Teachings of the Catholic Church - Questions     

German Bishop's Catechism, (“I Believe – Help My Unbelief”)

1. According to this catechism, the two words “I believe” are decisive for our whole life.  Why?  (Hint: Attend to italicized phrases.)  What sorts of questions are bound up with this issue? [Note:  These may be questions one needs to face whether or not one can say honestly, “I believe.”]

2. According to the author, our answers to these questions are never fully satisfactory.  Thus man ultimately remains a question and a deep mystery to himself.  Why, according to the author, is this man’s greatness and his burden?  Why is it both a gift and a task?

3. According to the author, science has given us many benefits.  Have there been problems as well?  Explain.

4. According to the author, the challenges of science -- whether we should do everything we can do -- bring us back to a fundamental question.  What is it?  Can science answer this question sufficiently?

5. According to the author, what characterizes a “world view”?  According this author, what is the problem with a “world view” understood in this way?   As with science, political world views cannot answer what this author considers the fundamental question.  What is it?

6. According to the author, however much religions may differ, they agree in one common concern and take it seriously.  What is it?  Why is a religion different from a world view?  (This is not covered explicitly in the article.  You’ll have to give it some thought.  Many people consider “religions” and “world views” the same thing.  Indeed, for some people, their “religion” can degrade into a world view.  Consider this: What characterizes a world view that is not present in a religion?  You will also find this answer if you look at the end of section 3.3. )

7. According to the author: “the life of man is a way, a way into mystery.  It is the fundamental conviction of all religions, as well as of the Bible, that the mystery of man borders on a still deeper and still greater mystery that they call God.”  (See the end of section 4.1.)  According to the author, what are the ways we can experience and know God?

8. According to the author, by revealing Himself to man, God also reveals what?  Relate this back to the very first question in this series.  How does God’s revelation relate to the fundamental question of human life?

9. According to the author, what is faith?
 
 
 
 

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