Catholic Religion in Comparison with Another Monotheistic Belief - Assignment Example

Background of the Catholic Church Catholicism is one of the earliest forms of Christianity. Its founders were the Church of Rome and the Early Church, which are the original followers of Christ. With the influence of Paul, the great missionary, Christianity spread to the non-Jewish world. Paul traveled throughout the Mediterranean spreading the Christian message and founding numerous churches. By 313 CE, Christianity so heavily influenced the Roman Empire that it became the state religion and Rome became the center of what is now the Roman Catholic Church. However, Rome was split into two areas: the eastern, under Constantine in what is today Turkey; and the western, under the Pope and a hierarchy of church officials (Fisher, 2005).  The Popes are traced back to the apostle Peter and are therefore linked to those who were close to Jesus. It is this lineage which is said to grant the Pope special authority as the leader of the Church. The Pope is considered incapable of making errors concerning key points of faith. The Roman Catholic Popes wielded extreme power both in the Church and in the political arena. In fact, the Roman emperor wrote law that the Pope’s authority was absolute and should be recognized by all Christians. Those who did not adhere to the Pope’s rules were excommunicated from the Church, thereby rendering them unredeemable by God (Fisher, 2005). The churches of the east did not fall in line with the Pope’s claim to overall church authority and other practices. This eventually led to the official break in the early second century, and even the Crusaders, whose mission was to take back lands from Muslims, ransacked Constantinople by destroying a sacred altar and the Holy Church of Wisdom. This act left the east and west permanently separated, though each remained powerful in their respective areas of the world.   By the 16th century the Catholic Church was very rich, but the people were displeased at the politics and subsequent wars in which the Church seemed to be involved. This led to another split in Christianity and a new branch of faith, Protestantism. The Reformation, led by John Calvin, Martin Luther, and Jan Hus, believed that the Word of God held more authority than the church and true believers did not need popes, bishops or the rest of the Hierarchy to come to God. They further believed that membership in the Roman Catholic Church was not the way to salvation: faith was. In response, the Catholic Church started changing by deploying more missionaries around the world. The Jesuits, for instance, spread Catholicism to South America and Asia (Fisher, 2005).  Location of Site Visit The site of the interview was The Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community Church located at 3050 Highway A1A in Indialantic, Florida. The Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community Church was founded in 1959. The church is located on the east side of Brevard County, Florida. The church itself is very modest in comparison to Catholic churches in the state of Minnesota and Protestant churches in other parts of Indialantic. It boasts no flashy neon signs out front to attract passers-by or, like one church, an advertisement that they serve Starbucks coffee. It is very unassuming to look at with its beige brick exterior and a single cross-adorned tower on the east side. In the foyer are flyers about the events that are going on in the community and another set of doors opening to the main room where the congregation meets. Near the doors is a waist-high pedestal with a half-full bowl of Holy Water mounted flush with the top. The unassuming exterior and entrance give way to a beautiful interior. There are two columns of twenty-five to thirty pews separated by a large middle aisle. Attached to the back of each pew is a padded bar for kneeling. Behind each pew back is a slot that holds loaner Bibles and hymnals used for singing. The windows on both sides are ornate stained glass depicting different saints and special stories from the Bible. The altar, which is the center of the Catholic service, is modestly decorated. In the center of the rear wall is the Crucifix, which is a cross with Jesus nailed to it. The center of the altar has a large table covered with a beautiful cloth and a large silver multi-candle holder. The pulpit is on the left side of the altar, unassuming so as not to detract from the vision of Christ on the cross. To the right and left of the altar are statues of the Virgin Mary, Jesus’ human mother, and Joseph, his human father. To the right is a family room for those worshippers who have children and want to participate in the service but not bother others. There are no visible confessional booths, but the interviewee said that they were down a hallway, away from the main room.  Interview with Eblan Farris Mr. Farris has been a Catholic since birth, is in his forties and single with no children. He is currently employed by NASA on the coast of Florida, with twenty-three years of employment. The interviewer attended a service with the interviewee to experience the mass in The Holy Name of Jesus. After the service, the interviewer explained that she was doing research for college and would like to interview him. He agreed and set the date as immediately following the service on the next Sunday. The next Sunday following Mass, the interview was conducted in a quiet room in the administrative section of the Church. Responses to questions have been condensed for clarity, but quotes are included to illustrate Mr. Farris’s thoughts. Question: What are the important traditions and holidays of Catholicism? Response: Catholics celebrate seven Holy sacraments. Baptism is a ceremony to admit a person into the faith and is done by the pastor with Holy Water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Confirmation happens around eight years old and is seen as official membership into the Church. Ordination is when a person is admitted into priesthood. Mass is a re-enactment of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. Marriage. Penance is obtaining a pardon of your sins and is usually done through confessing to a Pastor or Priest. Unction is anointing the sick with holy oil in the hopes of healing them. Holidays include Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Christ. Good Friday is the day Christ died. Easter is the Sunday He rose from the dead. Question: Our laws are based somewhat on the Ten Commandments, one of which reads that we should not kill. Does this include war? Response: Actually, the word from which it was changed meant murder. This has a completely different connotation than kill. It is true, the end result is the same but the motive behind the act is different. In the Bible there is a “Just and Right Clause” allowing for defense of oneself or saving others from certain peril. “I know Christ said to turn the other cheek, but sometimes justice has to be served here on Earth” (E. Farris, personal communication, July 5, 2009). Question: What are the core beliefs of your religion? Response: There is one true God existing in three persons: the Father, creator of all things; the Son, who was God in human form, born of the Virgin Mary; and the Holy Spirit that guides us and comforts us. Jesus died on the cross, on the third day he arose and ascended to Heaven to be with the Father. To enter heaven, you must be baptized, accept Christ as your savior and strive to live as Godly as possible. Question: What is your view on abortion? Response: Like most Catholics, Mr. Farris believes in the right to life and the commandment about not murdering. When asked if abortion could be considered murder at one day in the womb, he stated, “From the moment the sperm and egg meet, it is a new HUMAN life with different DNA than the mother. It is alive. To kill it is infanticide” (E. Farris, personal communication, July 5, 2009). Question: Did you choose your religion or were you born into a Catholic Family? Response: Mr. Farris was born and raised Catholic. In fact, as far as he knows, his entire ancestry is Catholic. Question: How has religion shaped your life? Response: Religion has guided nearly every aspect of Mr. Farris’s life from the decisions he made as a youth to decisions made throughout a twenty-three year career at NASA. The moral and ethical base which Catholicism has provided him was “an invaluable tool” that he continues to use today. He credits his faith for always keeping him on track through times of trouble and the good times too. He tried to give God thanks more when things were going good instead of only calling on Him when things were bad (E. Farris, personal communication, July 5, 2009). Question: What are the challenges, if any, to practicing this religion? Response: “The two biggest challenges for me have always been studying the Word on my own and getting to confession more often than I do. It says in the Bible that we should meditate on God’s Word daily and study the Word often. It’s a poor excuse, but the same goes with confession. I find myself to be too busy, which is horrible to be too busy for God. I know God is never too busy for me” (E. Farris, personal communication, July 5, 2009). Question: Why, in your opinion, do you think that we only hear about Catholic priests who molest children, when church leaders from other religions probably do too? Response: The fact that priests are supposed to be very holy, celibate and Christians is food enough for the media to blow things up. “It is strange that we never hear of an Imam doing such things, or a Buddhist monk. I guess it is all part of the road we are on to eliminate God from our lives” (E. Farris, personal communication, July 5, 2009). Question: What are the challenges, if any, to practicing this particular religion?   Response: It becomes more challenging when dealing with either people who are not faithful or believers. “It has been said that if you find a faithful person you’ve already figured them out, but if you find a nonfaithful person you may never figure them out” (E. Farris, personal communication, July 5, 2009). Question: What does your religion perceive the afterlife as being?   Response: The Catholic Church believes:  Heaven - those baptized in the Church and whose sins have been forgiven, go to heaven. Hell - those who have committed a serious, or “mortal” sin and have not received absolution, go to hell. Purgatory - those who have committed a less serious, or “venial” sin and have not received absolution, go to purgatory, to undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. In Contrast In contrast to Catholicism is another of the monotheistic religions, Islam. Like Catholicism, Islam believes in one true God that is the center of the religion. The key figures in both religions (Adam, Eve, Abraham, Moses and even Jesus) are mentioned in the Bible and the Qur’an. Both preach obedience to God and peace with fellow humans. This is as far as the similarities go. Catholics believe that Jesus was God in human form, sent to the earth to spread the gospel and die to save believers from their sins. Muslims believe Jesus was just another prophet and Muhammad is a successor to the line of prophets, chosen by God to receive the Holy Qur’an. For Catholics, Christ’s death fulfilled prophecy foretold in the Old Testament and Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus. Though Islam was revealed to the prophet Muhammad, he is not the center of their beliefs; Allah is (Fisher, 2005). Summary Remarks This assignment provided a brief but excellent insight into the Catholic religion as well as a contrast with another monotheistic belief. Mr. Farris was very gracious before, during and after the interview. He is a man who is deeply committed to his faith and has a personal relationship with Christ, which shows in his calm demeanor and is visible in the fervor and confidence with which he speaks about his religion and his relationship with God. It was an honor to sit down with Mr. Farris and delve into his beliefs with him. References Farris, Eblan. Personal communication. July 5, 2009. Fisher, M.P. (2005). Living religions (6th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. Read More