GCSE Eduqas Route B Notes
Eduqas GCSE Route B - Foundational Catholic Theology
Component 1: Foundational Catholic Theology
Topic 1: Origins & Meaning
Topic 2: Good & Evil
Written examination: 90 minutes, worth 37.5%
Component 2: Applied Catholic Theology
Topic 1: Life & Death
Topic 2: Sin & Forgiveness
Written examination: 90 minutes, worth 37.5%
Component 3: Study of Judaism
Topic 1: Jewish Beliefs
Topic 2: Jewish Practices
Written examination: 60 minutes, worth 25%
Key Quotes & Evidence for Christianity Topics (Components 1 & 2)
How to Treat Others and Live Your Life
"Turn the other cheek" - Matthew 5
Exodus 20: The Decalogue (Ten Commandments)
"You shall not kill"
"Honour your mother and father"
"Do not commit adultery"
"Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you" - Matthew 5
"Treat others the way you would like to be treated" - The Golden Rule
"Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God" - 1 John
"Love the Lord your God… and Love your Neighbour as yourself" - Greatest Commandment: Matthew 22
The Sanctity of Life: Life is Sacred and Belongs to God
"Life begins at conception" - Catechism of the Catholic Church
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" - Jeremiah 1
St Paul taught "You are all one in Christ Jesus"
"God created man in his own image" - Genesis 1
Look After the World and Yourself
"God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." - Genesis 2
"Your body is a temple" - 1 Corinthians 6
Spreading the Gospel, Baptism and the Trinity
"So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." - Matthew 24
"The Lord our God, the Lord is one" - Deuteronomy 6
The Authority of the Church, Bible and Holy Trinity
Catholics believe the authority of the Church comes from the Magisterium (the Pope and his Bishops)
"God is the author of Sacred Scripture (Bible)" - Catechism of the Catholic Church
"I am the way the truth and the life, no one goes to the father except through me" - Said by Jesus: John 14:6
‘Then God said, “Let there be light!” and there was light’ - Genesis 1 proves God’s power
Gospel Stories or Parables
The Parable of the Good Samaritan (taught by Jesus) teaches that we should show love to everyone (no matter if they are our enemies or different races: as the injured Jew was to the Samaritan whom he helped)
The judgment parables (e.g. the Sheep and the Goats, or Lazareth & the Rich Man) teach that all humans will be judged on how they lived their lives and could be rewarded with heaven or sent to hell
The story of Job teaches us that life is like a test and that if we give into ‘the devil’ we are rejecting God but if we continue to have faith in Him we will be rewarded. It also teaches that God is not responsible for evil and suffering.
The story of the adulterous women teaches us that we should not judge people as we are not perfect just like Jesus did not judge the adulterous women…“Those who have sinned cast the first stone”
The story of Job teaches us that life is like a test and that if we give into ‘the devil’ we are rejecting God but if we continue to have faith in Him we will be rewarded. It also teaches that God is not responsible for evil and suffering.
Exam 1 Topic 1: Origins & Meaning
Key Words & Definitions
Creation ex nihilo: creation out of nothing. Before God created the universe, nothing existed. Only God can create out of nothing.
Evolution: the process of mutation and natural selection which leads to changes in species over time to suit particular environments.
Imago Dei: in the image of God. The belief that human beings are uniquely a reflection of God’s personhood. Unlike the other animals, human beings are rational, free and moral.
Inspiration: “God breathed”. The belief that the Spirit of God guides an individual to act or write what is good or true,
Omnipotence: the belief that God is all powerful.
Revelation: the word used to describe all the ways in which God makes himself known to human beings. God does this finally and fully in the person of Jesus Christ.
Stewardship: the duty to care for creation responsibly as stewards rather than consumers, and to protect it for future generations.
Transcendence: existing outside of space and time; God exists in a way that makes him nothing like anything else that exists, above and beyond creation.
Catholic Beliefs about the Origins of the Universe
Catholics believe that God created ex nihilo (creation out of nothing).
They believe:
God is transcendent (existing outside of space and time). That is how he is able to create from nothing.
God is omnipotent (all powerful), which is another reason he can create from nothing.
“God alone created the universe, freely, directly and without any help.” (CCC 317)
St Augustine was an early Catholic thinker who grappled with the origins of the universe. In his Confession he explained that:
God is eternal. In the beginning, before the creation of the universe, before time exists, only God exists. “You were, and besides you nothing was.”
God is transcendent. God is beyond time and space. “in the Beginning, …created this thing out of nothing.”
God is creator. “You created heaven and earth..”
God is omnipotent. He was able to create something out of nothing. “there is nothing that you cannot do.”
God is omnibenevolent. God loves creation into being. “You are good and all that you make must be good,”
Catholic and Fundamentalist Understanding of Genesis Creation Accounts
Genesis 1:1-31 describes God’s creation of the universe over a period of six days. Some Christians believe the story to be literal; that it tells us exactly how creation happened. Others believe that Genesis is a myth – a story intended to convey a deep truth or message (not in a literal way)
Catholic Understanding
Catholics accept the Genesis creation stories as myths (a story that conveys a deep or complex truth). It is not meant to be taken literally. The message that the story conveys is what is important. Messages such as reveals different aspects of God – “all powerful, transcendent, benevolent”.
Catholics would say the “days” in Genesis can mean ‘a period of time’. Psalm 90:4 says that for the Lord “a thousand years are a single day.” Maybe God raised the level of development of the world at regular intervals over a long period of time (like evolution).
Catholics would also say that to read Genesis as science is a mistake. They accept the Big Bang and evolution.
Evangelical or Literal Christian Understanding
Fundamentalist Christians believe that Genesis is literally true. Genesis can be taken as literally true because God is all- powerful (omnipotent) and all-knowing (omniscient), so God is capable of creating the world in just seven days, as described. Also because God loves all humans He would not mislead people by giving them incorrect information.
They do not accept the notion of the Big Bang and the theory of evolution. Where questions are raised about fossil evidence, this is seen as a test from God.
Scientific Arguments for the Origins of the Universe
The Big Bang is a description of how scientists believe the universe began. They believe that the universe was caused by a huge explosion about 20 billion years ago. Evidence includes:
Scientists know that the universe is expanding and that movement can be tracked back to a single point.
Background microwave radiation can be detected in space.
Stephen Hawking (one of the most famous cosmologists living today) says that when we look closely at the number of galaxies and their development the universe can be aged at roughly 14 billion years old. He claims that the universe did not need a Creator saying: “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.”
Problems with accepting the Big Bang Theory:
The Big Bang Theory replaced the Steady State Theory as the accepted view of the origins of the universe. Therefore, there might be other theories waiting in the wings for that extra bit of persuasive evidence – like the Pulsation Hypothesis Theory.
Science is open to change, development and revision – so can it be relied upon?
Catholic Responses
Catholics accept the Big Bang Theory and it was a Catholic priest, Georges Lemaitre, who first put forward they Theory. However, they would argue that everything in the universe depends on something else. There must be something that is not dependant on anything – a First Cause - to start the Big Bang off. Catholics would point to this First Cause as God.
Christian views on Evolution
Charles Darwin suggested the theory of evolution in 1859 following a number of years of research. He suggested that the huge variety of creatures and species is the result of thousands of years of change and adaption (evolution).
This theory suggests that nothing was designed to look like it does today, or to work in the way it does. Things have changed so that they can survive – they were not made by God thousands of years ago.
Catholic Response
Several Popes, starting with Pope Pius XII in 1950, have taught that there is no conflict between Darwin’s theory and the Catholic understanding of God’s deliberate, purposeful creation of human beings. The Church teaches that there had to be an ‘intelligent mind’ behind evolution or there would have been total chaos. This ‘intelligent mind’ was God. God created the original lifeforms with the ability to adapt and change.
Saint John Paul II wrote an encyclical in which he emphasised that the Bible has to be read carefully and that science contributes to the Church’s wisdom and understanding. He claimed that evolution is a theory of great merit which advances our understanding.
Abortion
The Liberal Protestant Attitude
Abortion is wrong, but it must be permitted in certain circumstances.
Jesus told Christians to love their neighbour and abortion may be the most loving thing to do.
Christians should remove suffering and abortion may be needed in order to do this.
Life does not begin at conception but at some point during the pregnancy.
Christianity is concerned with justice. If abortions were banned an unjust situation could arise. Rich women would pay for abortions in another country, but the poor would use back- street abortionists.
United Kingdom law on abortion. The 1967 Act states that an abortion can be carried out if two doctors agree that.
The mother’s life is at risk.
There is a risk of injury to the mother’s physical or mental health.
There is a risk that another child would put at risk the mental or physical health of existing children.
There is a substantial risk that the baby might be born seriously handicapped.
The 1990 Act states that abortions cannot take place after 24 weeks of pregnancy, unless the mother’s life is gravely at risk or the foetus is likely to be born with severe mental or physical abnormalities, because advances in medical techniques mean such foetuses have a chance of survival.
The Humanist Viewpoint
Abortion is often a morally acceptable choice to make for some, this choice is personal.
Humanists do not think all life is "sacred".
They do not think that human life begins at conception. Usually more concerned with quality of life rather than the right to life.
Would put the interests of the woman first as it’s her happiness that matters. She exists already unlike those of the unborn foetus which is not a person, with its own feelings and consciousness.
All possible options should be explored – adoption might be the best solution in some cases, or on reflection a woman might decide that she could look after a sick or disabled child.
The Catholic Attitude
The Catholic Church teaches that all direct abortion is wrong whatever the circumstances and so can never be permitted.
Life is holy and belongs to God; therefore only God has the right to end a pregnancy.
Life begins at conception, abortion is therefore taking life.
The Ten Commandments say that it is wrong to take life. (Thou shalt not kill)
A foetus is a human being and abortion destroys its right to life, so it follows that abortion is wrong.
They believe that adoption is always a better solution to unwanted pregnancy than abortion as it preserves life and brings joy to a new family.
What does Genesis 1 & 2 teach about the nature of God?
The Nature of God
God is omnipotent – he can create from nothing. “In the beginning God created…” (Genesis 1:1)
“God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:10) emphasises His omnipotence as he created everything exactly as He wanted it.
God is transcendent. He says “Let there be…” and it appears. He needs nothing beyond His own words to create.
The Nature of Humans
Humans were created imago dei – “Let us make mankind in our image” (Genesis 1:26), “I will make a helpmate for man” (Genesis 2:18)
All human life belongs to God. “God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became alive.” (Genesis 2:7)
God gave humans free will. “You are free to eat from any tree… but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:16-17)
God gives humans responsibility – stewardship – of his creation. “they may rule over the fish… birds… livestock” (Genesis 1:26)
Genesis 2 has God presenting the animals for Adam to name. this shows that humans have both authority and responsibility for them.
Humans are also divided into two complimentary parts: male and female. “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)
Caring for the Environment - Stewardship
Catholic Beliefs
Catholics believe they have a duty to care for and protect the environment. They believe this because:
They believe God created the earth as a gift to mankind. Therefore we must respect and preserve this gift for future generations.
In Genesis 1 God gives humans power over nature and responsibility to look after it. In Genesis 2:15 God commands Catholics to ‘take care’ of the environment.
The Church teaches that all life is sacred therefore we must protect all life and the environment in which we live.
The Parable of the Talents teaches Christians to pass on “more” to the next generation.
Loving your neighbour means caring for future generations and the world they will live in.
Pope Francis called all Christians to take care of the planet by… educating people on their responsibility, avoiding use of plastic, reducing water waste, using public transport
Humanist Beliefs
Humanists believe in stewardship because:
Humanists believe in happiness so they need to support others to have fulfilling lives both today and in the future.
Empathy is also an important Humanist principle. Many humanists feel they must extend empathy to future generations.
Humans are born with intelligence – we have a duty to help improve the environment to make the world a better place for other humans.
It makes logical sense – if we don’t care for the environment, humans will become extinct, to ensure our survival we must protect the environment.
The Bible Structure
The Bible is split into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament contains
the Law (including the Ten Commandments),
the history books (designed to show people the mistakes of the past so they could be avoided),
the wisdom books (including psalms and prayers) and
the prophets (people who challenged people to live in the way God wanted.)
The New Testament is based on the life of Jesus and his apostles. It contains…
the gospels which record Jesus life and teachings
the Acts of the Apostles is a continuation of Luke’s Gospel and tells of how the early Church developed
letters from apostles such as Peter, Paul and James which offer advice on how to live as a Christian
The Book of Revelation which was written by John which some Christians believe describe the end of the world.
Inspiration - “God breathed”
“All Scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy.” (2 Timothy)
Catholics believe that the Bible emerged from certain events, which were passed on orally before being written down by human authors in different literary forms. The Holy Spirit influenced the writers, helping them to understand certain things about God and human beings.
Catholics believe that the members of the Church who gathered, selected and edited the books of the Bible were inspired by God in this task.
Different views
Catholic believe that the Bible needs to read it in the context in which it was written - the literary style of the writing and the beliefs of the author and his generation need to be taken into account.
Other Christians would read the Bible as a straightforward, literal description of what happened. They do not take into account different literary forms as they believe that the writers wrote what God instructed them to write.
Jewish views on The Torah
The Torah is the first five books of the Tenakh (Torah, Nevi'im and Ketuvim) and is believed to be the holiest and most authoritative scripture for Jews.
Moses is believed to have received the Torah from God on Mount Sinai.
The many different views amongst Jews derive from their consideration of the Torah as an authoritative text.
For some they believe it was given by God to Moses and as such must be taken literally and not changed. Many Orthodox Jews will seek to obey the mitzvoth as duties in life. Society may change but Jewish teachings don’t. One of Maimonides' (a Jewish teacher) principles was that the Torah was given in its entirety to Moses and can never be changed.
For many Reform and Liberal Jews, it is not necessary to take the scriptures literally and they believe that sometimes they have to be adapted for modern life.
The Oral Torah
For many Orthodox Jews, the Oral Torah is also considered as source of authority. Believed to be God’s words revealed to Moses and passed down to successors to form the Mishnah and Talmuds.
Many Reform Jews may refer to the Oral Torah but not see it as a source of divine authority.
Jewish views on care for creation
God is the source of all life and referred to throughout the Torah as the sole creator. Prayers are said in Orthodox synagogues expressing this belief, ‘Blessed be He who spoke and the world existed.’
In the first book of the Torah, God gave humans a duty to take control over nature (Genesis 1. 26- 28). Many Jews believe it is their responsibility to continue the work of creation by making the world a better place to live in. This is referred to as Tikkun Olam (healing the world). This includes not wasting or destroying the environment (bal tashchit), not causing stress to living creatures and not causing pollution or harm to trees. This can be seen in the Torah when soldiers are told not to destroy trees in war.
Many Jewish festivals celebrate God’s creation, such as Sukkot which is a harvest festival. The keeping of Sukkot is a mitzvah (duty or obligation). Living in the Sukkah (a temporary shelter often made of leaves and plants) during the festival is a reminder of human connection with nature and the environment. Jewish people also have a festival where they plant trees (Tu BiShvat - New Year of the Trees/Ecological Awareness Day). Trees are vital to the well-being of our environment and the damage caused by having too few trees can be seen in the rainforests of South America which have suffered significant deforestation.
Forms of Expression (Symbolism in Art)
Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam painting
Adam is shown as a perfect man. This reflects what is taught in Genesis: that God made everything “very good” (Genesis 1:31).
God is powerful yet ancient. This evokes the idea that man is made in the image of God.
Adam and God lie in similar positions - reinforces the idea that humanity is made in the image of God.
The hands of Adam and God reaching out to each other reflect the longing for a close relationship between God and man.
God is carried through the air by a group of angels, reflecting his transcendence. In contrast Adam is firmly on the ground conveying the greatness and majesty of God.
Tree of Life Mosaic
Black cross in the centre - Christ died to redeem sinful human beings on the wood of the Cross, which is therefore the tree of life.
Hand of God above the cross - symbolic of the transcendent God reaching down to earth from heaven.
Green vine that winds round the mosaic - symbol of Jesus who said, “I am the Vine.” (John 15:5).
Inscription "We will compare the Church of Christ to this vine.” - means that the Church only has life through Christ.
The greenness also represents the Garden of Eden.
Serpent – a symbol of the temptation that led to Original Sin. Also a symbol of how sin tries to ruin our life with God.
Chi-Rho symbol is early Church symbol for Jesus.
Alpha and Omega - Jesus is symbolically depicted as the first and the last. It is another way of speaking about Jesus as sharing the eternity of God.
Catholic Social Teaching
Catholics believe that:
Everyone is made in God’s image.
Everyone is equal.
Everyone should be looked after – Catholics have a duty to help the poor.
Help should be practical.
For these reasons Catholics believe everyone posses human rights such as the right to life, freedom and personal safety. Over the centuries many popes have spoke out about the social issues of their day after having reflected on the God’s word in the Scriptures.
Gaudium et Specs – Called to Serve
During the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s the Church published Gaudium et Spec which reflected the Church in the modern world. Gaudium et Spec calls all believers to challenge situations where people do not have their human rights.
What should Catholics do to help bring about peace and justice?
upholding the rights of individuals
standing in solidarity alongside those who are treated unjustly
caring for respect and care for the planet and the environment
praying for justice and peace for all
The UK is a multi-ethnic and multi-faith society.
Since the Saxons and Vikings settled in Britain there have been a range of different groups of people. After WW2 many immigrants came to Britain due to the shortage of workers. Britain relied on immigrants many of whom fought for Britain in the war. The diversity has continued to grow since the UK joined the European Union and free movement among EU countries began.
In Britain today all faiths have equal rights and so to ensure different religious groups understand and tolerate each other it is important to have inter-faith dialogue. People of different faiths and no faith (e.g. humanists & atheists) often meet together to support one another and address the challenges they may face (e.g. persecution, hatred, racism, discrimination, lack of opportunities & extremism).
Inter-faith dialogue includes…
promoting mutual understanding, respect, tolerance and harmony
identify common ground (e.g. what do you all agree on)
engage in shared action for the common good in society
Pope Paul promoted community cohesion (communities working together) when he said… “We cannot call on God… if we refuse to treat our brothers as created in the image of God”
Charities: SVP and CAFOD.
CAFOD
For these reason Catholics support charities like SVP and CAFOD. CAFOD is a world-wide organization that offers both long term and short terms aid to communities in developing countries. Long term aid includes teaching people new skills that will help them to work their way out of poverty. They also provide resources such as animals and health care that help people on a long term basis. Short term aid is given after an emergency such as a flood or a drought. If includes things like tents, clean water, medicines and food.
They also raise awareness of causes of poverty and campaign the government to help these countries.
CAFOD is passionate about caring for our “common home” . Pope France wrote an encyclical (letter) to the world campaigning for everyone to care for the world by reducing pollution and supporting the poorest countries impacted by climate change.
Saint Vincent De Paul Society (SVP)
Saint Vincent De Paul Society work in local areas in practical ways to help those in need. Examples of who they help include:
The sick, both at home and in hospital
The lonely
The addicted
Those suffering from various disabilities
People in prison
The homeless
They run activities including:
Organize Children’s Camp
Run food banks
Provide counseling
Give debt advice
Inspiration
The work of SVP and CAFOD is inspired by many key biblical and Church teachings such as…
The Good Samaritan, a parable taught by Jesus to his disciples, encourages everyone to take responsibility to their fellow human beings because everyone (even our enemies and strangers) are God’s creation. Just like the ‘Good Samaritan’ we should “go and do likewise” .
Christians believe everyone has dignity and deserves respect… as Jesus taught we must “Love the Lord… and love your neighbour”
Exam 1 Topic 2: Good & Evil
Key Words
Conscience: human reason making moral decisions. The knowledge we have of what is right and wrong and the God-given compulsion within all human beings to do what is right and to avoid what is evil.
Evil: the absence of good and the impulse to seek our own desires at the expense of the good of others which often results in suffering.
Free Will: the decision-making part of a person’s mind is called the will. A will is free if a person can choose right from wrong without being controlled by other forces.
Goodness: the quality of being like God: seeking the well-being of others selflessly.
Incarnation: “Made flesh” The Christian belief that God became man in the person of Jesus, fully human and fully divine.
Natural Law: the moral laws of right and wrong which are universal and not dependent on human laws. The belief in natural law is the belief that the moral law is discoverable by every human being and is the same for all human beings in all places at all times.
Privation: the loss or absence of a quality or something that is normally present. Evil is a privation of good.
Suffering: pain or loss which harms human beings. Some suffering is caused by other human beings (often called moral evil); some is not (often called natural evil).
Origins of Evil and Suffering
KEY CONCEPTS
Evil – the absence of good and the impulse to seek our own desires at the expense of the good of others, which often results in suffering
Free-will – the decision making part of a person's mind is called the will. A will is free if the person is able to choose right from wrong without being controlled by other forces
Privation – the loss or absence of a quality or something that is normally present. Evil is a privation of good
Suffering – pain or loss which harms human beings. Some suffering is caused by other human beings (often called 'moral evil'); some is not (often called 'natural evil')
Goodness – the quality of being like God; seeking the well-being of others selflessly
Many Christians believe in the existence of an evil force, called the Devil or Satan, who tries to tempt human beings into disobeying God. Therefore evil is the result of the Devil’s work (as seen in Genesis 1).
Many believe that God gave humans free will – the ability to choose our actions. Adam and Eve abused their free will in the Garden of Eden by disobeying God. This let to human suffering. Evil and suffering is therefore caused by humans misusing their free will.
St. Augustine and Privation of Good
St Augustine argued that the Bible shows that God is wholly good and that, according to Genesis 1, created a world perfectly good and free from defect, evil, and suffering: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).
He said that evil is the PRIVATION of good, just as darkness is the absence of light.
Augustine said that evil came not from God, whom is all-good, but from those entites which had free will – angels and humans who turned their backs on God, the Supreme Good, and settled for lesser goods.
Moral Evil
Moral Evil is the suffering inflicted by people on each other e.g. murder.
Natural Evil
Natural Evil is suffering not caused by people but by the natural world e.g. earthquakes.
Christians have to try to reconcile their idea of God with the reality of suffering and evil in the world.
Jewish views on evil and good
Unlike the Christian idea of 'Original sin', Jews do not believe that people are born evil. Rather, they are born free but with two inclinations: to do good or to do evil. 'Yetzer ha tov' is the inclination to do good actions and 'yetzer ha ra' is the inclination to do evil actions. The Torah teaches that God has given human beings choices and that it is important to struggle against the inclination to do evil actions by giving obedience to God.
Jews believe it is not possible to hide evil actions from God and the Ten Days of Return between the festivals of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur give times for people to atone (make up for or make good) for the times when they have followed their inclination to do evil rather than given obedience to God.
Therefore, Jews see evil and suffering as a consequence of human beings’ wrong choices.
For Jews, God is the source of all good and is all-powerful as the creator of the world. Stories such as the fleeing of the Israelites from Egypt retold at Pesach show God’s goodness and care.
Catholic Responses to the Problem of Evil
KEY CONCEPTS
Free Will - the decision-making part of a person’s mind is called the will. A will is free if a person is able to choose right from wrong without being controlled by other forces.
Some people cannot believe that a good God would have designed a world with natural evils in it.
If God is omnipotent he must be able to remove evil and suffering from the world.
If God is Omni-benevolent he must want to remove evil and suffering.
If God is Omniscient he will seeing all the suffering caused.
As there is evil and suffering in the world, either God is not omnipotent, or is not Omni- benevolent, or God does not exist.
Catholic responses to evil and suffering:
God knows the answer, but people cannot understand. Jesus showed us that God wants us to fight against evil and suffering so they follow the example of Jesus and pray for those who suffer and offer practical help
Some Christians think that God could not give humans free will unless they had the chance to do evil things (being free is part of being made in God’s image). Humans have used their free will to do evil things and bring suffering into the world, not God. St Augustine believes both moral and natural evil is the result of mankind freewill explained in the Genesis stories… God is all-good and did not create evil.
Other Christians believe this life is a sort of test in which people prepare their souls for heaven. If there was no evil and suffering then they would not be able to develop as good people and help fight against evil and suffering.
Many Christians believe evil is necessary to know what good is. As St Augustine wrote “… we enjoy and value the good more when we compare it with the evil”
Christians believe they must respond to suffering by trying to help those who suffer by fighting against it.
Jesus (incarnation of God) Suffering & Death
Christians often see Jesus’s death as saving us (atonement) from our sins. Humans are, by nature, sinful. They must be punished for disobeying God but God is loving and merciful, as Jesus made it possible for humanity to be forgiven through the incarnation and Jesus taking on himself the punishment for sin.
Catholics believe that Jesus is in everyone, so when people suffer, Jesus suffers as well. Jesus is often known as “the suffering servent”, rejected by his own people experiencing suffering he didn’t deserve so others can receive salvation
The Catechism teaches that God wanted humanity to live in paradise with no suffering. However, Adam and Eve disobeyed him and therefore had to leave the paradise where there was no suffering or evil. Although God cannot stop all suffering because he would have to stop freewill he did help people through suffering by sending Jesus to earth.
Catholics know that suffering is not eternal because in Revelation it says: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes”
The Trinity
The Trinity explains Christians beliefs of how the one God has revealed his nature in three distinct ways;
As the loving creator and sustainer of the universe (God the Father)
As the saviour who became incarnate (born in human flesh) and lived, died and rose again (God the Son)
As the source of strength which Christians find at work in their hearts (God the Holy Spirit)
The belief in the Trinity is found in Nicene Creed, which is one of the earliest statements of Christian belief. The Nicene Creed is a declaration of faith written by the early Christian Church to help all Christians understand key Christian beliefs such as the trinity.