The theological bases for approaching followers of other religions with respect and esteem are found dispersed throughout the various documents of the Second Vatican Council. For example:
God wills the salvation of all.
The whole human race is united in its origin and destiny.
God is active in the hearts of human beings, drawing them to God’s self.
God is active in the different religious rites which give corporate expression to the human response to God.
Human beings have been created with free will and must respond freely to God according to the dictates of their conscience, while always searching for the truth.
These teachings form the basis for interreligious/interfaith dialogue founded on mutual…

Many people ask their family and friends to pray for them during difficult times. Catholics believe that Mary will pray for us, too, if we ask. In the Hail Mary prayer, when we say, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death,” we are asking Mary to intercede for us not just throughout our lives but also at the time of our death. The deathbed prayers are important because that’s our last chance to make our peace with God in this life. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Death is the end of man’s earthly pilgrimage, of the time of grace and mercy which God offers him so as to work out his earthly life in keeping with the divine plan, and to decide his ultimate destiny.”…

There are a number of ways to answer this extremely difficult question. First, the Church will never say it is OK to “aim at the death” of either your wife our your prenatal child — both are always going to be wrong. Life is of irreducible value and it is never acceptable to choose that an innocent person should die in order to bring about some other thing — even the very good thing of saving the life of someone else. This is the “Peaceable Kingdom” of non-violence into which Jesus calls all of his followers.
However, there may be times where one can choose to save one person while also “foreseeing but not intending” that one will therefore not be able to save someone…

The goals of the work for Christian unity (ecumenism) and interfaith dialogue are different. The goal of interfaith dialogue is not unity in faith and worship as is the goal with other Christians, but mutual understanding and respect, and mutual enrichment enabling us all to respond more fully to God’s call. It includes collaboration wherever possible in response to the societal problems we commonly face. For this reason, the purpose of theological dialogue will not be to prove that one side is right and the other is wrong, but rather to explore respective positions in order to understand them better. When this is done, many prejudices, built on half-truths, will fall by the wayside.…

I’m tempted to ask whether you mean for God or for us?
God hears all prayers and the intention of simply praying is enough for those prayers to be brought to God. The use of the word “heard” however, describes God as a type of divine “Santa Claus”.
Prayer is simply communication with God. However, prayer doesn’t change God…prayer is meant to change US. Our communication with God isn’t some kind of divine wish list, instead it is an opportunity to grow closer with God, to understand where God might be working in our lives and what God might be asking of us.
Prayer is also a reminder for us. That reminder is that we are not in control and so, we stand before God in awe of what…

The Bible doesn’t give any indication that he did know who they were. In the Gospel of Matthew (2:1-18) , the magi bring news of the newborn king to Jerusalem. When King Herod hears of this he is troubled and asks his chief priests and scribes where the new king is to be born. This eventually causes Herod to order the massacre of all baby boys in and around Bethlehem. (Jesus, of course, has already been taken to Egypt by Mary and Joseph, who keep him there until after Herod has died.) But nowhere in the Gospel does it indicate that Herod knew which family and which baby he was targeting.…

Question: The new ban on large sugary drinks in New York City has me wondering, was I indulging in gluttony each time I had a 20 oz. soda? Was that a sin?
Like the answer to many questions about ethics, “it depends.” Is the drinking of the soda helping or hurting your living a flourishing life? Not all drinking of such soda is bad, but if it is hurting your health and your state of mind, then it is probably a bad idea to be drinking it. It is only “gluttony” if you are caught in a vicious cycle of addiction to this and other kinds of sugar and/or caffeine. If drinking such sodas are part of your life such that you find difficult to stop, then chances are you are caught in a gluttonous cycle and need to get…

The habit worn by members of religious orders is a symbol of poverty and uniformity: poverty embraced by vow and endured by necessity requires simple dress, and uniformity makes religious men and women instantly recognizable witnesses to the gospel. But after the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, many religious communities made the habit optional, limited its use, or stopped wearing it altogether. This reflected the signs of the times. Traditional habits, modeled on the dress of the medieval poor, no longer have any connection to the garb of poverty in the 21st century. And in some settings outward identification makes members of religious orders less approachable, thus hindering rather than furthering…

No. The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus Christ is the one savior of the world.
You will sometimes hear people say that Catholics believe that Mary is the “co-redemptrix.” There is a lot of misinformation around that, so here’s a quick explanation.
Over the last several years, many Catholics around the world have signed petitions urging the Pope to make a dogmatic declaration that Mary is the “co-redemptrix.” They feel that this title will emphasize the unique and irreplaceable role that Mary played in the salvation of the world: namely, conceiving, giving birth to, and supporting Jesus in his mission. They do clarify (correctly) that she is subordinate to her Son, and that Jesus is the one and only…

In the world of biblical studies, there is no degree or certificate conferring “official” status as a biblical translator. Rather, scholars with higher degrees — generally PhDs — in scriptural studies or biblical languages work individually and in groups translating the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek. Generally, scholars are better versed in one language or the other, one Testament of the other. (The Old Testament was written almost entirely in Hebrew, the New in Greek.) On the rare occasions when a biblical committee calls for a new translation of the Bible or a revision of a translation, the committee invites well-respected academics to collaborate in the translation. To give…

The Missouri Synod’s website identifies three main areas of difference between the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA):
1.The doctrine and authority of Scripture — The LCMS believes that the Bible is without error in all that it says. The ELCA avoids making such statements, holding that Scripture is not necessarily always accurate on such matters as history and science. Differences between the LCMS and the ELCA on the authority of Scripture also help to explain why the LCMS does not ordain women (based on 1 Corinthians 14:33-36, 1 Timothy 2:11-14), sees homosexual behavior as contrary to God’s will (Romans 1:18-28, 1 Corinthians 6:9), and…

Not necessarily. I actually faced this issue myself when tree roots damaged my sewer line. I considered removing the very large tree from the front of my house and replacing it with a smaller one. However, my plumbers were able to secure the line and remove the roots and seal the new pipe avoiding the need to remove the tree.
One option to consider is what are your priorities? Is the destruction of your house which keeps your family sheltered worth a single tree? How about the idea of removing a tree without considering other options simply because it has done some damage to your property that might warrant a simple fix?
Tress often help protect homes by shading roofs from the sun and obviously are good for the environment.…

The Bible offers us very little information about the Flight into Egypt. The Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:13 -23) explains how Joseph had a dream in which an angel told him to take his family and flee to Egypt in order to escape Herod’s murderous plans. Joseph did as directed, and the family stayed in Egypt until it was safe to return to Palestine. But the Gospels tell us nothing about where exactly the Holy Family settled, or how they were treated by the locals.
That said, there are fascinating legends about the Holy Family’s journeys throughout Egypt. Many of these come from apocrphycal writings, as well as from Coptic and Muslim traditions. One such legend says that the Holy Family was attacked by robbers shortly…

There aren’t any stories in scripture of Jesus fighting with his disciples, per se, but there are certainly examples of Jesus being exasperated, indignant, and disappointed with his friends/followers, for example Mark 10:14. There are times when Jesus told parables or tried to make a point but the disciples didn’t understand and he expressed impatience with them. Once he overheard the disciples arguing about who was the greatest among them, which he found maddening (Matthew 18:1-7). Another time, Peter tried to insist that Jesus shouldn’t have to suffer and die, and Jesus retorted, “Get behind me, Satan. For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Mark 8:33).
Maybe you…

There are some significant differences in the membership of the Lutheran Church. Three of the different denominations that consider themselves Lutheran include:
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)  
Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod (LCMS)
and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
According to the Handbook of Denominations in the United States (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010), here are some facts and figures:
 
The ELCA has 4.7 million members in 10,400 congregations. “The ELCA promotes the Lutheran theological and liturgical tradition while allowing greater freedom for laity and clergy to address contemporary social and intellectual concerns than most other…

Question: I Know its a touchy subject but I was always taught that people who committed suicide would go to hell. I read a article that said the churches got together and literally started saying this to keep people from killing themselves because their lives were poor, ect and thought they could just kill themselves and go to heaven to be in a better place. Does this make sense? So is this teaching untrue?
The Church’s teaching is ever evolving with new discoveries and her teaching on suicide is no different.
In today’s times, we know much more about mental illness than ever before. We now know that anyone who commits suicide is not in control over their own actions. For something to be sinful, by definition,…

Parthenos is a Greek word meaning “virgin.” It relates to Mary because the evangelist Matthew, in describing Mary’s miraculous pregnancy, says, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.’” (Matthew 1:22-23) The quotation that Matthew references here is from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, 7:14.
In the original Hebrew, Isaiah uses the word “almah,” which means a young woman of marriageable age. When the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew to Greek approximately two hundred years before Christ, the word “almah” was rendered as “parthenos” (virgin). This…

Lending money to family members can be very tricky. It may help to remember that money comes and goes, but she will always be your sister. Even if you don’t have the greatest relationship, or if she doesn’t always make the best choices, sisterhood is something that money can’t buy. Rather than demanding anything, talk frankly with your sister. Give her the benefit of the doubt — say that you know things have been tight, but you noticed her cute shoes and wondered if the sale was still on. (A sense of humor always helps.) Then remind her that you’re expecting her to pay you back at the time you agreed upon. You may think twice if she asks to borrow money again in the future. Alternately, if you’re really concerned…

Question:
As a baptized Roman Catholic who is now a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, can I still receive communion in the Catholic Church without disrespecting the Church’s policy?
The sensitivity you express in the phrase “without disrespecting the (Catholic) Church’s policy” is admirable. As you have witnessed, the various denominations do have different policies. Why? Because they attach different significance/meanings to receiving Holy Communion.
For example, for Catholics as well as for Eastern Orthodox, sharing in the one bread and cup is an expression of unity in faith, worship, mission, and governance. For most Protestants, sharing the Eucharist with…

Question: Why do we pray to saints? Should we really? Is it in the Bible somewhere? Lol When I was little my Mom would tell me to pray to Mary, God was busy she said, lol.
Have you ever had a friend who you asked to pray for you? That’s exactly the same thing that you’re doing when you ask a saint to pray for you. The big difference is that saints are people who the church has ample evidence that they are conclusively in heaven with God. So we ask for what we call their intercession. Intercession means that we ask them to be the “middle person” between us and God. They bring our prayers to God and ask God to receive these prayers and to grant our requests. Because we believe that saints are indeed closer…