Religious Education - Term 2

Question 1

Define Christian discipleship.

Answer 1

• Conscious decision to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and carry out his mission
• Applying his values to life and others.
• Called to spread the word and messages of Jesus and God to give rise to the Kingdom of God.
• Spread news to non-believers.
• Fellowship, beside other Catholics to better the world and to provide aid and help to those who need it.

Question 2

What is your understanding of the Kingdom of God?

Answer 2

• Ideal world that God wants for humanity and one that Christians aim to achieve.
• Living a righteous life, including aiding others and spreading peace.
• A place with no war, conflict, crime, persecution.

Question 3

What parable relates to the Kingdom of God? Explain this.

Answer 3

• There are multiple parables, I focused on the Parable of the Sower
• Concerns a sower who scatters seed, which falls on four different types of ground.
• Hard ground, which represents people who choose to deny the word of God, even after hearing it.
  Stony ground. They accept the word with joy, but don’t have any roots to sustain it which therefore kills it.
• Within the weeds and are killed by them, representing those who are too materialistic and don’t care about God.
• Good soil and grow.
• Reflects the different reactions to the Gospel and how they interact with it, either denying the existence of the Kingdom of God, or assisting in allowing it to flourish. God is the sower and the seeds are his message.

Question 4

How are disciples called to be servant leaders? Give examples.

Answer 4

• Selfless (putting the needs of others first), and nurturing towards their followers, helping them to grow and flourish as a community.
• Urging a spiritual connection to the divine and willingness to listen to guidance from above, inclusiveness, kindness and empathy.
• By asking followers to treat others, those even outside of the community, with respect and acceptance.
• Not believing that they are above their followers, but rather there to lead them to becoming more like them and to treat others in the same way.

Question 5

Explain how the Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life.

Answer 5

• Where the faith comes from.
• Spiritual sustenance and the culmination and a symbol and physical representation of God’s saving grace in Jesus’ sacrifice.
• Where the Christian faith begins and gives meaning to everything Christians do.
• Where the faith comes from.
• Summit because the Eucharist is ultimately what we want to achieve in life and where these actions should be directed.
• Everything Christians are and want to do with their lives finds ultimate meaning.

Question 6

How can Christians bring about the Kingdom of God through social justice?

Answer 6

• Supporting charities or becoming a part of them, eg. Caritas, St Vinnies, etc.
• Simply by helping their neighbours, being kind, talking with them, etc.
• By physically making a difference, going to a country and helping.
• Sacrificing spare change or donations.
• These acts, even if simple, would improve the world and society, therefore bringing about the Kingdom of God.

Question 7

How are Christian disciples called to be leaders in today’s community and world?

Answer 7

• Standing up for what is right.
• Ensure that everybody is treated with dignity, equality and respect in all aspects, including education, gender, status, etc.
• They are called by God and Jesus and their rules and regulations (10 Commandments and the Golden Rule).
  This directs them to mission and physically doing something for a certain cause -> in the names of God and Jesus.
• Being taught that it will bring about peace and the Kingdom of God will make them more inclined to assist others.

Question 8

What issue have you selected? Why is this issue important?

Answer 8

• Human trafficking
• Violation of human rights, God’s laws and Jesus’ teachings.
• Is essentially modern day slavery.
• Shows society’s regression and perpetuation of harm, rather than progression.
• Millions of victims and their family suffer - 20-40 mil.

Question 9

What links relate to human trafficking and the work of Jesus Christ?

Answer 9

• Violation of Golden Rule - Jesus’ commandments and the Ten Commandments.
• Catholic organisations -> Eg. Caritas has a special branch for human trafficking and modern slavery, and CoatNet. (Christian Organisations Against Trafficking in Human Beings)
• Fight poverty and lack of opportunities, advocate laws in order to protect victims, provide counselling, and punish perpetrators and secure decent working conditions.
• > Caritas advocates and educates human rights to those vulnerable to human trafficking.
• Through aiding other people, the Christians who assist in abolishing human trafficking reflect Jesus’ teachings.

Question 10

What is a teaching found within the Bible which explains a disciples’ actions with this issue?

Answer 10

• ‘Treat others the way you would like to be treated.’

- If you were suffering, you’d want to be helped.