you as a Catholic if you are raised as one from the time you are born rather than when you convert later in life. You are able to learn from your parents, grandparents and perhaps even older siblings. Another reason I would consider converting to Catholicism is that often times you are raised in a Catholic School, reaffirming your catholic beliefs and traditions. I find it unfortunate that most