Search Results for: christian+belief
Can a Christian believe in reincarnation?
Can a Christian believe in reincarnation: With the emergence of New Age and alternative religions in Western society many Christians are beginning to integrate the teachings of such religions into their Christian faith. The most popular of these teachings is the belief in reincarnation. It has become commonplace for Christians to refer to their “past lives” or to make suggestions as to what they want to be in their “next life.” While some do so inconsiderate of their Christian faith, others make the claim that the Christian faith supports the theory of reincarnation. Here, we will address the question:…
Catechism: Baptismal Celebration – Christian Initiation
1229 From the time of the apostles, becoming a Christian has been accomplished by a journey and initiation in several stages. This journey can be covered rapidly or slowly, but certain essential elements will always have to be present: proclamation of the Word, acceptance of the Gospel entailing conversion, profession of faith, Baptism itself, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and admission to Eucharistic communion. 1230 This initiation has varied greatly through the centuries according to circumstances. In the first centuries of the Church, Christian initiation saw considerable development. A long period of catechumenate included a series of preparatory…
Can the Devil possess a Christian?
Can the Devil possess a Christian: This is a point of debate within the Christian Church. While some Christians believe the devil can possess a Christian, most believe the devil can only possess a non-believer. While the Bible does not explicitly address this issue, the Bible never identifies a “possessed Christian” and does not warn Christians of the threat of possession. Further, many believe the devil is unable to possess a Christian because a Christian is already possessed by the Holy Spirit. Most believe the Holy Spirit would not allow the devil to occupy the same space. You, dear children,…
Catechism: The Meaning of a Christian Death
1010 Because of Christ, Christian death has a positive meaning: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”574 “The saying is sure: if we have died with him, we will also live with him.575 What is essentially new about Christian death is this: through Baptism, the Christian has already “died with Christ” sacramentally, in order to live a new life; and if we die in Christ’s grace, physical death completes this “dying with Christ” and so completes our incorporation into him in his redeeming act: It is better for me to die in (eis) Christ…
Catechism: The Christian Name
2156 The sacrament of Baptism is conferred “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”85 In Baptism, the Lord’s name sanctifies man, and the Christian receives his name in the Church. This can be the name of a saint, that is, of a disciple who has lived a life of exemplary fidelity to the Lord. the patron saint provides a model of charity; we are assured of his intercession. the “baptismal name” can also express a Christian mystery or Christian virtue. “Parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to see that a name…
Should I raise my children Christian?
Should I Raise My Children Christian: To answer this question we must acknowledge this question has two different possible meanings: Should I raise by children to be Christians? or; Should I raise my children with Christianity? While these two questions appear the same, they are actually very different. In Jewish tradition, one is born Jewish and will be Jewish throughout their lives if they are born to a Jewish mother. In Islamic tradition, one is born Muslim and will be Muslim throughout their lives if their father is Muslim. According to both these religions, if the child later in life rejects the faith of Judaism or Islam,…
Catechism: The Christian Family
2204 “The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion, and for this reason it can and should be called a domestic church.”9 It is a community of faith, hope, and charity; it assumes singular importance in the Church, as is evident in the New Testament.10 2205 The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. In the procreation and education of children it reflects the Father’s work of creation. It is called to partake of the prayer and sacrifice…
Can a Christian lose their salvation?
Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation: This is point of vehement controversy within the Christian church. While many Protestants make the claim that salvation, once earned, can never be lost. Many Catholics make the claim that salvation is conditioned upon whether or not an individual still wishes to be saved. The primary reason for this conflict is a misunderstanding of what exactly “salvation” means. More specifically, when exactly salvation is obtained. Many Protestants mistakenly believe that salvation is finalized in this life. While the path to salvation begins in this life, and the assurance of salvation can be enjoyed…
Catechism: The Sacraments of Christian Initiation
1212 The sacraments of Christian initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life. “The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. the faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity.”3 3…
Catechism: Viaticum, the Last Sacrament of the Christian
… sacrament of Christ once dead and now risen, the Eucharist is here the sacrament of passing over from death to life, from this world to the Father.141 1525 Thus, just as the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a unity called “the sacraments of Christian initiation,” so too it can be said that Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist as viaticum constitute at the end of Christian life “the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland” or the sacraments that complete the earthly pilgrimage. 140 Jn 6:54. 141 Cf. Jn 13:1. …