Studied by 56 peopleWhat question have human beings wondered since the dawn of time?
The meaning of life– “Why am I here?”
In what ways has the Christian Faith more fully revealed to the world the notion of human dignity?
We have the right to life and freedom.
Christians were the first to affirm the equal dignity of women and children, abolish slavery, and abolish abortion.
Christians invented universal education for everybody and hospitals (especially for the poor).
What are the three things the Christian Faith teaches us about human nature?
We are created in God’s image and likeness– to think, choose, and love sacrificially.
We fell from grace because of sin.
God made a plan to rescue us– to restore us to be in communion with Him and with each other.
What does it mean to have dignity? What happens when we fail to see the dignity of others?
Human dignity is to be worthy of honor and respect, even after death. If we fail to see other’s dignity, we begin to look down on them and see them as something to be disregarded.
What does it mean to be made in God’s image and likeness – to possess a rational soul?
We have intellect, free will, and the ability to freely give ourselves in sacrificial love.
What is the purpose of human life?
To experience God’s communion of love, first with God, and then with other people.
How does Christianity view the human body? How does this understanding affect the way we should treat our bodies?
The human body possesses great dignity because we are created in God’s image and likeness and because God became one of us and took on human flesh. Also, the human body is not just mere matter, but joined to the soul. So, we must treat our bodies with the greatest respect, care, and honor.
What does the Christian view of the dignity of the human body mean for the way we understand the two sexes: male and female?
What you do with your body matters. God created two sexes male and female and gave us each the same dignity as human persons. When a man and woman get married they fully experience this communion of love.
What is Incarnation?
It is “the act of being made flesh”. Jesus existed before he took on flesh, but there came a time when he took on flesh. He had a human soul and body and became a man in the person of Jesus. We know He’s human because he was born and died. We know He is God because He rose from the dead.
How does Jesus show us to be more fully human?
Jesus taught us how to live and love during his life on Earth. Jesus showed us the proper way to live as humans and He showed us that God wants us to love by dying for us on the cross.
What responsibility do we have towards the world around us? Why?
It is God’s creation, so we have to respect animals and the planet. Since we are made in God’s image and likeness, we share in His creative ability and responsibility by using the gifts that He has given us.
What implications does the truth of our dignity have for our lives and how are we called to live?
Once you know your value, you start to see the value in other people. We must treat others according to their value and dignity.
How did Mother Teresa uphold the dignity of others by caring for their physical and spiritual needs?
Mother Teresa didn’t see people’s sickness, dirtiness, or any other flaws. She saw Jesus in others, no matter what. She thought of everyone as an opportunity to love Jesus.
homo sapien
the scientific term for our human species. Latin for “wise man”
dignity
the quality of being worthy of honor or respect, and of possessing great value.
rational soul
the philosophical name for the human soul, referring to the human powers of intellect or reason, and free will.
person
someone, rather than something, with the inherent capability of self-knowledge, self-possession, and of freely giving themself in love to another person.
incarnation
the fact that the Son of God assumed human nature and became man in order to accomplish our salvation. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, is both true God and true man.
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