Truth and the Church's Authority
Name the 3 things used to assess if something is a sin and how sinful it is?
Object, intention, and circumstances.
Faith, hope, and charity
What is profanity in Catholic belief?
Treating something sacred (like God’s name) as ordinary or meaningless through action or speech.
What were the 3 original purposes of the Sabbath for the ancient Israelites?
1. To remember that God rested on the 7th day of creation.
2. To remember that they were freed from slavery in Egypt.
3. To remember the sacred covenant made with God at Mount Sinai.
Why does the Catholic Church believe she has the authority of Jesus when teaching the world?
Because Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Saint Peter, which represented His authority. Saint Peter passed down this authority to his successors, the popes.
Can an action be morally good if the object is bad but the intention is good?
Never
Define idolatry
The worship of any real or imagined being, creature, or thing that is not the true God.
Define blasphemy
Speaking, acting, or thinking about God or the saints in a way that is mocking or irreverent.
What are the 3 ways that the Catholic Church teaches us to keep Sunday holy?
Mass, rest, and works of charity
What does the Church teach about moral relativism?
That it's false.
Why can't people get to heaven by good works alone?
Because good works can't erase sin. Only the blood of Jesus can do that.
What is the original context of the First Commandment?
The Israelites were not to worship any god except for the Lord.
Define the sin of perjury and why it's a sin against the Second Commandment.
Why is Sunday the day of rest for Christians now instead of the Sabbath on Saturday?
Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday
Jesus rising on the first day of the week recalls the day when God first began to create the universe.
The early Church stopped keeping the Sabbath and instead worshipped on Sunday.
What is objective truth?
The belief that there is one truth. It is true, regardless of who believes it or not. There is a clear difference between right and wrong.
John is trying to provide for his family, which is currently living in poverty. He decides to steal a few apples from the grocery store for dinner that night. Identify the object, intention, and circumstances, and then decide if Catholic belief would state that this action is a sin.
Object = stealing the apples (bad)
Intention = to feed his family (good)
Circumstances = poverty
bad object + good intention = sin, but not as serious of a sin
What are other ways people can break the First Commandment other than worshipping literal gods that don't exist?
Excess love of money, hobbies, or other people above the true God. Also fortune telling, palm reading, horoscopes, etc.
Why does the Church teach us not to do normal work on Sunday unless we have to?
Because it can distract us from the true purpose of the day, which is about necessary rest and worshiping God.
What does the Catholic Church believe about non-Catholic religions?
That while they may contain some truth, these are things Catholics also believe. The Catholic Church has the fullness of the truth, and only Jesus and His Catholic Church lead to heaven.
Define justification in Catholic belief.
The process by which God’s grace frees us from sin and makes us holy. It’s how people are brought into right relationship with God. It first happens through faith and Baptism.
Define faith, hope, and charity.
Faith: by which we believe in God and believe all that He has said and revealed to us, and that the Holy Church teaches us.
Hope: by which we desire heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying on the help of the Holy Spirit.
Charity: by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
What was the original context of the Second Commandment?
For the ancient Israelites to only use God’s name respectfully and to keep oaths and promises sworn in His name. God’s name was only to be used to seal SERIOUS agreements.