CHRISTIANITY WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY Christianity is a religion

CHRISTIANITY

WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY • Christianity is a religion based upon the teachings and miracles of “JESUS”. Christianity teaches that there is only one God in all existence, that God made the Universe , the Earth and created Adam and Eve.

Who is a Christian ? ? A Christian is a follower of Christ; one who professes belief in Jesus as the Christ and follows his teachings.

What do they believe? ? • All Christians believe in 3 things: v. There is only one God. v. God touched this planet 2000 years ago in JESUS. v. That matters!!!

Origin of Christianity Ø Christianity developed out of Judaism in the first century. Ø It is based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ø The three major Christian denominations are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism, with numerous subcategories within each of these branches

Ø Until the latter part of the 20 th century, most adherents of Christianity where in the west, though it has spread to every continent and is now the largest religion in the world. Ø Traditional Christian beliefs include the belief in the one and only true God, who is one being and exists as Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit, and the belief that Jesus is the divine and human MESSIAH sent to save the World. Ø The sacred text of Christianity is The Bible including both the Hebrew scriptures (also known as the Old Testament) and the New Testament.

Graph showing world religious percentage.

Ø Central to Christian practice is the gathering at churches for worship, fellowship and study and engagement with the world through evangelism and social action. http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=p. Kr 2 G 5 f. Ydi 8

CHRISTIAN RITUALS AND CEREMONIES • There are mamy rituals and ceremonies in Christianity. Some of them are: ü Baptism ü Eucharist [first holy communion] ü Marriage ü Anointing of the sick ü Funeral rites.

Christian attitude towards death “ I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, through he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this ? ” John 11: 25 -26

Since death is both natural, unnatural, and supernatural, we should have three corresponding attitudes toward it: Ø Since it is natural, we honestly confront it and accept it as a fact of our being, instead of avoiding it by endless diversions of our attention or, by living in denial, pretending it is not there. Ø Since it is also unnatural, the inescapable punishment for sin, we hate it and fight it as our enemy, “the last enemy” (1 Cor 15: 26).

Ø Finally, since it is also supernatural, transformed by Christ’s Resurrection, they welcome it. Ø They believe that death comes as God’s golden chariot sent to fetch his Cinderella bride from the cinders of this dying world to his golden castle to live with him in eternal ecstasy.

ATTITUDE OF THE DYING PERSON ABOUT BEFORE & AFTER DEATH Ø The dying person commonly get more attached with God during his last days. Ø He will confess with God by remembering all his sins. Ø Sometimes he/ she get feared of punishment from God for sins they did. Ø But, as Christians believes in forgivenes of sins from God, he/she dream of a place near to God in Heaven. Ø They believe that the soul will rest in peace with God.

ATTITUDE OF LOVED ONES v Whenever a Christian faces death as a personal prospect, because of sickness, old age, or some external threat, both the individual and others concerned have some specific religious responsibilities. Central among these is the timely reception of the sacraments-penance, if necessary, Holy Communion , and Anointing v Anointing is the healing ritual by applying oil as a sign of sanctification (to make holy)

ATTITUDE TOWARDS TELLING CHILDREN ABOUT DEATH • How much kids can understand about death depends largely on their age, life experiences, and personality. • Be honest with kids and encourage questions. • By talking to children we may discover what they know and do not know. • If they have misconceptions, fears, or worries; we can help them by providing needed information, comfort, and understanding.

• trying to be sensitive to their desire to communicate when they’re ready • trying not to put up barriers that may inhibit their attempts to communicate • offering them honest explanations when we are obviously upset • listening to and accepting their feelings • not putting off their questions by telling them they are too young • trying to find brief and simple answers that are appropriate to their questions; answers that they can understand that do not overwhelm them with too many words.

EXPECTED DIFFERENCES IN REACTIONS DUE TO AGE & GENDER Ø Babies and children are not properly aware of the death. Ø Primary school children are still learning to understand death and can have some confused thoughts about death. Ø By adolescence, death is accepted as a part of life, but it may not have affected a teenager personally yet. Ø As age advances people accept the reality that its Gods plan to leave the body and return the soul to him.

Men and women grieve and mourn their loved ones differently. v. Men are said to be stoic, strong, tough, aloof, silent, tearless and on the whole incapable of expressing emotion. v. Women are characterized as nurturing, emotional, weepy, panicky, swooning, and possessed by a need to share their grief through talking, writing, and hugging.

Preparation of Body In Christianity, the body preparation can be done at home or hospital according to the place where death happens. Instructions • Rinse and wash the body with a germicidal soap to remove any bacteria and parasites. • Replace the blood with embalming fluid. An embalming machine does this. This helps to preserve the body and the tissues.

• Use cotton and even wax to reshape any bodies. Depending on how the person died, they may need a great deal of assistance to cover or repair any damage to the body. • Apply cosmetics to the body's, face, and hands or anything not covered by clothes. • Dress the body in the clothes provided by the family. Family may also provide jewelry such as wedding ring, wedding sari, that they want included with the body. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=NC 8 FWFM 6 Cp w

Death Ceremony Ø The parish bell rang for long time to announce the death to the community. Ø They can keep the body for the arrival of their loved ones from far distance. Ø The priest, well wishers, relatives and neighbours come to the dead person’s house and offer their prayers for the peace of the soul. Ø The corpse is placed in the west east direction. The face should be faced eastwards. Ø The candles are lit up on the sides of the cot or where the dead person is placed. Ø A service is conducted in the house and as a part, a lyric or hymn is sung.

Ø Then the corpse is taken to the cemetery after finishing the funeral prayers at Church. Ø The coffin is placed in the graveyard another funeral service is conducted. Ø Then the coffin is closed and lowered in the grave. Ø After a prayer, the priest puts three handfuls of soil or flower in the grave and says that the soul of this person has departed and that they commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust in sure and certain hope of the resurrection in the last day.

Ø Following him, everybody puts flowers or soil in the grave. After filling the grave they put a cross on it and light up the candles and depart from there. Ø after the burial the family members of the dead person stand at the church in a row and the others console them by embracing and kissing their cheek. This ritual is done to reveal their sorrow. This is a video about how funeral happens in our culture. http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=FBvoi. G 8 b 1 c. I

AFTERLIFE & FUNERAL • The majority of Christian believers go upon dying in order to enjoy the presence of god as well as other believers. • The Bible teaches that heaven is an actual place, life there will have some continuity with life in the present world • Many Christians also believe that the Bible teaches the existence of hell as a place of judgment and punishment

• Roman Catholics believe in purgatory , which is a temporary place of punishments for Christians who have died with unconfessed sin. • The catechism of the catholic church states all who die in gods grace and friendship , but still imperfectly purified are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification. so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ii. S 11 -BQjvk

ATTITUDE TOWARDS CAREGIVERS In Christianity Care givers are considered as Gods own Angels. • They are the one who can heal the dying persons inner wounds. • They can understand the family feelings easily and strengthen them.

Christian Funeral in North America • Historically the US has been a majority Christian nation and burial has been by far the most common form of deposition. • But today more Americans get cremated than burial, they found that it is eco friendly(green cremations) and low expensive than burial. • The cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same aspect given to the human body from which they come.

• The cremation would take place at some time after the funeral mass , so that there can be an opportunity for the vigil for the Deceased in the presence of the body. • Funeral homes offer several options in this case. one is the use of cremation casket and another is a complete casket that is cremated. • The cremated remains should be buried in grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium

This is a video about 10 unusual burial found in the world. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Rx. BDIs. U 3 w. Ag