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How do Catholics and people of all faiths understand the human…

- - - - God is incredibly compassionate and merciful to His people even after the fail Him repeatedly, as is evident in the Old, and New, Testament. The New Testament states “God has imprisoned all human beings in disobedience, only so that He might show mercy to them all.” All Abrahamic faiths – Islam, Judaism, and Christianity - believe that God requires human beings to show mercy to others, to do good deeds such as helping others in order to have ultimate salvation and an eternal life. However, some Christians differ over the importance of having faith vs. doing good works (Reformed vs. Catholics). They believe that human beings are only granted salvation by the grace of God and His mercy, not by virtue of good works.
    - - The Abrahamic religions all preach to live a God-honouring life – compassionate, truthful, loving. This is also how we should treat others. Like many religions, the Golden Rule – treating your neighbour as yourself – is a very prominent principle in the Christian faith. Although the ultimate result of living a life based on Christian morals such as the Golden Rule is eternal life in Heaven., we should choose this lifestyle to honour God and how He wants us to treat His Creation. Any wrong we do to His people, is like doing wrong to Him.
    - - Christians believe all of humanity is born with a built-in urge to do bad things: original sin. They believe original sin stems from Adam and Eve's temptation to eat the apple in the Garden of Eden. For Christians, moral laws are to give people direction on how to live ethically while honouring God. Canon laws - the set of rules that govern the organization and practice of the members of the Church – are used as a guide for moral living and teachings. Christians believe that God made a covenant, or agreement with Abraham to keep the faith in One God and to worship Him and teach the practice of worship to his children down the generations. This is how the commitment to following moral laws ties into the relationship with God’s covenant. More specifically, by following these commandments, for Catholics the Ten Commandments, one can keep the covenant with God. The purpose of the Ethical dimension of religion is to provide a guideline for behaviour that believers can abide by to identify what is considered morally good or bad. This adds structure to how one can demonstrate their religion in their everyday life. These rules and guidelines are to strongly influence one's ethical actions to fit what their religion believes is honouring to their purpose on earth.
    - - Christians claim that their heirship is ﬁgurative and that anybody, through faith in the atoning work of Jesus as a sacriﬁce can become part of God's chosen people. God incarnated into a human being for many reasons. Firstly, He wanted to be further revealed to humanity. Jesus also came to fulfill God’s promises and the Law of Moses, while also bringing a new covenant. He also came to sympathize with believers and endure the pain of human life. And most obviously, He came to die for the sins of the world and destroy the works of the devil. Christians believe in the importance of only worshipping one God. As stated in the Shema, Shahadah, and the Gospels: ““Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”” (Christianity - Matthew 22:36-40). There are several core beliefs that are shared with the other Abrahamic faiths about God the Creator: God is the Creator of everything; God governs the universe with justice and honour; Humanity has an obligation to worship God; God is spirit and therefore invisible; and God is one. Jesus is seen as divine or the Son of God, therefore equal with Him. Catholics also believe the Holy Spirit helps us to live faithful lives and continue the work that Jesus began. This is the idea of the Trinity - all equal parts: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
    - - Those that follow Abrahamic faiths also understand that God promises a greater gift in doing your part of the covenant (salvation) than His part. God made the covenant with mankind to show His love for His people and to ultimately fulﬁll His desire to be with them through eternal life (Heaven). Christianity's primary belief is that the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ formed the climax of the plan for humanity's salvation of their sins. This plan was conceived by God because Adam and Eve ate the apple, burdening the world with sin, and it would be completed at the Last Judgment, when the Second Coming of Christ would mark the catastrophic end of the world. For Christians, salvation is only possible through Jesus Christ. They believe that Jesus' death on the cross was the once-for-all sacriﬁce that atoned for the sin of humanity. The ultimate result of living a life based on Christian morals is eternal life in Heaven.
    - - Christians believe that God made a covenant, or agreement with Abraham to keep the faith in one God and to worship Him and teach the practice of worship to his children down the generations. By following these commandments – specifically Ten Commandments - one can keep the covenant with God. And so we are called to continue His ministry on earth after his death by sharing the Gospel.
  - - - Humans are subject to natural order but must carry their relationship with God through their everyday lives, making it evident. The Torah gives humans the responsibilities of cultivating land, producing soil, and domesticating animals; humans as moral creatures are responsible for creation in all its parts.
    - - The concept of a merciful God is a central theme among all the Abrahamic religions. The Old Testament also states “You, O Lord, are merciful to all, for you can do all things, and you overlook people’s sins, so that they may repent.” However, they also believe their suffering is God punishing them for being unfaithful. Jews believe in the importance of only worshipping one God. As stated in the Shema, Shahadah, and the Gospels:
        “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5) Jewish – Shema).
    - - Jews also interpret their moral life as a response to God’s covenant. The Abrahamic faiths follow moral laws for different reasons depending on the religion, however the fundamental purpose behind it is the same: to give people direction on how to live ethically while honouring God. For Jews, sin involves not only deliberately going against moral laws, but also violating the ritual or purity laws. Jews believe that God made a covenant, or agreement with Abraham to keep the faith in One God and to worship Him and teach the practice of worship to His children down the generations. This is how the commitment to following moral laws ties into the relationship with God’s covenant. More specifically, by following these commandments, one can keep the covenant with God. Jews also practice the Golden Rule even though they believe they are God’s chosen people; everyone should be treated with righteously.
    - - The Christian doctrine of original sin is totally unacceptable to Jews. Jews believe that man enters the world free of sin, with a soul that is pure. Humans sin because he is not a perfect being, and not, as Christianity teaches, because he is inherently sinful.
    - - Jews claim a direct blood lineage to the patriarch of Abraham. Jews also interpret their moral life as a response to God’s covenant. Almost identical to the Christian belief, God promises a greater gift in doing your part of the covenant (salvation) than His part. This covenant with mankind is to show His love for His people and to fulfill His desire to be with them through eternal life. Humanity commits themselves to this personal relationship with God and, in doing so, must follow His ‘terms and conditions’ for us.
    - - For Jews, redemption refers to God redeeming the people of Israel from their various exiles. One does not need personal salvation as Christians believe. In Judaism, salvation is closely related to the idea of redemption, a saving from circumstances that destroy the value of human existence. This, in part, has to do with the constant oppression Jews have been put through historically.
        The rituals surrounding death in Judaism demonstrate extreme reverence for the deceased in many ways. In the Jewish culture, the body of someone who has died is not left alone until after burial, as a sign of respect. People called Shomerim - meaning "guards" or "keepers" - watch over the body. The body is also not physically altered through means of cremation, embalming, or removing organs or fluids. The funeral is also never open casket and friends and family are not permitted to see the body in such a vulnerable state that is death. These are all rituals to preserve the dignity of the dead in the Jewish religions. Deaths in Judaism are treated with great respect in order to honour the blessing of life.
  - - - There is no mediator for sin like the Holy Spirit in Christianity, only Allah can forgive. Muslims believe in the importance of only worshipping one God. As stated in the Shema, Shahadah, and the Gospels: “There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” (Islam – Shahadah). God made the covenant with mankind to show His love for His people and to ultimately fulfill His desire to be with them. Humanity commits themselves to this personal relationship with God and, in doing so, must follow His ‘terms and conditions’ for us. Muslims claim that geography makes them ancestral heirs to Abraham's son Ishmael whom they claim received the blessing of fathering God's chosen people. This relates to the shared core beliefs between the three faiths: God is the Creator of everything; God governs the universe with justice and honour; Humanity has an obligation to worship God; God is spirit and therefore invisible; and God is one.
    - - The Abrahamic faiths follow moral laws for different reasons depending on the religion, however the fundamental purpose behind it is the same: to give people direction on how to live ethically while honouring God. Muslims show their devotion by observing Allah’s moral commands, striving personally and publicly to follow His will, and by doing rituals such as prayer and zakat.
    - - While Islam presents itself as the only way of life for people to achieve salvation in the after-life, it also teaches its followers to live up to high standards in conduct with other human beings, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, race, language or culture. The Quran is highly critical of Christian beliefs in Trinity and regarding Jesus as a deity. The Holy Book is also very critical of the Jews for not accepting Jesus and Muhammad as messengers of God. At the same time, however, it asks Muslims to establish a social association special only to Christians and Jews. The verses in the Holy Quran forbid Muslims to insult anything that is viewed as a deity by any religion, regardless of whether it is a person, a stone, a stick or a tree. The verse 2:256 of the Quran says: “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things.”
    - - The concept of a merciful God is a central theme among all the Abrahamic religions. For example, the Qur’an states “When God had completed His creation, He wrote above His throne, “My mercy overcomes my anger.”
        God may overlook small sins, and the traditions state they can be forgiven by performing salat (prayers) and wadu (ritual washing). God may even decide to hide one’s sin: “The messenger of Allah said, “All my followers’ sins will be forgiven except those made public. That is, when a man commits a sin at night and then makes known during the day, even though Allah has screened him at night…” (al Bukhari 73:95).
    - - Muslims reject the doctrine of original sin and cannot accept that death ensured; it was a natural process built into creation. They may even quote the Bible that people are responsible for their own deeds: “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness the wicked will be upon himself” (Ezekiel 18:20). They reason it would be unjust for God to punish all humanity because of Adam’s deed. Sin is not hereditary, and no one born a sinner.
        Muslim theologians explain man’s nature at birth as fitrah: state of intrinsic goodness. Like Adam, people are born pure and sinless. They are Muslims by birth, and salvation is intact, but they must do all in their power to maintain this status.
    - - Muslims believe that God made a covenant, or agreement with Abraham to keep the faith in One God and to worship Him and teach the practice of worship to his children down the generations. This is how the commitment to following moral laws ties into the relationship with God’s covenant. Those that follow Abrahamic faiths also understand that God promises a greater gift in doing your part of the covenant (salvation) than His part. Islam teaches that people who die disbelieving in God do not receive salvation. Although debatable among Muslims, Islam also teaches that non-Muslims who die believing in the God but disbelieving in his message (Islam), are left to his will. Those who die believing in the One God and his message (Islam) receive salvation. Islam also stresses that in order to gain salvation, one must also avoid sinning along with performing good deeds. Islam acknowledges the inclination of humanity towards sin as well as the Mercy of God. Therefore, Muslims are constantly commanded to seek God's forgiveness and repent. Islam teaches that no one can gain salvation simply by virtue of their belief or deeds, instead it is the Mercy of God, which grants them salvation. The rituals surrounding death in Judaism demonstrate extreme reverence for the deceased in many ways. As for the Islamic faith, there is no viewing of the body and it is to be buried as soon after the death as possible. There is also a prayer service - Salat ul Janazah – where people ask God for the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased. Another way extreme reverence for the deceased is shown is during the mourning period of widows. They should avoid contact with any man who could be a possible candidate for a marriage out of appreciation and a last act of commitment to their late husband. In conclusion, deaths in Islam and Judaism are treated with great respect in order to honour the blessing of life.
- - - - Some referred to the question that angels asked Allah about the creation of humans in the Qur’an: “And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know”” (2:30).
        God might have a plan which would morally justify God allowing suffering. The existence of suffering may have certain functions which prevent God from stopping pain and suffering in the world. For instance, suffering may be necessary to produce more human happiness than a world without suffering. Evil and suffering can also be treated as a trial or test in the Islamic religion. Remaining faithful through times of pain, persecution, loss, and poverty are surely the most trying tribulation to one’s religion.
    - - Sin is an important concept in Islamic ethics. Muslims see sin as anything that goes against the commands of God (Allah), a breach of the laws and norms laid down by religion. Islam teaches that sin is an act and not a state of being. Islam is unique in its stance on sin as no other religion shares the same idea that what becomes of man after birth is the result of external influence and intruding factors, not original sin. They have no understanding similar to the Bible’s teaching that humans, not God, caused sin through rebellion against God.
    - - Sacred texts tell stories of how each respective religion was saved. This shows us how over and over God has saved us from suffering and will eventually send another coming of a Messiah to save us from the pain of human life. Specifically, the Quran teaches that Allah has predetermined every person’s destiny, and one’s righteous acts may or may not affect that decision. It teaches that everyone, both the righteous and the unrighteous, will be led into hell by Allah, before the righteous will enter heaven. According to Islam, one can be forgiven of sins through genuine tawbah (repentance) which means to return.
        For death in the Islamic faith, there is no viewing of the body and it is to be buried as soon after the death as possible. There is also a prayer service - Salat ul Janazah – where people ask God for the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased. Another way extreme reverence for the deceased is shown is during the mourning period of widows. They should avoid contact with any man who could be a possible candidate for a marriage out of appreciation and a last act of commitment to their late husband. In conclusion, deaths in Islam and Judaism are treated with great respect in order to honour the blessing of life.
    - - Those who follow the Islamic faith, specifically Hijabis, have faced many conflicts with their practices clashing with laws. Some Muslim women wear hijabs for many reasons: Allah commands Muslims to be modest, the hijab liberates women, the hijab provides Muslim women with an identity, the hijab can foster understanding. We learned that Quebec passed a law that would force Muslim women to take off any facial coverings when entering a public space for ‘safety’ reasons. Many were critical about whether this really was for safety reasons or just a way to target easily identifiable Muslim women. I found it very inspiring to learn how, not only Muslim women, but also other women standing in solidarity with them, fought for their rights to freely practice their religion.
  - - - Christians understand that the pain of human life is the gateway to resurrection and a new, eternal life. The Christian faith makes sense of the rawness we feel in the face of suffering because it says there is something wrong with the world. Things are not as they should be. We live in a world in which good and evil are at play on the world stage and in every human being. It is only if God exists that our outrage at suffering finds reason.
    - - Christians believe all of humanity is born with a built-in urge to do bad things: original sin. They believe original sin stems from Adam and Eve's temptation to eat the apple in the Garden of Eden.
    - - On a vague note, Religion gives meaning to our otherwise dull and repetitive lives as well as giving us hope that our human struggles will be worth it in the afterlife. This gives hope to those battling mental illnesses such as depression. Our religion also gives us a moral baseline to judge our life decisions off and so it gives us a feeling of fulfillment knowing a Divine force/being will reward us for our acts. Sacred texts tell stories of how each respective religion was saved, for Catholics - the sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ. This shows us how over and over God has saved us from suffering and will ultimately end the repetition of human suffering with the second coming of Jesus Christ. I think the concept of a merciful God is so prevalent in the sacred texts of the Abrahamic faith as a sign of hope that even the most horrible person can repent and seek forgiveness from God. All the Abrahamic faiths believe that God requires human beings to show mercy to others, to do good deeds such as helping others, and that He will reward those who have faith and do good in this world. However, some Christians differ over the importance of having faith vs. doing good works. They believe that human beings are only granted salvation by the grace of God and His mercy, not by virtue of good works. Nevertheless, God’s mercy towards the sinful nature of humans is a prominent and comforting theme in the Abrahamic religions. The smoke of burning incense is interpreted by both the Western Catholic and Eastern Christian churches as a symbol of the prayer of the faithful rising to heaven. Incense, in the form of pebbly grains or powder, is taken from what is called a "boat", and usually blessed with a prayer and spooned onto the coals. This ritual shows death almost as a celebration for the Catholic Church because the deceased is finally reaching eternal life, free of pain.
    - - Secular interpretation teaches us that we do not need God to be happy, rather, we can find happiness in material – earthly – things.
        Christianity and secular liberalism both hold the enhancement of human dignity to be one of society's key goals. However, what those two traditions each mean by "human dignity" is quite different. To understand what is happening in today's society, it is helpful to explore those different meanings. For the Christian, personal virtue is the foundation of the good society. Moral limits and responsibilities help to build virtue. For the secularist, what takes precedence is the personal liberty principle - each person has a right to do what does not harm others. The Christian believes we ought to be concerned with how our actions affect future generations and that self-denial and suffering can have moral, even redemptive, value. The secularist believes that progress consists in increasing material comfort. The Christian believes there can be too much comfort and that excessive emphasis on comfort weakens the soul and society.
    - - We are called to give a voice to the less fortunate and help the weak. In modern day, this can translate to fighting for equal rights for minorities, women, and homosexuals. We must realize that God created us all equal and that no one, regardless of colour, race, or gender deserves to be prejudiced.
        The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines "charity" as "the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God". And so, we are encouraged to give to the less fortunate and those struck by poverty. God calls us to distribute our wealth. Charity is a prominent theme in the Catholic Church which sets it aside from many other religions - this is in part due to the concept of receiving salvation through good acts.
  - - - In the Old Testament, Jews fall into a continuous pattern of sin resulting in suffering, then salvation from God and repeat. Therefore, many Jews feel as though they are being punished by God for being unfaithful. Judaism demands that man extend sympathy towards the suffering of others. So that it may be fixed. "The poor are God's people," and they exist, according to the Jewish faith, so that others may help others out of their poverty.
    - - The Christian doctrine of original sin is totally unacceptable to Jews. Jews believe that man enters the world free of sin, with a soul that is pure. Humans sin because he is not a perfect being, and not, as Christianity teaches, because he is inherently sinful.
    - - Sacred texts tell stories of how each respective religion was saved, for Jews - the exile from Egypt. This shows us how over and over God has saved us from suffering and will eventually send a Messiah to save us from the pain of human life. The traditional explanation of suffering is that it constitutes punishment for sin: "When a man sees that he is being chastised let him examine his ways" (Ber. 5a; Sanh. 27b). However, this doesn’t make sense when the innocent are persecuted and the wicked are rewarded. One way of coping with the moral imbalance in the world is the idea of reward and punishment in the afterlife: Heaven and hell.
        The rituals surrounding death in Judaism demonstrate extreme reverence for the deceased in many ways. In the Jewish culture, the body of someone who has died is not left alone until after burial, as a sign of respect. People called Shomerim - meaning "guards" or "keepers" - watch over the body. The body is also not physically altered through means of cremation, embalming, or removing organs or fluids. The funeral is also never open casket and friends and family are not permitted to see the body in such a vulnerable state that is death. These are all rituals to preserve the dignity of the dead in the Jewish religions.
    - - The three branches of Judaism have different rules about how much they conform to modern practices. For example:
        
        Conservative - Men and women sit together in the synagogue. Some women become rabbis. Does not recognize the Jewish legal validity of intermarriage but encourages acceptance of the non-Jewish spouse within the family, hoping that such acceptance will lead to the spouse's conversion to Judaism. Follows most but not all the commandments of the Torah, some dietary laws, and some traditions like the use of Hebrew and the order of prayers. Open to modern historical forms of study. Believes in repairing the world through social action.
        
        Reformed - Men and women sit together in the synagogue. Women are ordained as rabbis. They often work with non-Jews and the laws against marrying non-Jews is not practiced. Jews mix more frequently with the rest of society: enjoy freedoms with everyday life, work with non-Jews, and participate in intellectual life. They interpret scripture with more modern methods. They support secular morals but practice some elements of tradition as well. Individualism is strongly encouraged (everyone must decide for themselves what is important in their religious life). Also believe in repairing the world through social action.
        
        Orthodox - Men and women sit separately in the synagogue. Rabbis are only men. They believe Judaism can only be passed down to children by the mother. Some secular moral values are accepted but most follow the commandments of the Torah – strictly observing the Sabbath and other Jewish Holy days, dressing modestly, using Hebrew in the synagogue, and following dietary laws.
    - - During the Holocaust, 6 million Jews were killed in concentration camps in the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jewish race. The Jewish population of Europe was reduced from 9.5 million to 1.6 million in just 12 years. These tragedies obviously led to the religion of many Jews being shaken. Many Jews – even today - wonder if God was punishing them for not being faithful. This strengthens many Jews in the traditional idea that God is there for them during the good in the bad. Jews also consider every life sacred as it is from God and work to preserve life as a direct response to the Holocaust.
        Zionism is a movement for the purpose of creating a safe Jewish state in Israel. This idea of a safe place for Jews after the tragedies of the Holocaust was supported by many European countries that saw what the Jews had to go through. The Arabs that live in Palestine, however, feel that the Jews are trying to take away their land. This has led to conflict between Israel and Palestine and has divided the middle east to this day. We must educate ourselves on the perspectives of both sides. The Jews have been oppressed for thousands of years yet the Palestinians do not want to be kicked out of their home. Like we learned in Unit 1, starting with the new generations, we can educate people on the opposing sides so they can see that they are equal, and people just like them. By sharing personal stories between the two sides and further developing relationships between the two, peace can be encouraged to the new generations as youth are more open to new concepts and ideas.
- - - - Hanukah or “Festival of Lights” is an 8-day Jewish holiday in December commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (2nd temple). One light on the Menorah is lit each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. Historically, this practice comes from Old Testament scriptures: 1 Maccabees states: "For eight days they celebrated the rededication of the altar. Then Judah and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the rededication...should be observed...every year...for eight days” (1 Mac.4:56-59). Other activities during this holiday include playing dreidel (spinning top game) and eating latkes (potatoes pancakes). This promotes community like how Christmas promotes community for Christians. This holiday is all about bringing family together for a time of thankfulness. It brings Jews back to their roots and shows them how powerful God is for saving them from their suffering in the past.
    - - Jewish people have faced constant prejudice from other religions, even the two other Abrahamic religions. For example, the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Jewish people has led to many wars and many lives lost. The Jews feel as though they are entitled to the ‘Promised Land’ God gave them which is Palestine because of all the persecution they have faced in throughout the world. They wanted this land as a safe place to flee disaster, however those living in Palestine feel that they are being forced out of their home. For this reason, there is conflict between Muslims and Jews.
    - - From the Golden Rule of loving your fellow human being as yourself, one can infer “that which is hateful to you, do not do to others.” However, this concept doesn’t work if one does not care about their own dignity. One who accepts the view that all of mankind was made in the likeness of God must respect all people, regardless of how they feel about themself. Clearly, the importance of human dignity is linked to the belief that God created man. And so, the Jews believe that when you insult another person you have insulted his Creator, because man was created in the image of God. Jews also believe in using dialogue to work towards peace, even if they do believe only Jews are the chosen people.
  - - - Mawlid-al-Nabi is a Muslim Holy Day where the observance of the birthday of Muhammed is celebrated in Mosque gatherings. It is during the third month of the Islamic calendar: November 30 to December 1. Muslims fast during the day and say special prayers in preparation to eat a big meal. Rituals help shape and identify a religion as well as it can set it apart from other religions. Rituals help followers connect to their God in a personal way. Rituals confirm a commitment to living a God-honouring life and symbolize carrying out the covenant Allah asked of Muslims. Less specifically, rituals in general create a family-like sense of community where followers can help each other through trials and tribulations they may face due to their religion.
    - - Arguably the most well-known act of religious extremism is that of 9/11. This is an example of the extremist ideology as it was committed by an Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda against targets in the United States. Their mindset was to kill for their religion and that is using “violence with no regard for life” (see citation) which is an act of extremism. Because of this, Muslims face derogatory acts and are often labelled as terrorists. This is a horrible stereotype to stick on an entire culture. People must understand that every religion has extremism, not just Muslims and that it is incredibly inhumane to judge an easily targeted person, such as a Hijabi.
        Quotation taken from: https://hcdsb.elearningontario.ca//content/enforced/16268066-EL_SSH_HRT3ME20_993670_1920Sem1/LESSON_%20Approaches%20to%20Faith%20&%20Rules%20for%20Living%20Together.p df?_&d2lSessionVal=vHV9H9YDEO26FGQkbyq1FbWJq&ou=16268066
    - - The most explicit affirmation of human dignity in Islam is found in the Quran where God declares: “We have bestowed dignity on the children of Adam… and conferred upon them special favours above the greater part of Our creation.” (17:70).
        This verse is self-evident in its recognition of dignity for all human beings without qualification of any kind. All humans, including the prideful and the sinner, have dignity, nobility, and honour. Dignity cannot be made exclusive to any group or class of people according to the Islamic beliefs. And so, this principle allows Muslims to coexist and create meaningful human relationships with people of other religions and cultures.
  - - - “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (The Fellowship of the Believers, Acts of the Apostles 2:42–47). This passage connects the Catholic Social Teaching of Calling to Family, Community, and Participation because the believers, firstly, gave up all their possessions to those in need, and came together in community to worship in the temples, praise God at home, and thank Him for the food on the tables. They were also all involved equally and truly devoted to their cause. There are many examples of Jesus stressing the importance of solidarity and community throughout His time on earth. Christians can continue this tradition through rituals that can be associated with scripture. For example, the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the presence of Christ and symbolizes greater Christian unity. It is especially influential to the Christian religion because it is a practice that was ordered directly by Jesus and was done at the Last Supper. Once a person is baptized, confirmed, and receives the Eucharist, they are fully initiated into the Church. The Catholic Church calls the Mass or Eucharist the “fount and apex of the whole Christian life” Baptism is also significant to shaping the identity of a Catholic because, when you are baptized, the person receives a new identity and life in God. Baptism is about participating the ancient pattern of going through the waters of death and following Jesus into new Creation. As Catholics one way of remembering these important rituals marks the significance of the events they symbolize: Christmas, birth of Jesus; Easter, death and resurrection of Jesus etc. And so, they honour our commitment to Him. Rituals help us connect to God in a personal way. By participating, we are affirming ourselves to God’s great act of saving and reshaping the world in the image of Jesus Christ. Rituals confirm our commitment to living a God-honouring life (Baptism). Through Baptism we are devoting ourselves to spreading the Gospel and sharing the Good News and therefore fulfilling what God has asked us to do.
    - - The Catholic Church has put great emphasis recently on the importance of respecting other cultures and religions in order to work towards greater world peace. Traditionally, Christians would blame Jews for the death of Jesus Christ, but after all the tragedies the Jewish people have been put through, the Catholic Church has addressed that God wants us to treat all people as equals and show love to others as we would show Him.
    - - Rituals and liturgy symbolize something Jesus said or did and so it honours our commitment to Him. Liturgy is an especially powerful way to connect with God as Jesus is very present. By participating in liturgy, Catholics are affirming themselves to God’s great act of saving and reshaping the world in the image of Jesus Christ. Not only this, but Catholics believe that through liturgy and rituals we can celebrate our love for our Saviour. More specifically relating to morality, rituals can also cleanse us of our sins (confessionals) and confirm our commitment to living a God-honouring life (Baptism). Being active in a community of those who believe in the same foundational morals as you can influence you greatly. The biblical tradition sees the human person as created in God's image and likeness. The person is a being defined by his or her relationships with God and others and who has the capacity for eternal life. These different understandings of the person lead to different understandings of society and how it is best organized. For the Christian, society is organized around a belief in a loving God who has revealed the natural order of his creation to us; marriage is a covenant and a child is a welcome gift who enhances that covenant; a society can only be strong if its families are strong; society is more important than the state; solidarity with the poor and outcast is essential - while solidarity is best exercised through voluntary acts of charity, the state also has a role in protecting the common good; personal virtue is the foundation of the good society.