Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Religion

Can We Know God?

The first question to consider is whether you believe God exists and if we can perceive the impact of the divine on humanity.

We can understand God through the following avenues:

1-1 The Human Being

Men and women grapple with disease, pain, and mortality, striving for happiness. Within this desire for happiness, religions often find the imprint of God.

1-2 Nature

Throughout history, people have recognized the beauty of Earth's creation and the wonders that occur within it, seeking answers and contemplating whether a purposeful God could have created everything.

1-3 Human Reason

Human beings have found the following reasons to believe in God:

• Through the voice of conscience.
• In seeking answers to questions such as: Why do good? Is death

Hail Mary Prayer

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be Prayer

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina)

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb,... Continue reading "Essential Catholic Prayers and Commandments" »

Mediations: Myths, Rituals, Prayer, and Morality

Myths and Narratives

A religious myth is a story set in the remote past, aiming to explain the origin and purpose of existence. From a literary perspective, myths and stories belong to the epic genre.

Festivals and Rituals

Rites are symbolic actions repeated according to a fixed schedule, connecting individuals with the divine. The function of a ritual is to represent divine action, allowing participants to unite with God. From a literary standpoint, rites belong to the drama genre, resembling theatrical characters and scenarios.

Prayer

Prayer is the communication through which a religious person elevates their being to the supreme being, expressing praise, supplication, or sometimes complaint. It... Continue reading "Understanding Religion: Core Concepts and Distinctions" »

Mormons

Official Name

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Founder

Joseph Smith

Origin

New York, USA, 1830

Followers

Approximately 11 million worldwide, with 5 million in the USA

Interesting Facts

• The founder, Joseph Smith, was lynched by a mob and accused of heresy and polygamy.
• Until 1978, black individuals were not permitted in the hierarchy.
• According to their beliefs, the advent of faith in America occurred in Chile thousands of years ago.

Beliefs

• They do not believe in the Holy Trinity or that Christ is God incarnate.
• They consider the Bible secondary to the Book of Mormon, which they view as a kind of Third Testament.
• The Book of Mormon, revealed to Joseph Smith, contains the history of the children of Nephi, a Hebrew believed to have been

The Expectation of the Messiah

1. For some, the Messiah was to restore the strict observance of the law. For others, he would be a warlord who liberated them from the Romans. Still, others were waiting for a manifestation of divine power.

Jesus' Actions and Teachings

2. After curing the sick at the pool of Bethesda, and facing reproach from the Jews, Jesus explains that he continues to act as his Father does. As he hears, he judges and acts, seeking the will of God the Father, who sent him.

Paul's Transformation

3. Paul was involved in persecuting the Church of God and was a fanatical supporter of the traditions of his ancestors. However, his life changed when he was called and chosen by God, who revealed his son Jesus to him. Paul now lives in... Continue reading "Understanding Jesus' Teachings and Christian Life" »

The Encounter with God

The encounter with God is as follows:

a) Overall: Follow these steps: First, aversion to the outside world; second, search within; third, transcending, jump to the higher.

b) In particular, for power, it would be:

• Memory: "Memory is the power with which the soul is present to itself and yet is aware of the being of God." Memory is either of the sensible or intelligible. The memory is the act of memory, but the memory in St. Augustine also considers this: what I am and what God is.
• Knowledge: Types of knowledge: sensible and intelligible, the latter being the only authentic, and to reach it you must go through a series of steps (aside from the truth).
• Will: The Christian message is love, priority will, distancing of Greek intellectualism.

Meeting 5: The Mission of Jesus

Jesus was very clear about his mission. The mission of Jesus was to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth and reveal how much the Father in heaven loves us; free from sin and death to give new life to the children of God. However, this mission was not understood or accepted by all. Many who listened led him to death on the cross. The resurrection marks the success of the mission of Jesus.

The resurrected Jesus gathers the Apostles to continue his mission: all men carry the Father's love and the new life He gives us.

After sending the apostles to preach, he ascended to heaven.

The mission of the apostles is to continue the work he had started.

Since then, the church continues to fulfill the mandate of Jesus, and... Continue reading "Jesus' Mission, Ascension, and the Legacy of Saint Paul" »

Introduction to the Play's Themes

The focus of the work is the moral confrontation between the authoritarian, rigid, and conventional figure (Bernarda) and the desire for freedom (represented by Adela and María Josefa). Sub-topics include passionate love affairs, the critique of hypocrisy and falsehood among the characters, and the conflict between two fundamental attitudes towards life and opposing ideologies.

Moral Clash: Authority vs. Freedom

This opposition is present from the start. Bernarda attempts to impose her oppressive rules, based on the traditional authority of the head of the household. Meanwhile, Adela and María Josefa try to rebel against this domination. The other daughters fearfully obey. The imposed eight-year mourning period... Continue reading "Bernarda Alba's House: Authority, Repression, and Female Desire" »

Cathedral Chapter

The word derives from the Latin capitulum, meaning council, and referred to the community of clerics forming the permanent council of the Bishop. Historically, it provided legal assistance to the head of the diocese. It consists of priests called canons, who are granted a sinecure, i.e., a specific role within the daily activities of the cathedral. They are responsible for holding the most solemn ceremonies that take place in the cathedral or collegiate church. Therefore, they are directly related to matters of worship.

The chapter has its own constitution and a president, known as the dean of the cathedral. One prominent member is the canon penitentiary, who has the authority to grant absolution in the sacramental sphere to... Continue reading "Catholic Clergy Roles: Cathedral Chapters and Archbishops" »

Places of Worship

The ultimate place of worship is the Temple of Jerusalem. However, as we all know, this temple is currently destroyed. Given this reality, for most Jewish believers, the synagogue serves as the Temple of Jerusalem, even though it may not be rebuilt (only the Wailing Wall remains). However, not all faithful Jews share that view. The synagogue, while conducting worship, performs other functions: it is the place of meeting and teaching the doctrine and laws.

Minister of Worship: Rabbi

From a technical standpoint, it is not accurate to say that the rabbi is a minister of religion, but today they are the closest equivalent to this concept in the Jewish religion. In fact, their role is to explain the Hebrew religion. They are the spiritual... Continue reading "Jewish Places of Worship, Rabbis, and Marriage Laws" »