Christian Beliefs and Practices

People have their own beliefs and values and it is brought about by the different teachings they have learned from their spiritual leaders. There are many religions that have emerged and all of them have one single denominator which is faith. It has been said that the largest religion present in the world today is Christianity. This religion is based on the scriptures written in a sacred book which they call Bible. It contains the life and the different teachings of Jesus Christ as stated in the New Testament. Those who are part of this religion are called Christians. Christians deeply believe that Jesus is the son of God and he was sent by God to become the savior of humanity. He played a major role in the lives of the Christians. He sacrificed his life to save the people from their sins which led to his crucifixion and death. Jesus was then resurrected from the dead on the third day and opened the gates of heaven for those who live by him. His body was never found in his tomb and was believed to have ascended to heaven. It is also believed, that Jesus will return on what others call judgment day. Christians also believe that the ancestors of man had committed a great sin which was passed to their next generations and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was a form of reconciliation to God. These are the foundations of the Christian religion and these accounts are accepted by the believers as true. They consider the cross as a holy symbol which somehow has different interpretations by the Christian community but whatever their interpretations are; they still have one common denominator, love for Jesus.  The Christians are guided by the messages of Jesus Christ which is reflected in the Bible known to them as Gospels. They believe that these Gospels should be applied to their lives so that they will be able to live up to what God wants for them and have eternal life when the so called judgment day arrives.

For Christians, their day of thanksgiving and worship is the seventh day of the week which is Sunday. For them, this is the day that God rested after he had created the world and the universe. They set aside all the other things that they have been doing for the entire week and gather on churches, listening to Gospels. They also receive God through their Holy Communion which is somewhat a re-enactment of the Last Supper. They receive the bread and wine which becomes the body and blood of Christ after the consecration. Christians communicate with God through their prayers and hymns. The Christians also incorporates in their practice the Seven Sacraments. Each child should be baptized with holy water which serves as an initiation to the religion. They also submit themselves for confession which is repentance of the sins committed. Other sacraments include Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Communion, Holy Orders and Matrimony. Some Christians based their worship on the Liturgical Calendar which comprises Ordinary Time, Lent, Easter and Advent. Christians also believe in the Holy Trinity which comprises The Father who is God, The Son who is Jesus and The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is represented by a dove which symbolizes peace and reconciliation. It is an important symbol in Christianity because it serves as a guide to the members of the religion.

The Christians believe in the existence of heaven and hell. Those who do good things and live their lives through the Gospels are welcomed in the gates of heaven and those who commit evil are burned in hell. They also believe that God has great love for humanity. He has provided humans with their needs and is righteous in making judgments. This has greatly affected the culture of many individuals. This provided them with many positive outlooks in life and had gained a lot from their beliefs. They are able to teach their children with the right things and stay away from those bad ones to be accepted in heaven. The beliefs somehow provide hope to those who suffer and who are lost in the tracks of life.

Christmas as a True Christian Celebration

We all know that Christianity was founded based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, as written or presented in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. The central Christian belief is that Jesus is the son of God and that his sacrificial or selfless death and his resurrection will lead to the salvation of mankind and the redemption from their sins. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah, or savior of the people, who would fulfill the prophecies as stated in the Old Testament.

Christianity has branched out into different forms, groups, and denominations, with its three primary divisions being Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and the Orthodox Church. However, the beliefs and practices of all adherents center around their faith in Jesus Christ. Most denominations consider Jesus as the model of a virtuous man. As such, one common ground is the yearly commemoration of Jesus’ birth, which we all refer to as Christmas. In fact, in many areas of the world, Christmas is considered as the most festive and the most religiously significant time of the year.

The Christmas season is celebrated all throughout the Christian population, but it is also celebrated by a lot of non-Christians as a cultural festival. And because gift-giving, putting up Christmas decorations, feasts and parties, and many other aspects of the holiday encourage heightened economic activity among Christians and non-Christians alike, Christmas has become a major event for businesses or for retailers. In other words, Christmas has evolved to become more of a commercial event, rather than an exclusive Christian holiday commemorating the nativity of Jesus.

In the truest Christian sense, the story of the birth the Child Jesus is based on accounts written in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke, both found in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. According to these biblical accounts, Jesus Christ was born to Mary, with the assistance of her husband Joseph, in Bethlehem. Popular tradition says that the birth took place in a deserted stable and the baby Jesus was placed in a manger because inns no longer had a room for them. Shepherds tending to their flocks in fields around Bethlehem learned of the birth of the Messiah through the angels and were the first to see the newborn Christ.

Different groups have established different ways of celebrating Christmas and the period leading to it.

The Western Church, for instance, celebrates Advent, which is the liturgical period before Christmas. This period begins four Sundays before December 25 or Christmas Day. Advent is observed by Christians as a period of fasting, prayer, and penitence. Historically, Advent’s main sanctuary color is purple, which is the color associated with penitence and fasting, as well as the color of royalty as used to welcome the Advent of the King.  The Catholic Church still uses purple, which is also the color that represents Christ’s suffering and is the main color used during Lent and Holy Week. The use of purples, therefore, points to a significant connection between the birth of Christ and his death. The Catholic Church believes that the nativity and the incarnation of Jesus cannot be separated from Jesus’ crucifixion.

The Eastern Orthodox Church, on the other hand, practices the “Nativity Fast” in preparation of Christ’s birth. Orthodox Christians enter  the Nativity or Christmas Fast 40 days before the feast of the Lord’s birth in order to purify the soul and body and therefore, to be able to enter  and partake of the spiritual reality of the coming of Christ. This fasting period, however, does not constitute the intense liturgical period characteristic of Lent, instead this is more of an “ascetical” nature. Within this 40-day preparation period, the theme of the Nativity gets introduced little by little in the church services and liturgical commemorations.

Other Christian denominations also celebrate Christmas in their own respective ways. For some, children perform plays that re-tell the events of the Nativity, or they sing carols and jingles that are relevant to the season. Other Christians display re-creations of the Nativity, known as the Nativity scene, in their homes with the use of figurines portraying the main characters. There are also live performances of the Nativity scene using actors and live animals to portray the event realistically.