Monday, March 18, 2013

Stephanie Principal: In Our Age



“The Nostra Aetate” describes how each and every one of us has a bond which draws us closer to each other day by day. Therefore the Catholic Church decided to analyze its relations with other churches. It examines what human have in common and what makes them want to have a relation. First of all, all people form one community since we were all created in the image of God and that we all have one destiny which is God himself. His foreseeing care, his goodness and saving design is open to all humankind. People usually asks question about what is humanity? What is considered goodness? What is considered sin? What happens after death?
We always see in different peoples a perception of this hidden force that is present in every aspect of human life. This perception and this recognition enter their life in a religious way. Some religions related to advanced cultures are trying to answer the same questions through a more developed language. Hinduism goes deep into philosophy and looks for the causes of our anguish then seek liberation. Liberation is often practiced by meditation or other ascetical practices or again uses God as a refugee with love and confidence. In Buddhism they seek illumination, end suffering and find enlightenment weather it is alone or by a higher power.  Other religions try to introduce themselves in a more diverse way.
The Catholic Church takes in and doesn’t reject anything that is not true or holy in these religions. Nevertheless she announces and continues to do so that Christ is the way, the truth and life in which human has to find plenitude in the religious life and in which God has to adjust all things to him. She is hoping that with prudence and charity that all people through dialogue and in collaboration with other religions will preserve and promote the good things, the spiritual values, and morals and socio-cultural that are within them.
The church also looks at the Muslims who worship and adore the one and unique God, the merciful and powerful who created heaven and earth and who talked to the human. Even though they do not recognize Jesus as God but as a prophet, they honored and respect his mother, the virgin Marie. They are waiting for judgment day where God will reward all of us after waking up from the dead. They praise God through prayers, almsgiving and fasting.
The council reminds us of how the people of the New Testament are linked to Abraham. The church of Christ acknowledges that the beginnings of her faith and her election are found within the patriarchs, Moses and the prophets. She confesses that all the faithful ones are included in this patriarch and that the church is mysteriously previewed by the chosen people when they were living the land of bondage. That is the reason why the church can’t forget that she receives the New Testament from these people with whom God concluded the Old Testament. The Church believes that Christ reconcile the Jews and Gentiles as one.
It also states that even though the ones that called for Jesus death included Jews we cannot call in guilty every single Jewish people. Nor can you still blame Jewish people today since they aren’t the same people. We should indiscriminate the charge of Jewish Deicide or killer charge for The Jews are not accursed by god and they do not deserve a life of suffering.  Anti-Semitism should be avoided at all times and should not be used against Jews or anyone else.
Finally, all men are created equal, and all men are created under the image of God. We should love our neighbor as we love ourselves because this is how we show love to our God for he cannot be seen nor touched. We shouldn’t discriminate against anyone because of their color, race or religion.

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