The Sacrament of Reconciliation

Sin: behaviour which is against God's laws and wishes and against principles of morality. A thought or action which we know is wrong and freely choose. 

Original Sin:

• Sin we are born with as a result of the actions of Adam and Eve
• Human beings are flawed and we are drawn to do evil and tend to sin
• Humans know the difference between right and wrong so can resist evil

Venial and Mortal Sins:

• Venial sins: sins which are not grave, not committed with full knowledge, not entirely deliberate

• Mortal sins: sins which are grave, committed with full knowledge and deliberately

Sorrow and Guilt:

• Sorrow is a natural response to sin where a person has recognised their wrongdoings and wants to make things better.
• Christian conscience plays an important role in guiding a person about their moral actions.
• Guilt can make it impossible for someone to follow God's law and can lead to anxiety/depression and a sense that they are apart from God and the Church.

A World in Need of Reconciliation:

• Reconciliation: a sacrament when people who have disagreed or fought make up
• You must:
• Reconcile with yourself (all people are made in God's image)
• Reconcile with others (God wants everyone to love each other)
• Reconcile with the Church (God wants the human family to be united)
• Reconcile with God (God wants people to return to him because he loves them)

Reconciliation:

CATHOLIC TEACHINGS: "God redeems your life from the pit"

• God's love is a forgiving and saving love which saves people from their sin.
• We need to forgive others because if reconciliation is refused, divisions can never be healed.

CATHOLIC TEACHINGS: Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

• This parable teaches us that to be able to receive forgiveness, we must forgive.
• It teaches us that God's divine mercy and forgiveness should not be abused by failing to show mercy and forgiveness to others.

By turning to God, he can transform pain and give us the capacity to forgive others

Why do People Avoid the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

• Fear - they are anxious about what to do, whether they will be judged etc.
• Guilt - they feel they are beyond the possibility of forgiveness
• Misunderstanding - they may feel they have done nothing wrong

Effects of the Sacrament of Reconciliation:

• Reconciliation with God and the Church
• Release from eternal punishment 
• Peace and serenity of conscience

CATHOLIC TEACHING: Parable of the Forgiving Father

Crime: not obeying a law established by Government

Causes of Crime:

• Substance abuse // peer pressure // lack of financial resources

Catholic Causes of Crime:

• Person may have been tempted by devil // result of original sin

Effects of Crime:

• Can cause death/injury which can lead to high medical costs
• Society can suffer from fear of crime
• Crime can leave victim experiencing anxiety/depression

Catholic Teaching on Crime:

• We must live a life of love 
• Obey Commandments
• Respect value of human life - "Do not kill"

Retribution: To "get your own back" on criminal 

Deterrence: To put people off committing a crime

Protection: To stop the criminal from hurting anyone else in society

Reform: To change someone's behaviour for the better

CATHOLIC TEACHINGS:

• "An eye for an eye" --- FOR PUNISHMENT

• "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" --- AGAINST PUNISHMENT

• "Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing" --- AGAINST PUNISHMENT

Methods of Punishment:

IMPRISONMENT:

• Advantage: Protects society and acts as a deterrent
• Disadvantage: Majority of prisoners re-offend and so don't reform

FINES:

• Advantage: Acts as a deterrent and money raised can be used to benefit society as a whole
• Disadvantage: For the rich, the fine has little deterrence

COMMUNITY SERVICE:

• Advantage: More effective for lesser crimes and benefits society and helps criminals to reform
• Disadvantage: It is nothing to fear so doesn't act as a deterrent

Death Penalty: Form of punishment where a prisoner is put to death for their crimes

Arguments FOR Death Penalty:

• Cheaper than imprisoning someone for life
• Fear of death penalty may act as a deterrence
• Offers retribution - a life for a life

Arguments AGAINST Death Penalty:

• Lowers respect for human life
• Innocent people may be executed by mistake
• 2 wrongs don't make a right

Catholic Teaching on Death Penalty:

• The Catholic Church largely opposes the death penalty but can be justified if it is the ONLY WAY to protect society
• Goes against the sanctity of life and commandment "Thou shall not kill"

Prejudice: Unfairly judging someone before the facts are know. It is a THOUGHT.

Discrimination: ACTING on a prejudice on the basis of sex, religion, race etc.

Prejudice and discrimination reflect IGNORANCE & FEAR.

Christian Perspectives on Prejudice and Discrimination:

• All human beings are created with the image and likeness of God so should have equality.

CATHOLIC TEACHINGS: 

• "Love your neighbour as yourself"
• "There is neither Jew nor Greek...for you are all one in Christ Jesus"

Racism: to have prejudices about and to discriminate against a group of people based on their skin colour and racial background

Christian Responses to Racism:

• Racism is evil and destructive
• It denies the belief that all humans are made in the likeness and image of God and have dignity
• It contradicts the belief that all are one in Christ
• It contradicts the teaching "love your neighbour"

Examples of gender discrimination:

• Women are paid less than men for doing the same job
• In many areas of Afghanistan, girls are often taken out of school when they hit puberty.

Examples of gender discrimination in religion:

• Women were not allowed to serve on the altar in the Roman Catholic Church until recently
• In some parts of the world, women attending mass must cover their heads
• Some Chistians believe that men are the heads of the family and women should stay home

Catholic Teaching on Gender Discrimination:

• Church rejects any suggestion that women are not equal to men
• Women, as well as men, were created in God's image and likeness
• Although there are differences between men and women and they have different roles in the Catholic Church (i.e. only men can be priests), women should not be treated as inferior to men

Disability: when a person has a mental/physical condition that limits movement of activities

UK law promotes disability equality

Examples of Disability Discrimination:

• Physically disabled people do not often have the same opportunities in life and work/education
• Unborn babies detected as having disabilities are often aborted as they are undesired

Christian Responses to Disability Discrimination:

• Catholic Church is against any form of disability discrimination - based on the belief that all are one in Christ and made in God's image and likeness
• Disabled people should be seen as active members of the Church and not passive receivers of charity
• Church is seeking to remove all barriers to full participation in Church (e.g. Church is looking to write Bibles in braille)

Examples of religious discrimination:

• Some countries prohibit the expression of religions other than the "state" religion
• Some countries prohibit religious items like Bibles
• Muslim men are more likely to be unemployed than people from other faiths

The Right to Religious Freedom:

• UK laws state that a religious believer should be able to practice their faith freely, without discrimination

Catholic Teaching:

• Humans should be free to believe what they choose & not be forced to act against their beliefs
• Jesus showed acts of kindness to people of other religions --- reference to parable of the good samaritan

Arguments FOR expression of religious beliefs:

• Human rights guarantee religious freedoms --- these rights must be defended
• If you restrict the public expression of faith, you are saying that faith in general is bad
• If you don't allow people to express their religious beliefs, you are oppressing them

Arguments AGAINST expression of religious beliefs:

• There will be greater tension if everyone is allowed to express their religious beliefs
• It is more important to emphasise what is common between us rather than our differences
• Some may feel they must be more outward about their faith, even if they would rather not

Christian attitudes to the disadvantaged:

• It is important to address the needs of the poor & disadvantaged by standing up to injustice
• It is important to be a follower of Christ who associated himself with "outcasts"
• It is important to believe in the CATHOLIC TEACHING, the parable of the good samaritan

CATHOLIC TEACHING: Parable of the Good Samaritan -

Interpretations of the parable of the good samaritan:

• Being a Christian demands action, not just beliefs
• Loving God and your neighbour is at the centre of what it means to be a Christian
• Christians have a duty to help the disadvantaged - "love thy neighbour as yourself" --- everyone is your neighbour

As a result of this parable, a Christian may:

• Be more inclusive to disadvantaged people
• Become involved in organisations to help the disadvantaged
• Include people from all backgrounds into Church life