GOD
Attributes of God
1. What attribute of God is mentioned in the
Apostles' Creed?
The
only attribute of God mentioned in the Apostles' Creed is his omnipotence, his
quality of being all powerful. We believe
that God the almighty who created everything also rules everything. Nothing is impossible with God, who disposes
his works according to his will (cf. Jer 27:5; 32:17; Lk
2. How does God complement his omnipotence?
God reveals his fatherly omnipotence by the
way he takes care of our needs; by the filial adoption that he gives us:
"I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says
the Almighty." (2 Cor
3. What are some additional attributes of God?
God is the supreme
being, unique, without equal, all knowing. God is a unity; there is only one God. God is a trinity,
there are three persons in God. God is
truth and God is love. God is both just
and merciful. God has revealed himself to the human
race, yet he is still a mystery. One can never exhaust the attributes of
God. [228*-231*, 199-202,
210-227].
4. What is the name of God?
God
said to told Moses "I am who I am"; tell the people that "I AM"
sent you to them (Ex
Creation
5. Who created the world?
Holy Scripture
begins with the solemn words: "In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth." (Gen 1:1.) The profession of faith takes them up when it
confesses that God the almighty is "Creator of heaven and earth"
(Apostles' Creed), "of all that is, seen and unseen" (Nicene
Creed.) From the beginning God envisaged
the glory of the new creation in Christ (cf. Rom
6. How do the accounts of science correlate
with that of Genesis?
Since
the early centuries the Christian faith has been challenged by responses to the
question of origins that differ from our own.
The existence of God the Creator can be known with certainty through his
works, by the light of human reason. The
generally accepted Big Bang theory of science indicates a point of
beginning. If the fourth day of the
Genesis account is placed second then the chronology of Genesis (Gen 1:1-31) is in its broad outlines is
in accord with the scientific description: the creation of 1. light; 4. stars, sun, earth; 2. sky above, waters below; 3. oceans,
dry land, vegetation; 5. fish, birds; 6. mammals, man. The
inspired authors of Scripture placed the texts about creation in the beginning
to express in their solemn language the truths of creation - its origin and its
end in God, its order and goodness, the vocation of man, and finally the drama
of sin and the hope of salvation.
[282-289].
7. Is creation the work of the Trinity?
Although
the work of creation is attributed to the Father, it is equally a truth of
faith that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together are the one, indivisible
principle of creation. [316*].
8. How is creation the work of the Trinity?
Genesis
says "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1.) The New Testament reveals that God created
everything by the eternal Word, his beloved Son, "upholding the universe
by his word of power." (Heb 1:3); in him "all
things were created, in heaven and on earth." (
The World
9. Why was the world created?
God
created the world to show forth and communicate his glory. That his creatures should share in his truth,
goodness, and beauty - this is the glory for which God created them. [319*, 293, 294].
10. What is divine providence?
Divine
providence consists of the dispositions by which God guides all his creatures
with wisdom and love to their ultimate end.
Divine providence works also through the actions of creatures. God grants to human beings the ability to
cooperate freely with his plans. Christ
invites all to a filial trust in the providence of our heavenly Father (cf. Mt
11. Why is there evil in the world?
The
fact that God permits physical and moral evil is a mystery that God illuminates
by his Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross to vanquish evil. Faith gives us the certainty that God would
not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil, by
ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life. [324*, cf. 309-314].
Angels
12. What is an angel?
An
angel is a spiritual, noncorporeal, personal, and
immortal creature, with intelligence and free will, who glorifies God without
ceasing, and who sometimes serves God as a messenger of his saving plan. The
angels surround Christ their Lord, serving him, especially in the
accomplishment of his saving mission to men.
The Church venerates the angels who help her on her earthly pilgrimage,
and protect every human being. [glossary, 350*-352*, 329-331].
13. Who are guardian angels?
Guardian
angels are assigned to protect and intercede for each person. [glossary,
336].
Creation of Man
14. How was man created?
"God
created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and
female he created them." (Gen 1:27.) [380*-381*, 355].
15. What is the nature of man?
Man
occupies a unique place in creation: 1. he is "the image of
God": 2. in his own nature he
unites the spiritual and material worlds; 3. he is created "male and
female"; 4. God established him in his friendship. [355].
16. Why was man created?
Man
was created to know, love, and serve God his creator here on earth, and to be
happy with him forever in heaven. He is the only creature on earth that God has
willed for his own sake, and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and
love, in God's own life. It is for this
end that he was created, and this is the fundamental reason for his
dignity. [365, 356,
358, 365].
17. What does creation in the image of God
entail?
Being in the image of God, the human
individual possesses free will and the dignity of a person who is not just
something, but someone. He is capable of
self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering
into communion with other persons. And
he is called by grace to a covenant with his creator, to offer him a response
of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead. [357].
Unity of Man
18. How is
man considered as an individual
a unity?
The
individual human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once
corporeal and spiritual. The soul
signifies the spiritual principle in man.
The unity of the soul and body is so profound that their union forms a
single nature. Every spiritual soul is
created immediately by God (it is not "produced" by the parents), and
it is immortal. The soul does not perish
when it separates from the body at death, but will be reunited with the body at
the final resurrection. [381*-382*,
362-368].
19. How is man taken collectively a unity?
Because
of its common origin the human race forms a unity, a single species, for
"from one ancestor [God] made all nations to inhabit the whole earth"
(Acts
Creatures
20. How do human beings relate to creatures?
God
willed the diversity of what he created, namely his creatures; he willed their own particular
goodness, their interdependence, and their order. He destined material creatures for the good
of the human race. Man must respect the
particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things
which would be in contempt of the creator, and would bring undesirable
consequences for human beings and their environment. [351*, 380*, 339, 340].
21. How should human beings relate to animals?
God
entrusted animals to the stewardship of man; they are destined for the common
good of past, present and future humanity. Hence it is legitimate to use
animals for food and clothing, and to domesticate them for work and
leisure. Medical and scientific
experimentation on animals is morally acceptable within reasonable limits if it
contributes to caring for or saving human lives. It is contrary to human dignity to cause
animals to suffer or die needlessly.
One can love animals, but one should not direct to them the affection
and loving care due only to persons.
[2417-18].