Christianity 101:

Session OneINTRODUCTION

Introduction: Session Structure

1. Varied style and content

Lecture, video, PowerPoint, discussions, review

questions, etc.

2. Questions:

No bad questions

Only different types of questions

Clarifying, “Looking ahead”, Off topic, etc.

3. Pondering Question

Confirmation

The Lens: How do I understand

Reality?

Definition of Truth“You have your truth and I have mine.”

Illogical

Imprecise Language

Lazy

SO HOWDO WE

KNOWKNOWANYTHING

Illusion

Illusion 2

SOURCES OF TRUTH• Immediate experience

• Second hand knowledge

Expertise? Trustworthiness?

• Sources of Catholic Teaching:

Bible

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Code of Canon Law

Papal Documents

Clergy (a.k.a. priests like me!)

FAITH&REASON

A person’s INTELLECT or MIND.

The capability of looking at something logically.

Reason is a gift from God.

“Jesus came to take away your sins, NOT your minds!“

This is the part of the mind that makes connections.

It recognizes patterns and uses them to draw conclusions.

REASON

Faith

Trust based upon EXPERIENCE.

“Blind Faith” is trusting WITHOUT experience.

Which really isn’t faith at all.

We demonstrate faith a lot: With family and friends, strangers

With Science, Math, and Technology

With God

FAITH

Faith and Reason really can’t be separated and should be balanced in order for either one to work properly.

Reason without Faith stops working!

Without the trust of Faith, Reason has no foundation to build from.

Faith without Reason becomes blind faith.

Faith would no longer be based upon experience and would QUICKLY fall into error.

FAITH REASON&

Mystery vs. Problem

A person

Love

God

PROBLEM → Can definitely be solved…like how 1 + 1 = 2

MYSTERY → Can be known, but NEVERcompletely known.

EXAMPLES:

QUESTIONS

CONFUSIONS

DOUBTS

Confirmation

PROVE OR DISPROVE THE

FOLLOWING:

There is a God?