What is the Catholic Christian Worldview?

[CarlCahill]

Hello!

My name is Carl, and I’m a student at a small Christian college. For one of my courses we are instructed to ask individuals of differing belief systems for answers to the following questions and write a paper comparing and contrasting those answers. I am looking for Catholic Answers (see what I did there?) to these questions, and would appreciate anyone who takes the time for a complete response. Thank you!

What is prime reality? (By this I mean, what is the final, uncreated, self-existent reality? An atheist would say the material universe, I would say God)

What is the nature of external reality? (Is the world around us just matter, or are there supernatural aspects to it?)

What is a human being? (For instance, is a human being just an intelligent animal or something more?)

What happens to a person at death?

Why is it possible to know anything at all?

How do we know what is right and wrong?

What is the meaning of human history? (Is there a meaning, point, or goal to the whole of human history?)

What personal, life orienting core commitments do you have because of your answers to the questions I have asked you?

 

[Gabika50]

To answer the question what is the Catholci World View? I would say that we alll be reasonbly happpy in this life so we can be supremely happy in the next.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I’m not sure how to answer your questions (and they are good questions!), but if you want the long answer short: Jesus died for your sins.

 

[CRM_Brother]

Hello Carl,

I’ll take a crack at your questions. Just as a side note whenever I speak about ‘Man’ or ‘him’ I am speaking collectively and women are included in these generalizations.

What is prime reality? (By this I mean, what is the final, uncreated, self-existent reality? An atheist would say the material universe, I would say God)

At it’s very core… God. This is not to say, however that everything is a part of God. Instead, Catholics believe that God causes everything to exists and sustains that existence through the continuous act creation.

What is the nature of external reality? (Is the world around us just matter, or are there supernatural aspects to it?)

Outside of God Himself, external reality is two-fold: a physical world/realm/reality and a spiritual one. The physical reality is subordinal (subordinate) to the higher spiritual one. Physical reality is governed by concrete observable laws but these laws always give way before the higher laws of the spiritual world. For example, justice is a law of the physical world. If x is done, y is the result. Mercy, is a law of the spiritual world. If x is done and spiritual mercy is applied, the ultimate consequences of y are absolved.

For Catholics, the spiritual world is just as natural as the physical world and is, in fact, an integral part of creation. There is nothing truly ‘supernatural’, however there are instances of purely spiritual acts abrogating the laws of the physical world (angels, demons, miracles, etc.)

What is a human being? (For instance, is a human being just an intelligent animal or something more?)

A human being is a composite of body and soul which are integrally united. There is no human soul which does not possess a body, nor a human body without a soul. Even in death, the soul retains this union. This is why we will receive glorified bodies after the Resurrection.

That is what human beings are, what we are composed of. Who we are is a different answer.

Humans are made in the Image and Likeness of God, which is Jesus Christ. We are utterly unique. All of creation is made in the Image of God, that is, in its very act of existing it reflect’s God’s existence. Our likeness, however means that we are made to be like God. At the very core of our essence is the Likeness of Christ and any attempt to truly conform ourselves to who we truly are will be an attempt to conform ourselves to Christ.

(continued on next post)

 

[CRM_Brother]

What happens to a person at death?

Catholics believe in something called ‘personal judgement’. When we die, we are immediately judged. If we have repented of our sins before our deaths, we are granted mercy and are destined for Heaven. If not, then we are destined for Hell. If we are indeed destined for Heaven, this does not mean that we immediately go to Heaven. Although we have been forgiven our sins, those sins have done harm to our souls. We believe that penitential actions and good deeds done on earth can help heal ourselves of this damage to our souls through the grace God gives to us. This is continued after death in Purgatory. Man strives to purify his soul so that they can be as God intended them to be when they enter into the Beatific Vision in Heaven.

Why is it possible to know anything at all?

True knowledge of a thing (not facts, but actual knowledge about the nature of a thing) is known through the Image of God which lies at the heart of our being. In knowing something, we recognize the Image of God within that thing and to what degree it conforms to God. As such, by studying the world around us (physical and spiritual) we can come to knowledge about both the things themselves and God Himself.

How do we know what is right and wrong?

Again, we know this through the conformity of the action to what we know about God. Good is the revelation of the presence of God in the world and evil is His absence.

What is the meaning of human history? (Is there a meaning, point, or goal to the whole of human history?)

Human history is the story of Man’s relationship with God. Through it, you can follow the hand of the Holy Spirit working within the world. It is the record of Creation in time. It’s primary purpose is to provide opportunity for man to choose God, to exercise his free will.

What personal, life orienting core commitments do you have because of your answers to the questions I have asked you?

Because of my recognition that conformity to Christ is ultimately the goal for my life, I professed vows of Chastity, Poverty, Obedience and not to seek honors for myself upon entering a religious order. I seek to conform the entirety of my life to Christ and, through that conformity, pour out myself in service to the Church and my fellow man through my ministry. I seek not to live for myself, but to live for our Friend, Jesus Christ.

God Bless,
Br. Ben, CRM