What is religion?

...from basic catechism:

Acknowledging God by faith in Him and believing everything He has told the human race.
Loving God with a wholehearted love.
Glorifying God by doing His will as Christ taught us by His words and example.

"But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves." (James 1:22 NRSV).

"The sad fact is that many people today pay little or no attention to God, while others are persuaded that God is distant, indifferent, and altogether absent. That is because modern life is man-centered, not God-centered." [Basic Teachings, Catholic Bishops, par.2]

Examination of Conscience

(for college students)

(In Light Of Catholic Social Teaching)

Apostles' Creed

1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

2. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.

3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

5. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.

6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,

9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

10. the forgiveness of sins,

11. the resurrection of the body,

12. and life everlasting.

Amen.

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper

Free Faith Formation Courses

Understanding the importance of the Virgin Mary from a Catholic perspective.

Whether you're spiritual but not religious, not religious, Protestant, Evangelical, not attending Mass regularly or proud to be Catholic, you'll find valuable resources at Catholics Come Home.

Discover the legislative changes that have slowly resulted in our Federal Government prohibiting the rights of individuals and states.

For example, in 1947, Everson vs. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled,

"The First Amendment has erected a wall of separation between Church and State, that wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breech."

"...a wall of separation between Church and State" was never stated or implied in the First Amendment of our Constitution's Bill of Rights. Therefore, our Federal government does not have an inherent right to determine any presence or abscense, height, length or depth, of any "wall of separation" between Church and state, except perhaps as related to the preservation of the Union.

Rather,

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;".

However, for the first time in American history, in order to preserve the Union, Federal government overrode the legislative authorit y of the State government (southern states) after the Civil War. As Tim discusses, our Federal government did this because 'the 13th Amendment was not sufficient to prohibit southern states from passing laws that denied emancipated slaves certain rights, including property ownership.' Thus, the 14th Amendment was passed, stating

"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

In Tim's DVD, you'll go on to discover how "wall of separation" reasoning eventually led to Roberts vs. Madigan in 1990, where the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional for a classroom library to contain books that deal with Christianity, or for a teacher to carry a personal copy of the Bible to school.

Tim's DVD demonstrates how several minor “battles” over the last 65 years have led to us to where we are now….in a full-fledged war between two very different schools of thought concerning what society says is right…or wrong. It’s a vivid look at what America used to be like – and how dramatically we have changed.

The good news is that we can turn this situation around. We can regain lost ground. We can win the battle for our culture.

After watching Catholics and the Culture War, you will have a much clearer grasp of precisely what has gone wrong in American society, how we have been betrayed by our institutions of government, and how we can draw strength from our own Christian past to overcome today’s challenges.

Learn more about Salvation History