Religion 9: Q3 Exam

How would you answer the objection that the creation story in Gensis cannot be true because it is not compatible with science?

Genesis seeks to give us the "why" behind the world, not the "how." It seeks to answer spiritual questions, not scientific ones. Genesis is not written like a modern science or history textbook.

What truths about God do the first five verses of Genesis 1 reveal to us?

God created everything that is, and He is one. He is not part of the created world or another "thing" inside the universe; rather, He is the source of everything.

How is the universe first described in the beginning of the story of creation? What do God's immediate actions tell us about creation and about God?

The earth begins without "form or shape." Immediately, God sets things in order, so we can see there is a clear order and design to everything. Even when the natural world appears chaotic, we expect that we can discover deeper patterns with careful observation and thought.

How does God go about actually creating? What does this tell us about Him?

He speaks. It tells us that God is all power-full. At His mere word all creation comes into being.

How does John 1:1-3 point back to creation?

It reveals to us that God's Word, through whom all things were made is His Son, the Second person of the Trinity.

How is the Trinity present throughout creation?

God the Father is the source of everything. God the Son is the Word through which creation is spoken into being, and God the Holy Spirit is "a mighty wind sweeping over the waters."

Did God need to create? If not, then why did God create the world?

No. He did not need to create. He is perfect and does not need anyone or anything. God created to show forth and communicate His glory. He has no other reason for creating other than love and goodness.

What does "visible" creation refer to?

All things we see with our eyes as well as everything we can detect with our senses.

What does "invisible" creation refer to?

All spiritual realities, particularly the angels.

What is an angel?

The word "angel" comes from the Greek word angelos, which means "messenger." Angels are purely spiritual, non-material beings, who serve as servants and messengers of God.

Why is one of Mary's titles, "The Undoer of Knots"?

Because she unties through her response of Faith the knot of sin created by Eve's disobedience.

Genesis

The first book of the Bible, which describes God's creation of the world and humanity, and the drama of sin and the hope for salvation.

Sacred Scripture

The written record of God's revelation of Himself contained in the Old and New Testaments. It was composed by human authors inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Word of God.

The Heavens and the Earth

A poetic phrase used by the sacred author of Genesis that describes all God created, everything that is, both invisible and spiritual (heavens) and the material (the earth).

Polytheistic

Characterized by belief in many gods.

Logos

The Divine Word of God. Logos is Greek for "word."

Holy Trinity

The Christian mystery revealed to us by God that He is three Persons in One God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

What does it mean to say we are made in the image and likeness of God?

That to a lesser degree we possess the same qualities as God. We possess an intellect, free will, and the capacity to give and receive love.

Why is love only possible for those with intellect and free will?

One can only love if they are free to do so

What makes human beings worthy of love and respect?

Simply the fact that human beings exist

What does it mean that God gave human beings dominion over the world?

It means God makes us His stewards on earth. To be a steward is to be a caretaker. We are called to take and care of this earth and share all the gifts God gives to us.

What two things did God accomplish by giving Adam the privilege of naming the animals?

First, since it is the right of the creator of something to name what he has made, by allowing Adam to speak for Him, He makes Adam the first prophet. Second, Adam comes to see he is different from the animals, and he needs another to be a suitable partner.

What does Genesis teach us about the relationship between man and woman?

Man and woman are equal in dignity and in their different reflect something of God's infinite perfection. Man and woman were created for each other, and their differences complement each other and draw them together, making man and woman more fully reflect the image of God.

How does the relationship between man and woman in Marriage reflect the Trinity?

Man and woman become one flesh and make a complete gift of themselves to each other; when they do, their love is life-giving and results in a third person, a child. Mother, father, and children reflect the Trinity, which is a communion of persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - united in generous, life-giving love.

What is the proper understanding of the relationship between the soul and the body?

The soul alone is only one part of the human person. A complete human being is both body and soul. The body and soul form a profound unity, so the body reveals the soul. What we do to the body affects the soul and vice versa

What does Genesis 2:7 reveal about the soul?

The soul comes from God. It does not arise from matter. The soul is also immortal.

What was the state of human beings in the state of Original Justice?

Human beings enjoyed friendship with God and shared in His divine life. They experienced harmony with each other, with the rest of creation and within themselves.

How did St. Josephine Bakhita respond when asked if she hated the men who had taken her or the people had owned her?

St. Josephine would say she loved them and prayed for them, and if not for them she might not have come to know God.

Intellect

One of the rational faculties of the human soul; a person's ability to use reason in pursuit of truth

Free Will

One of the faculties of the human soul; a person's ability to choose and act based upon knowledge and understanding

Dignity

The quality of being worthy of honor or respect; possessing great value or worth

Steward

one who has been given the duty to care for and cultivate something responsibly

Dominion

ownership of something, including the kingly power to rule over it and make decisions about how it will be used for the common good.

Communion of Persons

A phrase used to describe an exchange of self-giving love that unties the members of a family. God as Trinity is inherently a communion of Persons.

Ruah

Hebrew word meaning "breath" or spirit"

Soul

that which animates or gives life to a body

Original Justice

The original state of human beings before sin. In the beginning there was no suffering or death.

Who was the Tempter in the Garden? What form did he take? What do we know about him and his followers?

Satan. He took the form of a Serpent. Satan is a fallen angel. He was created good by God, but at some point he and the other fallen angels sinned and permanently rejected God.

What kind of power do Satan and other demons have?

They are limited in their power. They have power as spiritual beings, but they are still just creatures. Only God is all powerful.

What command did Adam and Eve disobey? What did God warn them would be the consequence of disobedience?

Not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That if they ate of it they would surely die.

Why is it reasonable that God gave Adam and Eve the rule that He did?

All loving parents set rules and limits for their children. It is no different than a parent telling their child not to play on a busy street.

Why is it important that we have the ability to reject God?

Because in order for love to be real it must be freely chosen. God wants us to love Him as He loves us, but He wants us to freely accept His love and choose to love Him in return.

How did the Serpent successfully tempt Eve?

He makes her question what God told them. He sows distrust in God and His commands. He begins by taking the truth and distorting it, then he directly lies to her and follows that lie with an attractive temptation.

Why does Scripture often refer to the first sin as the "sin of Adam" when Eve was the one who gave in it the Serpent?

In Genesis 3:6 it says Adam "was with her." He was standing there the whole time by Eve's side and said and did nothing. Also, Adam was charged with caring for and protecting the Garden, which raises the question, how did the Serpent get into the Garden to begin with?

What were the consequences for Adam and Eve as a result of this sin?

Death: both physical (although not immediate) and spiritual. They lost sanctifying grace and the harmony of Original Justice and Holiness, they became ashamed of their nakedness, they experienced shame and hid from God, their lives would be marked by toil and suffering, and they had to leave the Garden.

What are the consequences for us as a result of Adam's sin?

Suffering and death entered the world; there is sin, strife, and disease and we have a tendency to evil.

How can everyone today be affected by a sin committed by someone else so long ago?

God made us as members of a closely connected human family. Sin not only affects us but others around us. When Adam and Eve lost the gifts of Original Justice and Holiness, the entire human race lost them.

What is the difference between Original Sin and Personal sin?

We are not guilty of Original Sin. Rather, Original Sin refers to the deprived, fallen state we live in. Our nature is not completely corrupted, rather it is wounded. We now have a tendency to sin called "concupiscence." This is what leads us to personal sins. We are culpable for personal sins but not the Original Sin.

What is the significance of Genesis 3:15?

God gives us His first promise of salvation in Genesis 3:15. This verse is referred to as the Protoevangelium, or the first proclamation of the Gospel. It speaks of God putting discord and conflict between good and evil, between Satan and a woman and her offspring. This woman will bring forth a savior and crush the head of the serpent, In the midst of this great sin, God promises us salvation.

Why are Jesus and Mary referred to as the New Adam and the New Eve?

Sin enters the world through one man and his disobedience; salvation comes through one man, Jesus, who undoes the disobedience of Adam. Eve said no to God and then helped lead Adam astray; Mary said yes to God and allowed Jesus to enter the world through her.

What is one of Pope St. John Paul II's greatest contributions to the Church?

One of his greatest contributions to the Church was his series of homilies known as the Theology of the Body. In these groundbreaking teachings, John Paul II brought the Church and the world to a new understanding of human love and helped man sense of the changing world in light of the sexual revolution of the 1960's.

Demons

Fallen angles, created good by God, who chose evil and now seek to entice human beings to turn away from God.

Original Sin

The state of human nature deprived of the Original Holiness and Justice Adam and Eve enjoyed before the Fall.

Concupiscence

The tendency or inclination to sin that is an effect of Original Sin. Even though Baptism erase the stain of Original Sin, the tendency to sin remains

Protoevangelium

The name given to Genesis 3:15 in which God promises to send a Savior to crush the head of the serpent (Satan), defeating sin and death. It is the first announcement of the Gospel, the Good News of salvation won by Jesus Christ. Latin for "first Gospel"

New Adam

A title for Jesus Christ reflecting His triumph over sin and death, and His creation of the world anew. The title refers to how Jesus redeems human nature which was wounded by the sin of the first man, Adam.

New Eve

A title for Mary that describes how eternal life became possible through her obedience to God. Just as sin and death entered the world through the disobedience of Eve, Mary's obedience to God led to the birth of God's Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross and rose from the dead to save us from sin.

What are covenants? How are covenants encountered in Scripture?

Covenants are sacred and permanent bonds of kinship, or family relationship. They are encountered in Scripture as solemn, family-making commitments that God makes with human beings throughout Salvation History.

Why did God choose to reset the world through Noah and his family?

In a world filled with sin, violence, and corruption, Noah alone remained righteous, found favor in God's eyes, and "walked with God."

What did Noah do once the waters of the Great Flood receded, and he was able to disembark onto dry land? Why?

He offered sacrifice to God because offering sacrifice to God is a sign of worship, thanksgiving, and atonement for sin. It expresses that everything we have belongs to God and we depend on Him for everything.

What are the three promises God makes to Abram

(1) He promised to make Abram a great nation; (2) He promised to make Abram's name great; and (3) He promised Abram that blessing would come to all the earth through him.

What did God change Abram's name to and what does it mean?

God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means "Father of a multitude of nations."

What did God entrust to the descendants of Abram, the Chosen People and whom did He raise up from them?

God entrusted to the Chosen People His promise of salvation and from them He raised up the promised Savior through whom all the nations are blessed.

Under Moses' leadership, how did the Jews escape the final plague sent upon Egypt?

They observed the first Passover meal in which they sacrificed a lamb, ate it, and spread its blood on the doorposts of their homes as a sign for their homes to be passed over by the plague of death.

What did God give to the Israelites at Mount Sinai and what does it describe?

At Mount Sinai God gave the Israelites the Law, or the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue). The Law describes in detail how Israel is to be governed and how they are to worship God.

What did God promise to His people in Exodus 19:6?

God promised to His People that they would be His own possession among all peoples of the world, "a kingdom or priests, a holy nation."

Who were the judges and what did they do?

The judges were individuals raised up by God from among the tribes of Israel to bring the people back to right worship of God when they strayed and to defend them against foreign invaders.

In His covenant with David, what did God promise David?

God promised David that a descendant of his would sit on his throne forever.

What three things did the prophets do?

They called the kings and people of Israel to repentance from idolatry, oppression, and other sins against the covenant with God, helped them see that God had not abandoned them or forgotten His promises, and foretold of a time when God would end their exile, rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, and bring about their redemption in a New covenant written not on stone but on their hearts.

Whom do we understand the Suffering Servant prophesied by Isaiah to be?

We understand the Suffering Servant to be Jesus Christ.

How did Ruth show faithfulness, and how was her faithfulness rewarded?

She left her homeland to care for her mother-in-law, Naomi. Boaz married Ruth because of her faithfulness, and one of their descendants is King David.

Salvation History

The story of God's love and mercy revealed to us throughout human history, culminating in Christ's sacrifice on the Cross and Resurrection from the Dead which won for us salvation from sin and death.

Messiah

The Hebrew word for "anointed one" and the title given to the Savior God promised to the people of Israel.

Covenant

A sacred permanent bond of family relationship.

Sacrifice

Giving up, or offering something valuable back to God as a sign of worship, thanksgiving, or atonement for sin.

Gentile

A person of non-Jewish descent.

Passover

The central event of the Exodus. The final plague God sent upon Egypt was the plague of the death of the first born of every family in Egypt. By sacrificing a lamb, spreading its blood on their doorposts, and eating its roasted flesh in a sacred meal of bread and wine, the Israelite homes would be passed over by the plague of death. God also commanded that the Israelites remember this original Passover event every year with a memorial meal. The original Passover foreshadows Christ's own sacrifice on the Cross.

The Law

Rules for a moral life given to Moses by God at Mount Sinai and summarized in the Ten Commandments

Decalogue

Title for Ten commandments, from the Greek for "Ten Words" (deca=ten; logos=word)

New Covenant

The new and everlasting covenant won for us by Christ's Paschal Mystery. In this covenant is the fulfillment of centuries of prophecies and all of God's promises for the forgiveness of sins. We are made members of the New Covenant by our Baptism, and we renew and participate in the covenant every time we receive the Eucharist. All people are invited to be members of the New Covenant.

Paschal Mystery

Christ's work of redemption accomplished by His Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension

Circumcision

The sign of God's covenant with Abraham that prefigures Baptism. It is the removal of the foreskin from the penis.

Eucharist

The Sacrament in which we receive the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian life and spiritual food for the soul. Not merely a symbol, it is Jesus' true Flesh and Blood.

Promised Land

The land promised to Abraham's descendants by God, and the destination of the Israelites in the Exodus, where they would live in freedom from slavery in Egypt. The Promised Land foreshadows the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Judges

Temporary leaders raised by God for His people as they settled into the Promised Land. These judges led military victories against foreign invaders, settled debts between the tribes, and called the people continually to right worship and relationship with God.

What does it mean that God made Mary "full of grace"?

That Mary was made by God "full of grace" means that He made her free from all sin.

How did Mary undo the untrusting no of Eve?

Mary's obedience to God, her yes to His plan for her, to be the mother of God, undid the disobedience no of Eve.

How is Jesus a member of the house of David?

He is a member of the house of David through the genealogy of His foster father, Joseph, who the Gospels described as a "son of David."

How did the sacred authors of the Gospels see everything in the Old Testament?

They saw everything in the Old Testament as pointing to and prefiguring Jesus, who fulfills the portrait of the Messiah given in the Old Testament.

What is the purpose or mission of Jesus' coming in the Incarnation?

The salvation of humanity

What are the first & second reasons for the Incarnation? How did Jesus accomplish it.

The first and second reasons for the Incarnation is to save us from sin and thereby reconciling us to God. Jesus accomplished this by offering Himself as a sacrifice as a representative of the whole human race, by dying on the Cross in perfect obedience to the Father, and by His Resurrection from the dead, which destroyed the power of Satan and liberated us from sin and death.

What is the third reason for the Incarnation? How did Jesus accomplish this?

The third reason for the Incarnation is to show us the depth of God's love for us. Jesus accomplished this by definitively revealing the Father to us - that He is a Trinity of Persons. And he showed the depth of His love for us by giving His life for the Church.

What is the fourth reason for the Incarnation? How did Jesus accomplish this?

The fourth reason for the Incarnation is to show us how to be holy. Jesus accomplished this, in part, by giving us a New Law, the Law of the Gospel, found especially in the Sermon on the Mount and in the to Great Commandments, which teach us how to grow in holiness and goodness. Jesus also led by example, giving us a model of holiness to follow.

What is the fifth or final reason for the Incarnation? How did Jesus accomplish this?

The fifth and final reason for the Incarnation is to make us sharers in the divine nature. Jesus accomplished this by bridging the divide between God and man created by sin and bringing about an even deeper communion with God than what Adam and Eve had before the Fall. In the Incarnation, Jesus unites His divine nature with our human nature, sharing in every aspect of our humanity except sin and making us adopted sons and daughters of the Father. We are thus able to share in the divine life of the Trinity.

In what ways did Jesus assume the poverty of being human? Why did He do this?

Jesus, rich in power and glory as God, became poor by taking on our human nature. He was also truly poor during His earthly life, being born in a stable, living a life of poverty, and dying a death of a (falsely accused) criminal. He ministered directly o the poor, sick, and suffering, and made them rich by imbuing their poverty with His own divine dignity.

What was accomplished by the obedience of Jesus' hidden years?

Jesus' obedience to His mother, Mary and foster father, Joseph, prepared Him for His obedience to the Father in giving His life on the Cross, atoning for our disobedience of sin.

Why did John the Baptist at first not wish to baptize Jesus? Why do you think Jesus encouraged John the Baptist to baptize him?

John the Baptist felt unworthy; he felt that Jesus should be the one to baptize Him. Jesus, even though He was without sin, allowed Himself to be baptized to serve as an example for all so that we, too, should be baptized.

Theotokos

Title for the Blessed Virgin Mary which means she is the Mother of God, from the Greek for "God-bearer."

Christ

Anointed one, from the Greek Cristos

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.