The nature of humanity
Soul
The Catholic Church teaches that:
- when the physical body dies, a non-physical part of the person known as the The spiritual part of a human being. It is believed by many that the soul is eternal. continues to live on
- the soul is God-given and that it is immortal
- only humans have souls and this is what makes people unique and special and different to all other life forms
The soul is sometimes described as the spiritual element of humans. Jeremiah 1:5 explains that the soul was part of humans before they were even created, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.
It is the soul that will go onto the afterlife, ie A place, or a state of mind, associated with God and the afterlife., A place or state of torment and punishment for those who have done wrong. or Purely Catholic belief. Where the soul goes to be cleansed of sin before going to Heaven..
The soul and body are united together to form one being. However, the difference is that:
- the body is Being subject to death.
- the soul is immortal
When the body dies, the belief is that the soul will leave the body and return to be reunited with God at the final resurrection.
Question
What does the Catholic Church teach about the soul?
The Catholic Church teaches that the soul is immortal and the part of humans that will live on after death. The soul is God-given and is unique to humans. The belief is that the soul is given from God before birth and aims to return to Him at the end of time. The soul makes humans different from other living beings and is often described as the spiritual part of the body.
Morality
The Catholic Church teaches that as all human beings are made in the image and likeness of God, humans therefore have a duty to act and live moral lives. This refers to the idea of having a sense of right and wrong. It is, again, only humans who have these morals, and this is what separates people from other creatures. The Catholic Church teaches that God made the universe morally good from the beginning.
The Catholic Church teaches that as Catholics share in God鈥檚 image, they should:
- live according to God鈥檚 plan and design, which will include care of the Earth as well as their own lives and bodies
- live in a way that glorifies what God has created
Free will
Free will refers to the ability to choose between different possible courses of action.
The Catholic Church teaches that all humans have free will and this free will is God-given, ie God gave humans the ability and the free will to make their own decisions and choices. Without free will, humans could not be described as moral beings, as they will not have made the conscious choice to live and act in a moral way.
An example can be seen in Genesis where Eve is tempted by the serpent and, as a result of her free will, is accountable for her actions. The Bible makes it clear that humans not only have the ability to choose, they also have the responsibility to choose wisely.
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion.
Rationality
Rationality refers to the idea that God made humans as rational beings. This means that humans can use their ability to The ability to think and to work things out. and make decisions or judgements based on this reason. Unlike other living beings, humans have the ability to think and understand. This helps them weigh up actions and consequences, using their An inner sense (or 'voice') which communicates what is right or wrong in one's behaviour. and experience to guide them.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Creative
According to the Bible, one of the main purposes of humans is to be creative, as can be seen in Genesis 1:28. The belief is that God created humans to be fruitful and multiply
and to populate the Earth. This is the nature, and one of the main purposes, of humans.
This refers to the idea that God created humans with the ability of creativity, meaning that humans have the ability to use this creativity to help them and others survive in this world.
An example of this would be the way that humans have used plants for so many different purposes, such as food, clothing, furniture and construction. The belief is that the creative abilities that humans possess reflect something of God's own nature.
Fallen
The term fallen is related to The transference of Adam and Eve鈥檚 breach of God鈥檚 trust to all of humanity., which is the idea that all humans are born with a tendency to sin. Catholics have traditionally believed that original sin is the result of Adam and Eve鈥檚 disobedience to God when they ate the fruit from the garden of Eden. The belief is that when Adam and Eve disobeyed God they 鈥榝ell鈥 from perfection and brought evil into a perfect world.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, 鈥淵ou are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.'
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden they brought sin into the world and in doing so separated humans from God.
Question
Describe the Catholic beliefs about the nature of humanity.
The Catholic Church teaches that humans are unique, as they are made in the image of God, or imago dei. Although the exact meaning of this is unknown, there is a general agreement that it gives humans a special status in creation. It is also believed that God gave humans free will to allow them to make informed decisions for themselves. The belief is that humans are also the only creatures who have a soul which is reunited with God after death, and only humans can make moral decisions and know the difference between right and wrong.